When you discuss Hip-hop Aesthetics and Fine Art this week, think about the culture of Hip-hop and the themes Hip-hop artists explore. How do fine artists in Hip-hop create bridges between private and public and notions of "street" and "fine" in their art? How is Hip-hop Arts inaccessibility to the urban working class a contradiction of the street art aesthetic? What part of Hip-hop Aesthetic speak to you (urban blight, braggadocio, call and response, polyculturalism, etc.) in the work of a particular artist?
One thing I particularly find interesting between the fine art we’ve looked at in lecture on Monday, November 1st and hip-hop aesthetics is the sense of polyculturalism in Iona Rozeal Brown’s works. One image in particular stood out to me. There’s one of an Asian looking girl, but she has a dark shade on her face and has cornrows. In doing so, Brown is able to make a statement saying we’re all interconnected, through race, through ethnicity, and through culture. Yet, at the same time Brown provokes a feeling that we’re all still individuals. There were two specific ways Brown made her individuality statement: one, the woman in the photo has dreads, but the way she put her dreads up made them stand out and unique, and two, Brown made the woman’s coat stand out immensely—displaying the woman as someone with a personal, distinct style. Another aspect of the art I find interesting is the direct correlation to hip-hop music. When a hip-hop artist changes his music just to fit it on the radio, in the hip-hop community it’s seen as selling out. From the moment graffiti or street artists began going mainstream and painting in galleries rather than in the community, that sell out feeling from the hip-hop community carried over to the art.
ReplyDeleteWhen one hears of fine art and hip hop, they don’t often think of them as working together. They seem to be on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to culture. I’m not saying that the graffiti that artist paint on the side of underpasses and subways isn’t art, but it isn’t often seen in the same light. Hip-hop has been introduced into the main stream fine art museums all over the world. Unfortunately I wouldn’t consider this type of representation of hip-hop to actually be “hip-hop.” I think of it more as sampling from hip-hop and bringing it into a new light. Those who use hip-hop in their art, aren’t considered hip-hop artists by any means, but often use the same aesthetics as those who are. They tend to be about breaking, DJ culture, MCing, and graffiti. They also can involve African American culture and urban life in their work. This can be presented through an urban background, speech, or fashion. In the artwork called Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps in the collection by Andrew Cohen, the main themes are of an African American male who is dressed in “hip-hop attire” is leading the war. The person is dressed in articles of self adornment and is showing the polycultural aspect that would not have been present in the real time of Napoleon. The main problem with fine art and hip hop is that those who go to museums to look at fine art, are not those who appreciate hip-hop at its greatest. These two groups need to merge for the fine art hip-hop to be considered “authentically hip-hop.”
ReplyDeleteThe integration of Hip-hop works into the world of fine art to some is a great thing but to others it is a horrible decision. Gallery owners see how popular hip-hop art is becoming thus they want to add it to their display. The art that is displayed in the gallery doesn’t truly depict the same ideas as those originally produced. Hip-hop was originally a “rebel culture” (Biggers 146). Those who exemplify the hip-hop aesthetic are not the same type of people who go to major art galleries. These differences result in a skewed idea of Hip-hop that is represented by the artist in the galleries. They develop their art of the Hip-hop aesthetic such as braggadocio, call and response, and urban blight. This can be seen in the art piece by Banksy where a rat is seen with a boombox, chain, and backwards baseball cap. These are all articles of self-adornment. There is also graffiti that is sprayed over the picture. The picture is a depiction of the urban life where hip-hop is born and rats are very prevalent in the urban ghettos. Many themes of hip-hop are present in the artwork which makes it associated with hip-hop. I don’t believe that many museums would want to take in this type of artwork in with their fine art because it takes away from other more accomplished artists, and the people who often view the fine art would consider graffiti to be vandalism and not art.
