Street Art Proposal
For the class project, it would be nice to see a unique theme that hasn’t been done before. Thus, I believe that street art, as Nikita already proposed, would be an invigorating topic to explore. Street art in New York City is on the rise. As renowned individuals like Shepard Fairey and Banksy leave their mark on walls all over the five boroughs, they leave a precedent for up and coming artists to do the same. While strolling down the streets in SoHo, Williamsburg, or DUMBO it is hard to walk past these masterpieces without acknowledging their purpose in that neighborhood. Yet, street art, such as murals, and graffiti can be found in all parts of New York City.
One may ask: how do these works connect with “The Peopling of New York City”? Though every image may not have a cultural context, many stem from political or social conflicts in the surrounding area. For example, when driving down the Gowanas expressway in Brooklyn, the mural titled “We Are Not Government Issued” can be found on a building by the road. This mural is in Sunset Park, an increasingly Hispanic neighborhood with a low average income per household. The painting exposes the trauma that women in the military face. In particular, it highlights the targeting of low- income females by military recruiters. Therefore, even a quick analyses of this piece can say a lot about the struggles faced by the surrounding area.
The biggest problem with this topic is how to distribute the work between twenty students. We would have to decide where we want to go, and whether we are dividing the site by theme, neighborhood, style, etc. Otherwise, I believe that a lot can be learned from deciphering the messages behind such art. If we split the website up by neighborhood, small groups of two or three can sprawl out to various parts of the city and explore their given region. Then, they can do research about the artists and the surrounding area in order to compose a webpage connecting the two.
Street art is an umbrella term for many types of outdoor creations. It can be subdivided into graffiti, murals, sculpture, and more. Some is commissioned by the city while others appear overnight, by mysterious artists. Thus, we can choose to focus on a single type. Murals may be easier to research since they are publicly funded and the artists are known. Yet, graffiti is fascinating in its enigmatic nature and often introduces new artistic styles. These are decisions for a class to make, as soon as an agreement can be reached about the theme of this year’s project. Overall, the idea of exploring street art gives a lot of leeway for such a large group. Also, it is not something that can be missed like a holiday or parade; moreover, this type of art is static and can be seen any time of the year.
