I have always been attracted to “Wall Art.” As I was growing, I loved seeing “graffiti.” I appreciated the colorful imagery (because it was always colorful). I also wondered – how did the “the defacer” – the person who violated rules and forced their images on others—how did they reach the places they “drew?” The graffiti was often in places where you’d have to be a gymnast to reach. How did they do this? When did they do it – what odd times of the night had they come out to scratch at buildings and overhangs and freeway signs?
Then, I began to value “Street Art” – not only for the imagery but also for the message. For me, these drawings evoked quite a bit of emotion. After all, many of the pieces were often questioning norms and practices that benefited some but left so many others unprotected. I noticed that this “Street Art” happened to be in communities of color. They are art but they still are from the street, a sublime, in your face degradation of this form of “art.” So I had to go looking for this art, because I was not going to find it in any upper class, refined neighborhood. After all, it is from the street.
Now, I travel around the world and no matter where I am, I look for and find beautiful “Wall Art.” Look at that … now it is Wall Art and not Street Art. The change of one word is a recognition and acknowledgement of the skill, the messaging, the bravery of these artists. These pieces are not something that are thrown up, paint splattered everywhere. There is thought put into every brush stroke. There is one piece of art representing George Floyd with flowers, a tribute of the horrific experience of this Black man. Every time I see this wall art, this imagery, I cry. Not just me. I have seen the impact of this “wall art” on people across so many dimensions of diversity. And guess what, you can now find “Wall Art” in some of the groovy artistic communities. Let’s broaden the reach, expand the message, challenge the norms, push the edges.
This is the legacy of Wall Art.
