Murals, Graffiti and By D.E. Bradley
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ocial media and newspaper reports are full of images of street art and graffiti related to the Black Lives Matter protests. For better or worse, these images capture the imagination and draw us into the story. Street art can help protesters and mourners make the most of the situation, using the right image, in the right place.
noticed. This is why there are even more street art depictions of Donald Trump across the world. Some say he has a look that is made for caricature, and artists don’t hold back. The creation of the Trump Blimp Baby in the UK one of the most well-known examples to date.
Putting a Face to a Cause
Then there is the snappy tagline to the protest that forms the chants and condenses the message into a few simple words. The ongoing unrest and protests across the world have seen a few examples appearing in various forms. Many memorials and pieces of street art are accompanied by phrases like “I can’t breathe,” “Stop Racism” and “Black Lives Matter.” Of course, the power of social media means that these tags and slogans are also simple hashtags. These then project the artwork from the walls of neighborhoods to the mobile devices of countless allies across the world.
The artwork that has gained the most attention is, unsurprisingly, the memorials to George Floyd. The most recognizable memorial right now is probably the one in Minneapolis outside the store where the incident took place. This one is made all the more powerful with the names of others that lost their lives. There are many more across the United States, with some depicting George as an angel. One is in the neighborhood where he grew up in Houston. In fact, portraits of George have appeared all across the world. There is one in a Dublin housing estate in Ireland, one on ruins in Syria, and one in Nairobi, Kenya. Putting a face to a campaign or political statement is always a helpful way to get
The Importance of the Slogan
The Power of a Simple Image The power of street art and graffiti in difficult times in America is not unprecedented. With global movement that won’t be silenced, the
ArtDiction | 44| May/June 2020
