More than a Pretty View
How does street art impact the daily lives of people living and visiting Austin — does street art provide more than an aesthetic view?
Street art encompassing murals and graffiti are found all over the world, and they can have an array of meanings and forms. People often only see street art as tourist attractions and opportunities for social media posts, but is there more to it than that? How exactly does street art impact people’s mindset not only towards Austin, but also towards larger social issues, if at all?
Street art can display political messages, heritage and cultures, and any message the artist is trying to express — “the essence of street art is a public space in which the ideas and opinions of artists are being expressed” (Mokras-Grabowska, 2014). This public form of art has transitioned into a vector for “politics, heritage, and identity” (Skinner, et.al., 2017). Street art is prominent in urban life and provides a framework for different settings such as tourism, art education, social gatherings, civil rights movements, and the list continues on. A spectacular thing about street art is that it can be anywhere, and it instantly adds uniqueness and beauty to the area in its own way. If you begin to look around Austin, you will notice that street art is everywhere — our city is a canvas. Not only does it increase the aesthetic value in Austin, but public art is thought to influence change “through the messages conveyed,” and this change can either unite or divide a group of people depending on the content (Meluso, 2010).
In Austin, there are a variety of murals that are popular hotspots such as the “I love you so much” wall, the “You’re my Butter half” wall (Figure 1), and the “Jeremiah the Innocent” Mural (Emily D., 2017). There is even a giant concrete park dedicated to graffiti. Austin has countless pieces of art, but some serve more distinct purposes than others. Some of the ways murals can function in a city are for: social justice movements, social gatherings and tourism, expressive spaces, a representation of pride and community, promoting political messages, and a place for community-based art education.
Looking at the tourist and social aspect of art around cities, murals and graffiti provide an outlet for people to gather which is important for the health of a city. Cities should be made for people and should facilitate social capital — murals are a fantastic way to accomplish this. I went to the “Jeremiah the Innocent” Mural on Guadalupe, and there were students, adults, and children all there taking pictures and conversing (Figure 2). At the “I love you so much” wall on South Congress, people were waiting in a line to take pictures (Figure 3). In this line I talked to some high school students who were here in Austin visiting the University of Texas at Austin, and we talked about different aspects of UT, as well as advice in general when transitioning into college. Not only were these walls a tourist attraction, but they promoted interaction amongst the audience. People can come together to view art around the city and build a network of “strong weak-ties.” Sociability of cities is an important factor that can greatly impact people’s happiness and daily lives (Portes, 2000).
Graffiti park is a large, abandoned condominium complex that is now the site of concrete slabs in which visitors and artists can express their creativity (Simmons, et.al., 2014). The ranges of skill are about as wide as it comes — you will see people drawing shapes with spray paint, but there will be intricate works as well. Graffiti Park is a great place to go out with friends and see what everyone has added to the scene. When I visited Graffiti park with friends we saw a large crowd at the park. Some people were spray painting, while others were just perusing the walls to see the different art. There was one painting that said “Love Forever” but it was three-dimensional (Figure 4)! The diverse street art promoted a perfect medium for people to come together. Not only does street art provide a place for people to meet up and socialize, they also add to the visual aesthetic of Austin. The art adds color and quirkiness to Austin which makes it a livelier place to reside.
Community-based art education is a by-product of street art and murals drawn around the city of Austin. Community-based art education is defined as organized art programs that aim to enhance art skills, empower groups of people, as well as “programs that promote contextual learning about local art and culture” (Ulbricht, 2005). The different murals around Austin give insight into our local culture, which is important for both visitors, as well as Austinites. The use of public space for art provides a larger educational opportunity that connects the people to the city of Austin, creating a stronger sense of unity.
Street art can provide a sense of community for many marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+, black, Hispanic and other minority communities. A lot of artists will use walls and public spaces as a canvas to bring light to many issues that these groups face. There is a “Love will win” mural on Lavaca in downtown Austin representing struggles that the LGBTQ+ community faces (Webb, 2017). There is a project called El Mero Muro that focuses on increasing the Latinx presence in downtown through murals (Barnes, 2017). One example from this project was from the artist Eleanor Herasimchuck who created a Latina Wonder Women accompanied with environmentally friendly tips (Figure 5). This again shows how street art can provide identity for marginalized communities and promote political ideas such as environmental issues. Murals, such as in El Mero Muro, illustrate cultural heritages and a community — which is a recurring theme proving that murals can be a “vehicle for political and social expressions” (Arreola, 1984). Street art does in fact impact people’s daily lives. Murals can elucidate identity, and if they are removed this can cause conflict in many communities.
In East Austin, many neighborhoods are being gentrified, and with that, a lot of people are being kicked out of their homes. At 12th and Chicon, there were two murals that were cornerstones for the communities living in the region (Figure 6). One was of famous black musicians who were being featured on the wall. The other was a black pregnant woman with contact information for Mama Sana Vibrant Woman which is an organization that “focuses on issues affecting mothers of color in Austin” (Greig, 2017). These beautiful pieces of art not only served as a symbol for the black community, but they also provided information to help others. When the building was bought out, the new owners painted over the art — in white paint, nonetheless. This resulted in frustration from the black community, because not only were their valued murals destroyed, but they also felt this served as a metaphor for the gentrification issue at hand. Painting over the murals represented the people getting kicked out of their homes — and being painted over in white just furthered the analogy.
This specific event in Austin goes to show how art does have a role in people’s everyday lives. They are not merely pictures or places where tourists can go to document their trip, they serve as tangible representation for a plethora of communities.
Looking at other issues such as women’s rights, environmental policy, and immigration, murals around Austin express the frustration from different people who are hoping for change. The murals and graffiti serve as a way to directly reach people through public spaces — the entire idea behind street art is to provide a way to connect with others. By this token, street art has the capacity to influence people’s perception of Austin and the ideas presented. If there are political issues that are being captured in the murals, depending on one’s personal beliefs and values they may have a negative or positive reaction to the art, but this is still a reaction. Street art is provocative and can begin conversations amongst people which is important to the health of cities — we should constantly be connected and communicating.
Austin is home to countless murals and street art, and people often do not realize what a difference they make in the city. Street art not only adds character to the city of Austin, but it illustrates the lives of everyday people and the struggles and successes they face. Street art captures the lives and ideas of Austin residents — displaying them for everyone to see.
References
Arreola, D. D. (1984). Mexican American exterior murals. Geographical Review, 409–424.
Barnes, M. (2017, February 13). Mexic-Arte murals aim to boost Latino presence, patrons | Austin Arts: Seeing Things. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
D, Emily. (2017, April 29). Exploring Austin Street Art: Graffiti, Murals, & Mosaics, 2017 Edition. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
Greig, H. (2017, May 26). Why These Murals Matter. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
Meluso, J. M. (2010). Do murals really leave an impression? (Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University-Camden Graduate School).
Mokras-Grabowska, J. (2014). Art-Tourism Space In Łódź: The Example Of The Urban Forms Gallery. Turyzm, 24(2), 23–30.
Portes, A. (2000). The two meanings of social capital. Sociological Forum, 15(1), 1–12.
Simmons, B., & Mechling, L. (2014). Austin Street Art and Graffiti — Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
Skinner, J., & Jolliffe, L. (Eds.). (2017). Murals and Tourism: Heritage, Politics and Identity. Routledge.
Ulbricht, J. (2005). What is community-based art education?.
Webb, S. (2017, August 17). The Ultimate Austin Mural Guide || Where to find Austin’s Best, Most Colorful Walls. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