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ReplyDeleteHip-hop artists explore many different types of methods for creating their masterpieces while showing their own style both on and off the streets. “Many hip-hop artists are auto-didactic, meaning they are self-trained,” (Lecture-Hodges-Persley). Each artist takes on a certain theme in their work, which is what differentiates them from others. For example, Swoon’s work is remarkable because of the elegance that is put forth and how the images are portrayed over a good use of space like over old graffiti. (Blackboard-Hodges-Persley “Images of Art”). Fine artists in the hip-hop world use their style as their signature feature like Shepard Fairley who created the well-known red and blue Obama campaign image that is now nationally recognized (Youtube). Artists know how to balance the “street” aspect along with the “fine” part of art by combining the two and making them beautiful no matter where they are viewed. The fine artist in hip-hop that catches my eye the most is Kehinde Wiley since his work stands out the most to me because it is so out of the ordinary with the many color patterns and fine art aspects of it (Youtube). The hip-hop aesthetic that Wiley portrays most commonly is polyculturalism because he shows the comparison between two different worlds through his art. The street art aesthetic is a contradiction to hip-hop’s inaccessibility to the urban working class because street art is free for anyone who walks by to see since artists are free to express themselves in any way.
ReplyDeleteIf someone were to tell me to imagine the Smithsonian museum, images that would come to my mind would be space, animals, artifacts, historical images, precise architecture. Yet, never would I imagine Biggie, or Ice T. The idea of a hip-hop gallery at the Smithsonian is a huge step into the fine arts community. The Smithsonian, being one of the oldest, most prestigious museums and hip-hop, being one of the most influential, yet controversial cultural advancements, having combined, is almost as if seeing Thomas Jefferson and Malcolm X sharing a cup of tea together. When I look at DJs, MCs, breaking, and sampling, the only fraction of fine art that comes to mind is graffiti. Still, many wouldn’t call graffiti museum worthy. So, to see actual art from Keith Haring, and Jean Michel Basquiat make it big time and to be considered fine art shows that there is more to art than old-white-men-real-life-images-inside-the-lines-paintings. Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky states:
ReplyDelete“We live in an era of the world city. So much of what we have seen is about what we project out into the world. Your eyes have a perceptual architecture. They break light waves and particles into some kind of coherent meaning that the mind then organizes, and makes into metaphors, thoughts, and, of course, images” (Chang 149).
This, to me shows, that nobody can say what is and what is not art. It is all how we perceive it. We are the ones who decide whether it affects us or not. Art is more than Mona Lisa, or the Statue of David. In the end, “we are all linked--the one and the many--the many in the one,” (Miller 150).
Hip-hop inspired art tries to narrow the gap between “the street” the “elite”. “Hip-hop artists began to disrupt notions of “high” and “low” culture in the mainstream art world.” (Lecture 9/1). When an artist like Kehinde Wiley has art pieces at the same museum as an artist like Monet, polyculturalism can be seen at its best. The perception begins to focus more on the differences in the art rather than the origin of the differing classes. There is overlap in the four elements between hip-hop inspired music and hip-pop inspired art. For example, sampling is present in Hip-hop inspired art just like it is in the other elements. Sanford Biggers says, “I like to make references to the way music is made, and there’s always the shout-out in hip-hop songs where they shout-out other MCs or shout-out something historical. I like to take that approach and do it visually” (Sanford 147). Art has mainly been considered an interest of middle to upper class white citizens while hip-hop has formerly been adopted as music for low income citizens. Hip-hop art is bridging these two socially constructed classes. When speaking of members of the hip-hop community and the academy, Biggers goes on to say, “Ultimately, the goal is for them to cross-breed or cross-pollinate with each other” (Biggers 147).
