subheading:
From billboards to graffiti to guerrilla marketing, civic and commercial interests have long fought to control the visual environment of the city. Today the contest is more heated than ever.
this is a lengthy piece on every facet of “advertising” in public urban spaces, from actual corporate advertising to graffiti art, the history of those things, and the differing responses to and conflict between them
I love the view of Graffiti as the “peoples version” of controlling the visual environment in urban areas. As some famous artists/writers have put it, why should only those with money be allowed to control what we see and how oir cities look? One awesome example of this is Berlin Kids, who have managed to control the appearance of an entire area of Berlin with their artwork.
One awesome example of this is Berlin Kids, who have managed to control the appearance of an entire area of Berlin with their artwork.
…only awesome if the people living there agreed with having that “artwork” stay. If they just pissed people off then it’s not any better than corporate advertising.
