Street Art: Representing the Struggle of the People

Graffiti are defined as words or drawings scratched or scribbled on a wall. The word graffiti was originally used for the figure drawings found on the walls of ancient ruins. In the 1960s, graffiti’s modern art form was known as an “underground” form of expression, later recognized by the art community (Whitehead 26). Although graffiti were well-known as symbolizing illegal activity such as vandalism, they have become much more than just lettering or “tags” on a wall. Graffiti involve the “written thoughts, wishes, hopes, and dreams of individuals” (Gach 287). Street art, derived from graffiti, is visual art created in public locations outside of the traditional art venues that emerged in the early 1980s. The slight difference between graffiti and street art is the simple element that street art focuses on aesthetics and styles of the artists- as an artistic expression of the journey that the artists go through on the streets while creating their artwork (Maric 1). On the other hand, graffiti focuses more on the aspect of marking as many surfaces as possible to make a name for yourself on the streets (Jones 11). Both street art and graffiti do not necessarily mean the same thing, but both carry the same negative connotation: they are “related” to violence and gang activity although they are not. Despite street art’s unsanctioned work, it has been a platform for artists such as Vhils, Blu, and Swoon, to provide a representation of the common people’s struggle similar to the authorized work by the Mexican muralists Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros.

Street art has allowed artists to express ideas that cannot be spoken out loud. Alexandre Farto, a.k.a. Vhils, is a Lisbon born street artist. He grew up in Seixal, Portugal, an industrialised suburb that was greatly affected by the urban development transformations during the 1980s and 1990s (Vhils 1). Because Vhils experienced the constant development of his home, he began to think about “peeling away at the layers” to expose the historical background of a community after the fall of the government. Farto became widely known after one of his portraits appeared next to Banksy’s work at the 2008 Cans Festival (Hoyt 1). Farto’s aesthetics of vandalism include the use of stencil paintings, wall carvings, pyrotechnic explosions, 3D modelling, and installations to music videos (Vhils 1). From the use of wood, metal, billboards, and walls to ink and bleach, Vhils utilizes any tools possible to create portraits of the common people. In response to representing the community in his art work, Vhils states,

“The idea is to empower common people, give them their space in the city. What’s your definition of an icon? .. Why not regular people who fight every day for their walls? The project humanizes the city, gives it a face” (Hoyt 1).

Vhils wants the world to not only focus on the people who are already famous, but also on the everyday individuals on the streets who work to live decently. Vhils poetic, complex, and ambitious vision focuses on “the needs we have abandoned in favour of our wants, and the realization that trading pleasure back in for happiness will be a less than straightforward exchange” (Lazarides 223).

Vhils focuses on the idea of destroying to create. To create the 3D portraits, he uses three colors: black, grey, and white. Additionally, he uses regular paint, spray paint, and a brush. Considered a graffiti writer since 2000, Farto is a street artist who utilizes different media to portray his artwork from representing the common people to expressing the flaws of society as well. For example, on September 11, 2015, Vhils and his team traveled to Fort Smith, Arkansas for the Unexpected Street Art Festival, held by the nonprofit organization 64.6 Downtown whose focus is to “mobilize place-making in Fort Smith and Arkansas through the establishment of innovative and creative spaces, events and activities” (64.6 Downtown). Once there, Vhils and his team began working on the portrait of a Native American Cherokee as shown in figure 1 (Levy 1). Vhils focuses on human identity and of resistance and effacement within our environment. Specifically on this piece of artwork, Vhils states,

“One of the aspects I like to explore in the context of the broader reflection on this globalised model of development is how this imposed homogenous reality is effacing the cultural characteristics that made each cultural group unique.. How native cultures around the world have been, and still are, affected by this process of cultural erosion” (Vhils News).

Vhils is aware of what is going on with Native Americans and indigenous people overall in other communities abroad and in the U.S. Because Vhils is aware of the history of America and other locations, he gets an idea of how indigeneity is not portrayed positively. Therefore, Vhils created this portrait of a Native American Cherokee to show the people who walk by that indigenous people are still present and should not be forgotten. Through the portrait, he uses the symbolism of erosion to represent the threat that the government causes on the smaller cultural communities.