ReplyDeleteArt is used in hip-hop culture as a way to communicate and educate people in the way that lyrics in songs do. Generally I would not consider graffiti as “fine art”, but after looking at more of the graffiti artist’s work I have noticed all of the elements that can be demonstrated in graffiti art. Like artwork, graffiti is used to get across a certain point and addresses a certain audience. Hip-hop and fine art seem to be polar opposites, but art many times covers many of the issues that hip-hop artists address in their songs. Art is used to express a certain point in a different way and provides the audience with a different perspective of the subject. Artwork in hip-hop can be used to make references to how the music is made or as a shot-out. Like hip-hop songs, artwork can make a shout-out to certain artists or historical events through their art. Fine arts in hip-hop can demonstrate the African American culture and express ideas of polyculturalism. The thing I find remarkable is the fact that most hip-hop artists are self-trained as compared to the famous artists who are trained through some sort of institution.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the people in our society typically would not link hip-hop and fine art together in any way. Contrary to popular belief, many fine art galleries have incorporated hip-hop style art and even graffiti in their main exhibits. Some of the museums include The Bronx Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, The Smithsonian, and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Lecture 11/01). It is amazing to me that an art form that was formerly looked down upon because of its blatant disrespect for public and private space, is now at the top of the hierarchy. Most of today’s “street artists” hide their identity for obvious reasons; that is why it is crazy to me that artist’s like Banksey sell their work for over one million dollars. Sampling, as we’ve seen throughout the semester, plays a huge role in street art. With graffiti the world is your canvas and the opportunity to sample is endless, meaning there are no formal rules or limitations for what you create, I believe this is a link to hip-hop in the sense that you can create whatever it is that you like and have the ability to sample from styles used in the past.
ReplyDeleteArt and hip-hop culture have always had ties. This is evident in graffiti, which is a form of artwork. As hip-hop has evolved artists in both the musical side and visual side have learned and grown from each other. One musical artist that standout out to me who immerses himself with visual art is Kanye West. He has always seems to have references to visual art in his songs and music videos. He also is very creative when it comes to his album covers. On of my favorite album covers as well as pieces of art is his Graduation album. He had the artist Takashi Murakami create his album cover as well as alternate covers and artwork Kanye included with the album. Hip-hop art seems to have come a long way in the last 15 years. As the hip-hop culture grew the demand and interest for hip-hop visual art grew.
ReplyDelete“We are all linked--the one and the many--the many in the one,” (Miller 150). This quote shows that art is a way for everyone to come together no matter what the barriers. (gender, sex, language, economic status)
Hip-hop has shown to be a tool that can lead you to one day being very success full. Hip-hop now has shown it can influence anything from commercials on TV to fashion, all the way to “fine art.”
Before I took this class I would have said that fine art and Hip-hop have absolutely nothing to do with each and that they could not be more opposite from each other. Fine art is seen as higher class and is displayed in galleries and museums. Hip-hop is “black” people from the ghetto displayed on abandoned buildings and trains. When you really think about it though and look more in depth at fine art you can see all kinds of Hip-hop influences. Hip-hop inspired art tries to narrow the gap between “the street” and “the elite” (Lecture 11/1). When you look at artwork done by Iona Rozeal Brown you see images of black people. When you look at artwork done by Nikki S. Lee you see people or many races and depictions of women as sex objects the same way you see them depicted in Hip-hop. Hip-hop artists are using fine art as another way to express themselves and show some use of polyculturalism. People of any race or culture can enjoy art the same way they can enjoy music. It is becoming harder and harder to distinguish between white superior and black minority.
