Graffiti War - 1157 Words

What do the â€Å"graffiti wars† say about social relations of inequality and power in cities? Unequal power relations seemingly drive the war against graffiti. Arguably, this war targets marginalized individuals in poor communities, more specifically; it targets poor Black and Latino youth. Chronopolous (2011) argues that graffiti is seen as a threat to social disorder and suggests that communities festered with graffiti are â€Å"out of control† (Chronopoulous 2011, pg. 77-78). This is as a result of authorities seeing the act of graffiti writing as a domination of public spaces by Blacks and Latinos. Not to mention, they also consider graffiti artists as criminals, disturbed, insignificant, insecure, cowards, and socially maladjusted; which†¦show more content†¦As stated by Taki, an influential graffiti artist when addressing the concern authorities held about his graffiti writing, â€Å"Why they go after the little guy? Why not campaign organizations that put stickers all over the subways at election time?† (Chronopoulos 2011, pg. 81). Though, gr affiti is deemed as legitimate when it is used to generate profit, which is seen through the recent increased demand for graffiti with the purpose of beautification and gentrification. Evidently, the growing concern over graffiti in public spaces is driven by the conflict graffiti creates when obstructing advertisements, which generate increased consumption and profit. It also demonstrates the lack of tolerance the dominant class has for the promotion of dominance by the lower class. Moreover, constant â€Å"public proclamations† which urged people to see graffiti writing as a social safety issue, has certainly influenced the demand for anti-graffiti efforts and the attitudes upper and middle class whites had towards Blacks and Latinos (Chronopoulos 2011, pg. 87) There are many associations with graffiti writing, Hip-hop being the first. Though the emergence of graffiti can be attributed to street gangs; which, they used to mark their territories (Chronopoulos 2011, pg. 79), graffiti began to merge with hip-hop culture in the 70s (Chronopoulos 2011, pg. 82). Ultimately, this combination promoted the public domination over public spaces in New York City through the useShow MoreRelatedGraffiti And Its Effects On The World War I1504 Words   |  7 PagesComm 1016 Essay We see graffiti everywhere even though it is illegal. Its on trains, buses, buildings you name it there has most likely been graffiti on it. Let’s start with what the definition of graffiti is, â€Å"writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place† (Bing.com). 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