Figure 1. Alexandre Farto, Fort Smith, USA, 2015

In comparison to Vhils, street artist Swoon has also used her influence on the community to bring up the topic of Femicide, the murders of thousand of young women taking place throughout Mexico and Central America since 1993 (Virsis 1). Although Swoon does not necessarily focus on the act of “destroying to create” as Vhils does, Swoon utilizes her life-size human forms which she creates from recycled newsprint paper to portray the emotional aspect of life. Caledonia Dance Curry, a.k.a Swoon, was born in New London, CT, and was raised in Daytona Beach, Fl. She later moved to New York, obtaining her BA in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute located in Brooklyn, NY (Artnet: Swoon). Curry does not create her artwork outside in the streets. She actually works on her prints in her studio to later glue them on selected walls of New York with the help of wheat paste. Because her artwork is not permanent, Swoon does not classify it as illegal although it is categorized under defacement of property. Swoon “[focuses] her energy on things that were meant to disappear and her ability to let them go” (Artnet: Swoon). As JR, French artist and TED prize winner, states, “[Swoon] always managed to have some social impact with her work and at the same time stay an artist, not an activist.. That’s very rare” (Ryzik 1). Swoon was involved with social movements such as helping create a shantytown where each house was a musical instrument and building colorful houses in the village of Cormier with the help of volunteers after the Haiti earthquake. As stated, Swoon focused on representing the common people in her work of art where even if seen once, it left an imprint on the viewer such as the mournful remembrance of Silvia Elena Morales (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Swoon, Silvia Elena Morales, Juarez, México, 2008

Silvia Elena was a 17 year-old girl who was “one of the first Juarez women to be killed”. The story behind the site Juarez, Mexico, is that since 1993, about 400 women have been raped and killed there. The increasing crimes in Juarez, Mexico have not been solved and continue to this day (Bust 1). As a result, Swoon and her friend Tennessee Watson went back to Juarez to find out what happened and create a street installation of the portrait of Silvia Elena to bring awareness to the issue.

“Through conversations with artists in Juarez, it became ever more clear to me that it is not my intention to stigmatize Juarez as a place of violence — but to recognize that this kind of violence, while it may seem isolated to a town on the other side of the U.S. border, is a situation born of socioeconomic conditions that people in the United States and Europe share a role in creating. This piece is, instead, a gesture of solidarity with those most vulnerable to the effects of this violence in their daily lives” (Visis 1).

Those who saw Swoon’s artwork in person, described the installation as “oppressive” and similar to that of someone entering a tomb. The gallery itself was underground, dimly lit by candles. The audio provided was the recording of Silvia Elena’s mother retelling the story of her daughter in Spanish while weeping (Bust 1). The method in which Swoon installed this gallery appeals greatly to the pathos of the audience, making the individuals sympathize with the loss of a loved one. Not only does the dimly lit room convey a mournful atmosphere, it also provides a way for the audience to feel this pressure coming from the audio of the weeping mother to understand the fear of fighting for the truth while knowing that you could be killed for seeking justice. Swoon is not literally fighting, but she is playing the role of an activist ready to speak of the injustices that have been made in Juarez, Mexico. Through her artwork, she influences people to stand for justice and understand not only their own struggles, but also the struggles of those around them. Swoon and Vhils both focus on representing the endeavours that different communities go through. Through the use of different media, Vhils represents the scars on the community through portraits while Swoon utilizes print, ink, and installations to bring stories to life.

Just as Vhils and Swoon portray the strife of the common people, Blu, an Italian street artist also works to display the misfortunes minority communities experience. Blu is an Italian street artist, who still conceals his identity. He currently lives in Bologna, Italy and has been involved with street art since 1999. Blu is well-known for his sarcastic human figures often resembling comic and videogame art (Street Art Bio). While Blu was growing up, he began painting graffiti with spray paint and slowly started utilizing house paint and larger spaces after working alongside his uncle as a house painter. Blu’s images generally include black lines filled with white paint and intermittent spot color, but they are distinctive due to the different walls painted over (Blu 1). Blu specifically exposes the government to prove his point of how society and its community are affected by the standards of those in power.

