Bright wall paintings can transform a neighbourhood, yet attitudes toward them remain mixed. Some see art, others see damage to property. The two main strands of street creativity, graffiti and muralism, have different origins and different legal status.
Graffiti culture emerged in the United States in the 1960s, when young people in New York and Philadelphia began leaving their pseudonyms, or tags, on walls and subway cars. Over time, simple inscriptions grew more elaborate, and graffiti became part of hip-hop subculture. Historically, it arose without permission, as a gesture of self-expression.
Muralism, or the art of wall painting, appeared in Mexico in the 1920s after the revolution. Artists, among them Diego Rivera, painted the walls of public buildings to address social issues. Unlike graffiti, murals are more often created with permission and from an approved sketch.
These directions frequently intersect. Sabina Chagina, curator and co-founder of the Artmossphere street art biennale, notes that monumental works are often taken on by "people from the streets" — graffiti artists who have learned to work on large surfaces. Among the notable Russian authors she names Dmitry Aske, Misha Most, Andrey Berger, Alexey Luka and Vladimir Abikh.
One of the most high-profile conflicts involving wall painting took place in 1933. Diego Rivera was commissioned to create a fresco for Rockefeller Center in New York. During the work, the artist added a portrait of Vladimir Lenin, which provoked displeasure from the client, Nelson Rockefeller. Rivera refused to remove the image, after which he was dismissed from the project and the fresco was destroyed. The artist later recreated it in Mexico City.
Today, disputes over paintings more often relate to building renovations. According to Chagina, sanctioned murals are usually not painted over without cause. This may happen if the work has deteriorated, the building is being reconstructed, or the painting was originally temporary.
Illegal graffiti remains a problem for cities, especially when it appears on historic buildings. Authorities in many countries restrict this practice. For example, in September of this year the President of Kazakhstan proposed introducing a ban on graffiti. At the same time, many cities seek a compromise: they set aside special zones for creativity and hold festivals, giving artists legal opportunities.
The artist Misha Most, author of the largest mural in the world, located in Nizhny Novgorod, believes the main rule in the community is not to spoil other people's work. In his view, what distinguishes art from vandalism is intent: the first creates, the second destroys. He adds, however, that not every official painting is a work of art, and murals with a social agenda often turn out to be simply advertising.
The community has made great efforts so that street artists become an integral part of contemporary art and take shape as a separate direction and as players in the art market.
— Sabina Chagina, curator and co-founder of the Artmossphere biennale
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