ARTH 398 - Special Topics in Art and Society: Graffiti and Street Art

• T&J - 18:00-20:15
• EV-1.615
• INSTRUCTOR: DR. ANNA WACLAWEK

This course examines both the evolution of letter-based, signature graffiti subcultures as well as the contemporary international street art movement. The primary intention of the course is to initiate a dialogue about graffiti cultures to underline the works' functions and meanings for the artists, the viewers, and the culture of a city. We will begin with a historical review of graffiti on New York City subway trains in the early 1970s and move into a discussion of its criminalization, genealogy, ethics, and status as a subculture. An exploration of graffiti in the art world will lead us into analyses of contemporary street art practices as ephemeral, performative, and site-specific constituents of urban visual culture.