On September 8, 1974, a 19 year-old boy Fabrizio Ceruso was killed by a gunshot during the clash of the common people with the police. The protest consisted of the people fighting towards the movement for the right to affordable housing in the territory of San Basilio (Roma Today). Without this historical background, most observers of Blu’s mural would not have seen the way the young boy was portrayed as a deity and respected individual in society where after his death, the neighborhood around him changed: the allocation of housing began (Roma Today). Near the bottom of the mural, you notice the policemen turning into animals such as pigs and sheep (Figure 3.d). Blu shows the critical view that the community has about the police, specifically about police brutality. While on the other side of the mural, there are houses being destroyed (Figure 3.b). The use of symbolism of the lock towards the sky symbolizes the limit of society and how it does not exist (Figure 3.c). You can change things in the world even if it is after the death of a community member.

All three of these street artists have shown their pure intent in standing up for the people of all communities, bringing attention to the common people’s struggle. Although their artwork is considered illegal due to being put up on the streets without permission, these street artists have also been placed in certain art galleries. I did not focus on the street artist’s authorized work in galleries because as they state, their work becomes more influential being illegal despite not correlating itself to the violence and gang activity of the world. Street art focuses on the aesthetic point of view of the landscape surrounding the artwork. As Vhils states,

“When I work I become one of those layers I’m talking about. My work is actually small in terms of all those layers. The possibility that someone might cover my art—it’s just part of the process. Artwork is ephemeral. It’s already expecting to decay, to change with time. I don’t have any problem with that. While I’m alive, I’ll try to do more” (Hoyt 1).

Similar to Vhils, Swoon and Blu do not care if their artwork is covered by other artists, they only want it to have been absorbed by the people when it was up on the streets. With the use of unsanctioned artwork, the street artists were able to create any drawing they wanted without the limitations of the authorized art. Although their artwork was based on the streets, it was influential for the common people who have constantly been placed in “boxes”, having set expectations. On the contrary, the work of Mexican muralists Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros was sanctioned by dilettantes, but the Mexican muralists provided a similar perspective on how Mexico’s society negatively impacted its people.

Figure 3. Blu, Tribute to Fabrizio Ceruso, 2014

Los Tres Grandes, the Three Great Ones, refers to the three muralists Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros who brought the Mexican Revolution to life. They grew up during the period of the “Porfiriato’ also known as the pre-revolutionary society. During this time, Porfirio Diaz had been the dictator for more than 30 years from 1876 to 1910 (Rochfort 11). He influenced many aspects of Mexican social life, especially when he pushed Mexico into the twentieth century. Since Diaz allowed massive foreign investment in exchange for cheap labor, large parts of the country’s infrastructure came “under the control of foreign owners, industrialists, and spectators” (Rochfort 11). Although Diaz let this become the root of the citizen’s hatred, the birth of the Mexican Revolution is often correlated to the interview of Diaz and James Creelman of Pearsons magazine. Diaz had “called for the emergence of an opposition party as ‘proof of Mexico’s ability to develop a true democracy’” (Rochfort 12). That same year, Francisco Madero, a liberal democrat, demanded universal suffrage and no re-election of the president through his book The Presidential Succession (Rochfort 13). After the Mexican Revolution was proclaimed by Madero on November 20 and events aimed at Diaz began to stack up on each other, Diaz resigned on May 25, 1911. Once Diaz left, the country went further downhill- a battle for power commenced.

The Mexican muralists Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros were outspoken about the people’s struggle during the rule of Porfirio Diaz. Throughout most of the murals of Los Tres Grandes, they “rejected ‘salon’ and easel painting, bourgeoise approval, the picturesque and the American Kewpie doll” because they regarded them as “sign of commercial and imperialist culture” (Anreus 38). The Mexican muralists Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros were outspoken about the people’s struggle through the use of murals starting in 1921 onward. Throughout most of the murals of Los Tres Grandes, they “rejected ‘salon’ and easel painting, bourgeoisie approval, the picturesque and the American Kewpie doll” because they regarded them as “sign[s] of commercial and imperialist culture” (Anreus 38). Orozco’s murals are focused more on portraying the negativity of the Mexican Revolution’s result while Rivera and Siqueiros’ are more optimistic. Orozco is more critical of authority due to his experience with anarchism. Not only did anarchism cause him to “view… the poor and the exploited tragically”, but Orozco’s sarcasm spoke of “the betrayal of revolutionary ideals” (Anreus 40). As shown in his mural Revolutionary Trinity, Orozco saw no possible way for the world to become a utopia (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Jose Clemente Orozco, Revolutionary Trinity, 1923-1926