ReplyDeleteFine Art is valued differently by each individual. During this Fine Art week combined with the previous lessons discussed in class I have developed an appreciation for Art through a polyculturalism lens. Nikki S Lee is one of those artists that I have developed a deeper appreciation for and interest based on her works and method. She has been able to break down barriers and turn them into bridges in many ways. Most importantly her 1997-2001 dedication projects. According to Dr. Persley Nikki is a conceptual artist who takes pictures of sub groups as she personally takes on their identities (Lecture 11/1/10). After further investigation of Nikki and projects, her ability to mesh urban working class art and present it not only as direct street art but also as fine art is brilliant. Being an artist and looking at something so simple yet abstract I believe to be one of the strongest traits of an artist. Nikki taking such a popular aesthetic, polyculturalism, and using her creativity to broaden polysulturalism’s reach in such a unique way is what really attracts me. Here is picture from her most popular work projects where she is takes on the identity of a more rural, country lifestyle. Similar to hip hop, Nikki uses these different channels of culture and intertwines them into one major piece, in her case projects. Broading your horizen no matter what line of art or work you are involved in I think makes for the strongest, most unique type of people, something that hip hop in general has been creating for quite some time.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop artists use different elements to create their notion of art, whether it be MCing, breaking, and/or graffiti. For those who use graffiti, we began to see a shift from their urban space to canvas in the 1970s (Lecture 11/01/10). Once the shift occurred, these artists were able to take credit for their work because it was no longer considered “street,” it was “fine” art. These artists disrupted the notion of “high” and “low” culture in the mainstream (Lecture 11/01/10). By doing so, they sent a message that there are going to be different opinions about what is considered art. They showed that they could take their abilities previously thought of as “rebellious,” and use them to share the history of their culture. Many of these artists were auto-didactic, or self-taught (Lecture 11/01/10). This shows that they had real, raw talent and didn’t need to be trained to show the art of Hip-hop. Artists such as Kehinde Wiley became so famous that his art seels from $50,000 to $1.7 million a piece, putting them at the top of the hierarchy in the art world. (Lecture 11/01/10). At the same time though, that art also becomes out of reach for the working class people that these artists claim to represent and stand for.
ReplyDeleteAs in other mainstream areas, Hip-hop has paved its way into fine arts. Artists such as Banksy and Kehinde Wiley have moved their work from the streets to prestigious art museums. Prices for their art has sky rocketed leaving many to believe that they have “sold out” (Lecture 11/01). It seems like “selling out” is everywhere is hip-hop. Anytime someone makes it big and becomes famous they are ultimately hit with that label. I think it’s dumb to call someone a sell out, if they became popular than the artist deserves the credit given. I really like how Kanye has incorporated art into his music videos. His video for “Heartless” was very cartoon like and had images of Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup art and portraits of the main characters from The Jetsons (Youtube). Kanye also referenced art in his video for “Power” which we watched early this semester (Youtube). I really enjoy looking at Kehinde Wiley’s portraits. They are all very masculine in the posing aspect but have very feminine backgrounds which I thought was a very interesting contrast (Youtube). I really enjoy how hip-hop has taken fine art and put a creative hip-hop spin on it. The pieces of artwork are really a joy to view and attract all different kinds of crowds.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first think of my experiences within fine art, I think of going to the de Young Gallery on the late impressionists when I was in San Francisco for fall break. I think of the MoMA in New York City and the off-location galleries that the museums own across the street. I think of the MFA (Museum of Fine Art) in Boston and gazing up towards the ceiling at all of the Renaissance paintings that are kept in this gigantic hall. When I think of fine art as a whole, I think of it quite similarly to Hip Hop, but more so in regard to the “movement” aspect of it, “Once considered an ‘urban menace,’ now graffiti artists were making thousands of dollars from works they had in galleries.”(Lecure, 11/1). Hip Hip and Fine Art are both artistic and political movements that shook up a lot of what was going on in their particular time periods. Impressionists were thought of heretics in the art community because of the primacy of form over lines, painting outdoors as opposed to in studio and the importance of light. In Hip Hop, there’s also a lot of encouragement to include as many relevant aspects as possible, and this is where the idea of sampling comes into play. So when I think of Hip Hop and Fine Art, I think of inclusion: Kehinde Wiley will include the Chinese Cultural Revolution propoganda and replace the Chinese bodies with African or Black bodies to send a particular message. Nikki S. Lee, a Korean-born woman, will include herself within her photography to talk about women in hip hop and their standing in the movement. Oliver Vernon will try to add wild style graffiti to incorporate a visceral touch to his otherwise out-of-this-world surrealism.
