Special Delivery

I recently went to an art showing that blew my mind.  

Expansive.  With more than 80 local artists contributing in a space measuring 36,000 square feet.

Thought-provoking.  Social commentary ranging from religion, to politics, to the environment, to what we eat, to who we are.

And about to be destroyed.  September 30th was the last, and one of the very few days when this collection was viewable to the public.  The entire space has since been sandblasted.

What I'm talking about is "Special Delivery", a large-scale mural exhibit featuring prolific Bay Area street artists.  And by street artists, I mean graffiti artists.  Think that's not art?  Think again.  

The legal distinction between graffiti and art is permission. With permission, it’s considered art on a legal wall. Those who paint without permission commit vandalism, whether it’s public or private property.

“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn't illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall - it's wet.”    - Banksy, Wall and Piece

Since the 1980s, authorities in communities throughout America have used the rhetoric of "war" to define the "threat" posed by graffiti and to justify the mobilization of community resources to eradicate it. The monetary cost of these aggressive campaigns is in now in the billions of dollars and it is difficult to calculate how much ink and video tape has been expended in popular stories about the graffiti menace. Yet by any measure, there is more graffiti now than before graffiti was declared a social problem and war envisioned as the solution.

“There is an aspect of graffiti that is reverse colonization.
I look at it as the people’s media.”  - Estria 

How we as observers feel about graffiti is a function of whose side of the conflict we are on - whose values we share or do not share, whose status we respect, whose situation we empathize with - the authorities who make the rules, the people who enforce them, or those who break them. Can a society that envisions war as the ultimate metaphor, enshrines hierarchy while preaching democracy, and practices the politics of exclusion rather than inclusion ever acknowledge writing on the walls as an ancient and common practice, as expressive of our humanity as making those walls gray and imposing? Today's graffiti challenges the authorized vision of social reality. But these aerosol revolutionaries are powerless and young. They fit the criteria for an ideal scapegoat better than the ideal of a cultural liberator. Even though their innovative, visionary styles are routinely coopted, commodified, and capitalized on, it is unlikely their aesthetic visions will be granted legitimacy in the 21st century, if such a thing is possible at all.  Excerpted from "The Great Graffiti Wars of the Late 20th Century"

The street artist Banksy, of fairly prominent fame, says it well.

 “I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in - like peace and justice and freedom.”  - Banksy, Wall and Piece  

What would be the consequence if graffiti were not prohibited but seen instead as diversity, as modern petroglyphs or urban folk art?

In the Bay Area, The Estria Foundation is a non-profit organization that creates art in public spaces locally and globally with artists, youth, educators, and activists in order to raise awareness and inspire action in the movement to resolve human and environmental issues. They see the new street artist movement as one which creates lasting systemic social change by empowering local communities to work collectively and participate in our global network. They work towards a society that places value on people and the environment above the accumulation of wealth.  I really admire the 10 points of unity that guide their work:

Free Speech
We support freedom of expression, without fear of persecution.

Creativity
Creativity leads to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, with tolerance, openness, improved problem-solving, and increased self-confidence.

Self-Determination
We support efforts for people to determine their own future.

Personal and Professional Development
We believe on-going study makes people more effective leaders for achieving social change.

Youth as an Integral Part of Society
Youth must be included in decision-making, and be given all opportunities for learning. 

Racial, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Equality
We oppose racism, classism, and gender and sexual discrimination.

 

Human Rights
We believe in the protection of human rights.

Corporate Responsibility
We encourage companies to have a positive impact on people and the environment.

Engagement
We require engagement from stakeholders and a sense of ownership among the local people where our projects are located.
  
Environmental Consciousness
We encourage environmental consciousness and rally communities’ efforts to ensure the survival of the human race and other living creatures.

For more photos from the show, click here.