As Anreus states,

“This is the trinity of a damaged revolution, in which, the peasant escapes through prayer, the worker is physically broken, and the soldier’s vision and conscience are blocked by the red flag, which stands for the revolution itself” (Anreus 41).

Although Orozco had a pessimistic point of view on society, he brought attention to the damage that history had on the indigenous people of Mexico and its citizens.

Rivera’s murals contain the same message of the struggle of the common people except that his view on society was more optimistic according to his political views. Rivera was part of the Mexican Communist Party (PCM), therefore expressing a liking to the communist ideals. He could see a utopian society being possible only if communist ideals were present. For example, Rivera’s first half of Mexico Today and Tomorrow is, “a pyramidal structure of four layers [showing] the roots of social evil, exploitation, and repression of Mexican people even as they are on the midst of struggle” (Anreus 47). The other half of the mural shows “Marxist union labors mocking doctrines being preached in a classroom, as well as an armed uprising” (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Diego Rivera, Mexico Today and Tomorrow, 1929-1935

Rivera included his political views based on what he thought would be good for Mexico. Rivera not only sought out “good” resolutions for Mexico’s problems. He also brought attention to the effects of the Mexican Revolution despite it being a movement towards the freedom of the people.

Siqueiros is not very politically involved as Rivera was, but he does try to come up with a Marxist theory. Although unsuccessful, he did incorporate some Marxist ideals in his mural From the Porfiriato to the Revolution (Figure 6). In his mural, he incorporated the five themes:

“the martyrs of the Canaea strike, Porfirio Diaz and his regime, women who dance to delight the dictator, an uprising of ‘the people’, and the image of Diaz as a fossiled figure” (Anreus 51).

Figure 6. David Alfaro Siqueiros, From the Porfiriato to the Revolution, started in 1957

Through his use of the portraits of anonymous individuals including the images of Karl Marx, printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada, anarchist Ricardo Flores Magon, and the liberal Jose Marti, Siqueiros provides a critical point of view from the effects of the Mexican Revolution on Mexicans.

The street artist Vhils, Swoon, and Blu, and Los Tres Grandes captured the struggle of the common people despite the street art movement involving unsanctioned artwork. Vhils brought attention to minority communities, just as Swoon brought attention to the violence in Juarez, Mexico. Blu also emphasized police brutality while creating a nostalgic piece. All three street artist focused on the “heroes” and struggles that common people go through every day while the elite and wealthy focus on changing the community. The artist’s work may not be up for long on the streets, but they provide an analytical perspective on society when the common people might be too busy to pay attention to how everyone is affected by those in power. Los Tres Grandes also exposed a new perspective on how the Mexican Revolution and Mexico’s previous government had impacted its people. Although the muralists work on the walls was authorized, their other drawings were not. Both the street artists and Mexican muralists decided what to generate not what others told them to create.

Annotated Bibliography

Hoyt, Alex. “How Street Artist Vhils Creates a Mural.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic, 29 Dec.2011.Web. 9 Feb. 2017. <https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/12/how-street-artist-vhils-creates-a-mural/250612/>.

This article talks about the background of Vhils, and how Vhils came to be. It focuses on the tools Vhils utilizes to create specific portraits of common people.

Gach, Vicki. “Graffiti.” College English, vol. 35, no. 3, 1973, pp. 285–287. www.jstor.org/stable/374981.

This article focuses on the meaning of graffiti, and what it is used for. It explains that graffiti is a method in which the public can express themselves.

