Graffiti Cultural Appropriation
I
have always liked graffiti; you can find it everywhere and it expresses the
culture of the place and their particular struggle. When thinking about street
art most of the time we only think of the final product (at least I usually did
that), but to reach this point there are multiple things that we should think
about. First is all the effort and time they invest in their art, but also that
in most places is difficult to be a graffiti artist and live on that. Many
graffiti artist see their urban work not only as a way of expression or but
also as an investment. They invest money in all the materials they need, time
and effort; and one of the limited ways they have to recover that investment is
that someone that appreciates their art hires them to make private murals,
illustrations or even designs for tattoos.
In Ecuador it has been really recent that graffiti has
become trendy and that some artists can actually make a living out of it, very
few of them I must say. Apitatán was born in Quito and his art is inspired in
Ecuadorian clichés, phrases that he overhears while walking in the city or the
stories that people tell him. If you pay attention to his illustrations they are
colorful, which reflects the Andean landscape. His characters have the physical
characteristics of Ecuadorian mestizos and indigenous groups. Its narrative is
the history of Latin American and now it can be appreciated many countries in
US and Europe.
Image Retreived from "Diseño en Ecuador"
Apitatán says that the most important characteristic
of urban art is that it can reach everybody, because it is on the streets you
don’t need a ticket or to pay. It is not reserved for the elite and or for a
certain public, and at the same time it allows him to break the routine and the
“gray” in the city. Painting in the
street is completely different that working in the studio because the external
factors have more influence and impact, from the usual noise of the city to the
people that interact with the artists (sometimes giving them ideas or offering
them food). Apitatán also mentions that one of the main differences between the
studio and the street is that when you are painting in a public space the
product becomes everyone’s property, not only of the artist.
I think that one of the things that I enjoy about
graffiti is how it links the global and the local. How people can use global
technologies and elements to express local identities and culture. How it can
join people from across the world. Specifically in the work of Apitatán find it
amazing Latin America can be seen at a glance.
Majo,
ReplyDeleteThis was a wonderful post to read. I love visual art, and I'm especially intrigued by the way that graffiti artists comment on culture by engaging with urban spaces. I really like Apitatán's outlook on art within the urban landscape – the idea that street art should appeal to everyone, and that there shouldn't be a sense of exclusivity like there is with private galleries, or any space which rejects stigmatized groups. You also raise the point earlier on in your post that many graffiti artists see their work as an investment. I thought this was an interesting concept. Pretty much all graffiti artists risk legal trouble for the reward of completing pieces, which is an investment in itself. However, as their notoriety develops, they might be commissioned to do a big mural, or perhaps even create important political iconography like Shepard Fairey.
All in all, great post, I'll be sure to follow Apitatán on Instagram!
Best,
Evan Bowser
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