The Rainshadow Community Charter High School Blawg Week #5 Street Art Viability and Them HP Free Wall(s)!

The Rainshadow Community Charter High School Blawg Week #5 Street Art Viability and Them HP Free Wall(s)!


This week was short in the way of learning since Tuesday and Wednesdays’ Project Holland classes were filled with sophomores taking some ridiculous standardized tests. While I was “proctoring” the exams I felt like shooting myself in the head I was so bored out of my skull. Since today is a holiday, I’m gonna take it upon myself to poach some writing from an assignment we did on Thursday after watching a pretty good flick called Against the Wall: AKA Quality of Life. It was a pretty decent movie that followed the lives of two graffiti kids in SF who take separate paths in the art >crime< world after getting busted one night. The Holland Project will serve, to some extent, as a place where artists can come together to practice and display their work, whether it is graffiti, street art, socially unacceptable music, etc. My students were asked “Why do you think some types of art are socially acceptable (statues, modern art, that weird metal slab full of holes in front of the federal building, etc.) while other types (street art, graffiti, etc.) are not?” Here’s what they said…

– Because “acceptable art” is made by people with a degree. The “non-acceptable” art is made by people that don’t have a degree. That’s not fair. (Chris)

– Depends on who your asking and what you consider art. The metal slabs, to me, not art. (Karinna)

– Because background and history of graffiti art. The kids who are involved with it, and the way society sees it today. (Rachel)

– America is simple-minded! (Andie)

– Well probably because graffiti is usually on other people’s property without permission and most of the time it is gang signs and or referring to illegal substances. (Kelly)

– Because people don’t think graffiti is good, they think it ruins property. Statues people like. (Jeff)

– Because they think its gang related (Russell)

– Because those types of art are lawful, and what the government says is art, and acceptable. Long story short – people are closed-minded. (Brittney)

– Because businesses pay for their property. (Jesse)

– Because your not destroying other people’s stuff as often with that acceptable art. (Chewy)

word.

-joe