Conflict Graffiti: From Revolution to Gentrification

Graffiti is a political resistance tool that becomes visible during and after a conflict, expressing disparate voices and interests. This study explores the various forms of graffiti in conflict zones, from protest graffiti to tourist-attraction murals, and its impact on revolutionary movements. Graffiti has an unstable afterlife, adapting to changing protest movements.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 17 March 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Graffiti, a multifaceted phenomenon, holds significant importance in the realm of political resistance. It serves as a powerful tool that brings protests to the forefront, making them both visible and material. This study delves into the various waves of graffiti that occur before, during, and after conflicts, highlighting their role as vital components of resistance movements.

Graffiti, often associated with chaos and lawlessness, finds its place in the realm of messy politics. In film and television, it is employed to convey a sense of danger or unrest. In bathroom stalls, it becomes a platform for disembodied expressions of gossip, lewdness, or confession. However, it is also a resilient tool of protest, uniting diverse voices and interests to form powerful movements.

In his book, Conflict Graffiti, John Lennon explores the diverse manifestations of graffiti in conflict zones. From the protest graffiti of the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson and the Tahrir Square demonstrations in Egypt to the tourist-attraction murals on the Israeli Separation Wall and the street art that has revitalized Detroit and post-Katrina New Orleans, graffiti plays a pivotal role in these revolutionary movements.

As conflicts subside, a new graffiti and street art scene emerges, often characterized by postconflict consumerism, gentrification, militarization, and anesthetized forgetting. Graffiti, with its unstable afterlife, is destined to be added to, transformed, overlaid, photographed, reinterpreted, or painted over. However, as protest movements evolve and adapt, graffiti possesses a unique ability to reshape and evolve alongside them.

In conclusion, this study underscores the profound impact of graffiti as a tool of political resistance. It highlights its ability to make protests visible, unite diverse voices, and shape the course of social and political movements. Graffiti's unstable afterlife reflects its dynamic nature, capable of adapting and evolving alongside the ever-changing dynamics of protest. As we continue to witness the power of graffiti in the world, it is important to recognize its potential for positive change and the importance of preserving it as a means of artistic expression and political resistance.

Weight: 450g
Dimension: 228 x 152 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226815695