Artnet Worldwide. “Swoon.” Swoon Biography – Swoon on Artnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2017. <http://www.artnet.com/artists/swoon/biography>.

Swoon is a street artist well-known for her technique of painting human-like figures and then pasting them on the walls of the street using wheat-paste. She does not classify her work under the category of illegal since it’s not permanent, but her work is still considered as defacement of property.

“BLU.” BLU. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2017. <http://blublu.org/>.

This is Blu’s official website. He is a street artist who also does paintings on the wall. On his page, he includes his own drawings and wall paintings that he has done. This will serve as the primary source: his art.

Whitehead, Jessie L. “Graffiti: The Use of the Familiar.” Art Education, vol. 57, no. 6, 2004, pp. 25–32., www.jstor.org/stable/27696041.

Graffiti has been present for years being intertwined with the lives of students. From graffiti lettering to spray-painted images, graffiti became a resource for the quiet to voice their opinions. As such, graffiti has also been given its negative connotation because it’s location on private property.

Maric, Bojan. Widewalls. N.d., Web. 15 March 2017.  <http://www.widewalls.ch/defining-street-art/defining-street-art-does-not-have-a-conclusion/>

This site refers back to the website Wide Walls and it discusses the definition of street art and its ever changing theme. It also explains the processes that different street artists go through to create their public art. It relies on factual information that focuses on Vhils and Blu.

Vhils. N.d., Web. 15 March 2017 <http://vhils.com/about/>

This is the official website of the street artist Alexandre Farto, a.k.a Vhils. Since it’s an actual website attributed to the street artist, the information on it will most likely be factual.

Levy, Rom. Streetartnews. N.d., Web. 15 March 2017. <https://streetartnews.net/2015/09/unexpected-15-vhils-unveils-new-mural.html>

This website serves to state a small description about the art piece that Vhils created in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Vhils. N.d., Web. 15 March 2017. <http://vhils.com/news/downtown-fort-smith-arkansas-2015/>

This short article is located in the street artist’s official website describing the reason behind Farto’s street art specifically the image he showcased at a Just for Kids event.

Virsis, Kristine. Justseeds. 5 April 2013. Accessed 15 March 2017. <http://justseeds.org/swoon-portrait-of-silvia-elena/>

This site focuses on street artist Swoon. It primarily explains the reasoning of Swoon’s motivation behind the street installation of the portrait of Silvia Elena. The quotations included on this site are specifically stated by the artist and no one else. You get the actual stated opinion of the artist and not a rephrasing of her words.

Ryzik, Melena. “Life of Wonderment”. New York Times. 6 August 2014. Accessed 15 March 2016. <https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/arts/design/swoon-blurs-the-line-between-art-and-activism.html?_r=0>

This article focuses on expressing the manner Swoon could be an activist, but is referred to as a street artist even if most of her work is legal.

Onstott, Emma. “Portrait of Silvia Elena, SWOON”. Bust. 15 March 2017.

<http://bust.com/arts/2291-portrait-of-silvia-elena-swoonhtml.html>

This site portrays the women issues of today and relevant articles that speak about Swoon’s art in retrospect of a greater issue than just focusing on aesthetics.

646 Downtown. 646downtown. 15 March 2017 <http://646downtown.com/>

This website serves to explain the events that Vhils becomes part of, and the reason behind why Vhils does sanctioned street art.

Anreus, Alejandro. Los Tres Grandes; Ideologies and Styles. (University of California Press, 2012). 37-52.

This article was reliable because it was peer reviewed. It consists of information for the three Mexican muralists Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros.

Jones, Russell M. Inside the Graffiti Subculture: Why Graffiti is not Art. (2007), 1-39.

This article was also peer reviewed. It consists of the definition of graffiti and why it is not considered art by some individuals.

Rochfort, Desmond. Mexican Muralists: Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros. (Chronicle Books, San Francisco) 6-30.

This book helped me define who Los Tres Grandes were. It also helped me explain their artistic backgrounds, and the Porfiriato during the time they grew up.

Lazarides, Steve. Outsiders: Art by People. (Great Britain, 2008), 10-260.

This book helped me define some of the background for street artists Vhils and Blu. They were both under the influence of his work.