{"id":200,"date":"2012-02-08T15:05:25","date_gmt":"2012-02-08T22:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/anth378\/?p=200"},"modified":"2012-02-08T16:16:11","modified_gmt":"2012-02-08T23:16:11","slug":"200","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/anth378\/2012\/02\/08\/200\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

Graffiti on Granville by Kimi Yoshino<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Graffiti or \u2018street art\u2019 has come a long way from being marginalized as the \u2018graffiti problem\u2019 in the \u201870s \u2013 \u201880s, to recently, where it has been elevated to the status of \u2018normalized art.\u2019 Behind this phenomenon is the ascension of corporate power\/culture and restructuring of networks in the public and private sectors. Street art has been gaining momentum as it is seen by the mainstream media as the manifestation of the \u2018creative class,\u2019 expressing their identity in juxtaposition to their environment (whether this be in regards to capitalism or anti-immigration policies) in the form of sanctioned art. In regards to this specific piece that I discovered on my way to Granville Island in Vancouver, because it resembles First Nations\u2019 artwork its significance may lie in the issues of regaining the sense of \u2018belonging\u2019 in the contested areas of Vancouver. As described by Banet-Weiser, graffiti often reflects \u201csubcultural energy and artistry\u201d (Banet-Weiser 2011), celebrating the urban cities\u2019 grit and character. Its value lies between the real, material world (to the residents and workers), and an \u201cabstract space for capital investment\u201d (ibid). Artists operate between these binaries, as this art becomes a way for them to craft individual identity by gaining self-agency and distinguishing himself\/herself from the collective, to establish entrepreneurialism. This, in turn, contributes to the tourist revenues and the city\u2019s reputation. As this graffiti was situated at the entrance of Granville Island (a hot tourist destination), this could relate to the corporate elites\u2019 attempt to converge the economic with the cultural sphere, creating a new discourse \u2013a trend- that paves way for more innovative concepts to discuss what it means to be \u2018creative,\u2019 or even \u2018authentic\u2019 today.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n