ReplyDeleteJust as a comic book company might try and put something educational in their story line to help introduce new ideas to youth, the idea of hip hop being translated into a context of fine art is giving many people, some that may have previously had a distaste for the genera a new look into the culture. The idea of bringing “street” art into an art gallery doesn’t seem foreign to me at all. Before this type of art was recognized as “fine art” the street was the artist gallery. People like Kehinde Wiley, and Shepard Fairley have helped in popularizing the art and have started to move their work indoors. Of the artist discussed in lecture 11/1 my favorites were the cartoon / futuristic styles of Dalek, and Banksy’s continued use of urban space as his canvas. Like the big names in the rap game have broken the mold time and time again, these hip hop artist are constructing their feelings so people can see rather than hear their message. It is an interesting idea that unlike music which can be passed around to an audience at a very low price, fine art is sometimes off limits to those that don’t have the economic capital to see it. I’m not sure I have answer for this; however there are plenty of free venues around large cities where this art can be viewed. Take our own Kansas Union Gallery for example.
ReplyDeleteWhen an average American defines fine art and theater, they often use examples from periods long before our own, and often think of high art as something almost inaccessible to the masses. Greats such as Monet, Manet, and Van Gogh are seen as the peak of fine art, however recently there has been a surge of fine art that most wouldn’t initially portray as fine art, however these urban artists have gained such a massive following, celebrity clientele and critical acclaim that their work has been featured in the same museums as the aforementioned “greats”. Hip-hop has and always will be breaking down barriers and allow something different to redefine what the peak of social hierarchies are. For example an artist such as Banksy has scored such acclaim that his work goes for hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, even though at one point many saw his work as lowbrow. Using aesthetics that are universal to the world of hip-hop such as codificication of language, call & response, and even battle define what high art in hip-hop is today. Most hip-hop artists started putting up their work in public spaces and along the way gained recognition and interest in their art. For example, street art is defined as the “challenging of the idea of public and private space which are often in the form of murals, stencil art, sticker art, and installations.” (Discussion 11/1). These different types of art that weren’t always seen as high art are now being praised for their originality and not only is this art different in the way it looks but it’s also different in the way it speaks to the viewer, it’s a lot more raw and in your face, just like anything that comes out of the hip-hop universe.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of fine art and hip hop many people do not think of them as going together at first. In recent years more people have been taking hip hop and incorporating it into fine art pieces. A lot of people and museums have been hesitant to display these artworks. Some believe that the kind of people that go to museums to appreciate fine art are not the people that would appreciate hip hop; and just wouldn’t understand or like hip hop in art. I think someone who brought fine art and hip hop together well, outside the museums, is Banksy. As a graffiti artist he has gone further than just typical graffiti. I am especially fond of his piece that appears on the wall separating Israel from Palestine. It depicts a cracked opening in the wall and it appears as though there is a beautiful beach landscape on the other side. Graffiti is so finely artistic that it almost seems like it is a picture that was taken. Seeing as there is a lot of security on this wall it is pretty spectacular that he could achieve such technicality in a short period of time. As impressive as this is, I am hoping to see more people having the cultural dynamic to bring hip hop into the fine art realm, rather than the other way around.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop began showed up in the fine art world when graffiti artists shifted from “painting urban spaces to painting canvas” (lecture 11/1). Graffiti was represented the urban people, the same people all the elements of hip-hop seek to represent/ are born from. Shifting graffiti art from the streets to museums allowed the art to not be a “menace” and become profitable. The images that artists such as Keith Haring or Jean Michel Basquiat were plastering in urban communities for all to see, were now eloquently displayed and available only for the elite to buy. The “upper” class, in fact, was the only group capable of affording the art that depicted the “lower” class. Still the hip-hop aesthetic of these paintings remains that of polyculturalism, braggadocio, the African Diaspora, and other elements hip-hop music embraces as well. Kihinde Wiley really encompasses the music into his artistic statements about the world in relation to African-Americans. By painting images seen worldwide, but placing an African-American, many times a rapper, in them he is embracing the polyculturalism hip-hop strives for. Hip-hop aesthetic is seen in pieces of fine art, that which is displayed in museums or considered expensive, when pieces of the culture can be seen within it physically, or are represented by it figuratively.
