Can graffiti really unite a community?
Graffiti: alternative media?
In my opinion, I feel as if graffiti is a great example of alternative media and could very well be a veteran in the field. Alternative media is about independence and the graffiti artist seeks independence and difference from a community. However, I do have a preference in regards to graffiti and I prefer someone who is adorning there community with pieces of art rather than with gang signs perhaps. I want to see a community come together and this form of alternative media does just that.
Divide or Unite?
Some of the work that my group witnessed in Chicago wasn’t just the stereotypical graffiti sketches plastered on several walls; it was the work of the people. In Hyde Park, the residents gratefully appreciated the artwork plastered along the underpass of the subway tracks. The art was for the residents of that community and from what we saw in that area, it united them.
Added value
Street art definitely adds to the value of alternative media and the appreciation of the alternative meaning and belief system.
