The Election and the Ash Borer
Does it matter what words a sign says when a symbol says so much more? A white X. A carved swastika. Things get torn down from less. ...more
Posts Tagged: graffiti
The Storming Bohemian #34: Descent into the Underworld
The last time I punked the muse, I wrote of the summer solstice, a meditation into the heart of the sun. My goal was to leave behind the ever-more-depressing news cycle, and touch some place deep down where hope resides.
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Slang and Swagger: Riffing with Jeff Chang
Jeff Chang discusses his latest book, We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation, his work in hip-hip journalism, and the beauty and humanity of political protest. ...more
Accessing the Past through Graffiti
Writing for Aeon, historian Matthew Champion delves into contemporary research on medieval graffiti. Exploring graffiti (a visual medium) allows for historians to learn more about the actual lives of the medieval world’s largely illiterate populace.
...moreStreet Art as Literature
In Street Messages, German photographer Nicholas Ganz compiles photographs of messages in public spaces, illustrating the literary side of the global street art movement—he calls it “a new, modern form of poetry.” Slate provides a sampling of some of the powerful images from the book.
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The Rumpus Interview with Roger Gastman
Graffiti impresario Roger Gastman sits down and talks about the evolution of street art, his new film The Legend of Cool "Disco" Dan, and his newest exhibit and ode to Washington D.C., Pump Me Up: D.C. Subculture of the 1980s. ...more
Pre-Olympic Pre-Emptive Strikes
London authorities are bent on making sure that the Olympics Games will proceed without a hitch.
Their strategies include arresting people who they think may pose a threat to that smoothness, in advance, before any crimes are committed. Four men, aged between 18 and 38, have been arrested “on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage” and “on suspicion of incitement to commit criminal damage,” according to The Guardian.
...moreNasty Ancient Graffiti
“Good luck on your resurrection.”
I09 has compiled ten pieces of ancient graffiti translated into modern terms.
(Via Bookslut)
...moreDirty Pictures
21-year-old student Jesse Graves started putting up graffiti to promote environmental awareness nearly two years ago, and has never been harassed or arrested. Many of his pieces remain intact on walls around the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus.
Stencil Nation
A subdivision of the spray-can Graffit isubversion is stenciling. Requiring less skill and less time, stencil artists simply put down a piece of paper with text or images carefully removed, and lay down a coat of paint. This offshoot of graffiti is the focus of Russell Howze’s latest book, Stencil Nation.