ReplyDeleteHip Hop finds another outlet in the form of fine art, with artists such as Banksy and Jean-Michel Basquiat finding fame with their street-inspired artwork. These artists often come from an urban background, for example Banksy works on the streets of London, while Basquiat started out on the streets of New York as a graffiti artist.
ReplyDeleteAs a genre with plenty to say about life and culture, it is easy to see why hip hop appeals to artists beyond the realm of graffiti, and equally easy to see how hip hop art was able to transcend mere graffiti work. On the other hand, with hip hop fine art finding its way into museums and galleries across the world, it becomes problematic for questions of ‘authenticity,’ a profound issue in hip hop. As an urban, working class and arguably ‘black’ movement, what happens when hip hop art becomes none of these things, but still finds itself within the hip hop realm? It might be said these artists are selling out, no longer ‘keeping it real’ as they push for mainstream recognition.
Nevertheless, the hip hop aesthetic has had a clear influence upon modern day rap artists, such as Kanye West and Kid Cudi, who within their work seek to observe the larger connotations of hip hop, its broad appeal and incorporation of fine arts. This is interesting in the sense that rappers may be seeking to reaffirm their authenticity by doing so, rather than jeopardizing it.
Fine art take Hip Hop to a new level. When an artist, such as Kehinde Wiley, Keith Haring or Nikki S. Lee, displays their work on canvas, he has opened a new door to Hip Hop. No longer is Hip Hop audial, there is now a visual representation of how certain individuals (the artists we see in Hip Hop Fine Art Images, Blackboard) conceptualize Hip Hop. Only having brief exposure to the fine arts, it is somewhat challenging to critique and analyze the images posted on Blackboard. The portrayal of Hip Hop through fine arts hammers down the fact that Hip Hop is transparent and can be seen globally on so many different sociological levels. There is also a transparency with MC’s and visual artists with their use of sampling in their productions. An example of this is Kehinde Wiley piece Notorious B.I.G playing off of Rene Magritte’s piece Golconde.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how the transformation of Hip Hop art can be seen as an illegal activity (graffiti) to thousand dollar pieces that are nearly impossible for most people who appreciate the graffiti to afford. Some may say this is selling out, but isn’t it really everyone’s dream? The artists are using their gifts to produce these amazing pieces of art, which are shaped by life experiences and this ultimately leads to successful/lucrative careers.
As discussed in previous lectures, artists who have achieved some level of fame and the ability to showcase their works on a large scale, to an affluent audience, most commonly influence the public perception of Hip-hop culture. Consequently, the audience that artists reach is often far removed from the communities that spurred the creation of the art itself. As Paul Miller puts it, “We live in the era of the world city. So much of what we see is about what we project out into the world” (Chang 149). Miller then goes on to examine the works of great poets, rappers and filmmakers alike but one point in particular stands out in my mind; the fact that people of any class or socioeconomic status will use the means available to them for social expression. For example Miller states, in reference to use of the Internet for creating identity profiles; “Graffiti was the underground response to the same issue: how do you as a young person create a situation where you can express yourself through the media around you?” (Chang 154). Looking at Hip-hop fine art through the lens of social expression allows the observer to get a feel for the artist’s intended message. Some artists, such as Jean Michel Basquiat and Banksy mix images with written words or phrases for political commentary where as Swoon utilizes location and embeds images within the city setting, often alongside works of graffiti. Other artists like Iona Rozeal Brown sample from various stereotypes of ethnic bodies to create visual polyculturalism. However the works of art are viewed, it is important to note that each piece is a snapshot of the social constructs of a certain time in history.
