Graffiti is often viewed negatively, considered to be vandalism as opposed to art. In Egypt, that negativity is compounded by the subject matter. Street artists in Cairo have been using their work to document the actions of political forces, reminding the public of the impact that politics have incurred on the Egyptian population. The artist Ganzeer (a pseudonym) has been part of this movement, and his work has been documented worldwide through photography, print, and video, as seen above. Street artists in Egypt risk their freedom to create their pieces, as the practice is illegal. It is however, becoming increasingly common to see the artists emerging in broad daylight to create their work. (Morayef)Commentary on politics, violence and uprisings populate the walls of the city now, giving rise to public commentary and an increase in interest around the globe.
References
Morayef, Soraya. Ciaro
Street Art Revolution. 6 May 2012.
<http://www.thearabreview.org/cairo-street-art-revolution/>.
The Tahrir
Institute for Middle East Policy. Interview With Ganzeer. 31 October
2014. Web. 21 November 2015. <http://timep.org/commentary/interview-ganzeer/>.
No comments:
Post a Comment