Graffiti is the most democratic of the industrial arts.
At core, it is unauthorized political speech.
Sometimes petty, sometimes grand in scope.
Sometimes street art is beautiful. Sometimes it's ugly. Sometimes on purpose.
Every tag, every throwie, every piece is a point of view, a cry or demand for attention. A exortation or a puffing of the chest.
Every graffiti writer has their own map of the city. Places where there tag is now, or used to be. How does it feel to have such a connection to New York?
And what about the missions? To paint these more ambitious sky-born spots? Getting your materials and your crew and going out to change the city. Can any sanctioned art hold a candle to the thrill of painting on a rooftop or under a bridge?
Street Art introduces these ideas, and weaves together the 3 core issues that drive graffiti: Power, Politics, and Place.
This tour is led by Dan Flag, a whole different kind of writer. What you'll get out of this is to begin identifying some of the artists active in the city today, learn a little bit of history and maybe explore your own personal connection to the art.
Duration: ~90 mins
Start Area:
Distance & Difficulty: 👟
Food & Drink: ❌
Critical Thinking & Attention: 🦧🦧
Strangeness: 🙊🙉
Subway: ❌
Cost: $23 per person