ReplyDeleteThe aesthetic dichotomy that results from private and public space has produced an urban genre that embodies that lifestyles and trends of certain peoples and yet remains stagnant throughout their own communities. Social irony exists all around us in many forms, but it is hard to believe that the most profound and useful tools to spread awareness are exploited for personal capital gains. Many modern artists such as Haring, Lee and Wiley produce contemporary images that call for society to challenge what is presented to them. It is ironic that many of these artists began their career with street or public art, now producing the same images of diversity and urban despair and yet not much has changed in the depicted space. Kehinde Wiley recognizes his voice produced by his work and comments that, “In some ways I started a conversation about power” (Lecture Video); however this power or voice has had little effect in regards to improving the peoples that it depicts. The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” emphasizes that individual perception leads us to diverse interpretation; that is even though many are exposed to and made aware by these powerful statements of urban comradery, it suggests very little about the solution. Often times the surrounding conversation falls short of the target of social movement and remains focused on the single depiction of the frame. In order to ensure art’s benefits and productivity we must re-examine the means of how we obtain it: from whom and where does it come from? and at what cost? Is it enough for National Geographic to produce the most exquisite photos of the third world, make them popular and then capitalize on the disconnect that exists between its consumers and those they exploit? This same dichotomist relationship is portrayed in street/urban art, it exposes many to the lifestyle yet remains so far from consciousness.
ReplyDeleteIt never crossed my mind that fine art could be linked to the hip hop culture. When I think of fine art I think of famous artwork for the example Van Gogh, Monet or any art work of Picasso. This was fine art to me because they where widely proclaimed artists. And I didn’t start to realize that graffiti can be considered as fine art work too. As I venture through KC tracking down Scribes graffiti works, it hit me that his work is not just some painting on a side of a building but its art. Looking at the graffiti at the side of a building that took up all the space I was just amazed by the time and effort and the creativity to fill a whole wall space. I once thought that fine art was oil paint on canvas, but Scribes and many other graffiti artist took art from the canvas to the walls. I do believe that graffiti is fine art, as other fine art are depicting or representing a specific society, graffiti is too representing the hip hop society.
ReplyDeleteI have to say the if it wasn’t for the hip hop culture graffiti wouldn’t be as big as it would be today. The in hip hop urban culture not many young adolescent had the opportunity to take art class whether in school or at private level due to financial struggles that most urban families struggled with. But graffiti was the gateway for most young adolescent express themselves and they too can create art.
Hip-Hop continues to invade American pop culture, one of the more unexpected areas being fine art. In the 1970s, Hip-Hop art shifted from urban space to canvas (lecture, 11/01). Many street artists discovered a demand for their work in the “high” art world, and began the move to canvas in order to sell their work. Like in other aspects of Hip-Hop culture, this prompted sentiments of “selling out”, and ditching their street art to sell “fine” art to the upper class. This also contradicts the street art aesthetic because most of those in the urban working class cannot afford to spend upwards of $50,000 for an artist’s work that they used to enjoy in their neighborhoods for free (lecture, 11/01). I have learned about Basquiat in my Art History classes and have been a fan of his work since, but new to my list of favorite artists is Kehinde Wiley. We viewed some of his exhibit at the Smithsonian in class, but upon doing some more research of his work, I have an even greater understanding of the amazing works he creates. Wiley’s works are a great example of polyculturalism due to his paintings referencing those of the Classics. The poses, once reserved for white royalty and nobility are appropriated by Wiley’s African American subjects. This also suggests new distribution of power and pride. Though fine art and Hip-Hop seem an unusual pairing, the result is often stunning and laced with deeper meaning and society-challenging material.
ReplyDeleteI find art to be very inspiring and interesting. However before this class, I never classed hip-hop to be similar with art. At first I thought of art and hip-hop on the opposite sides of the spectrum. After analyzing the term fine arts and looking into it deeper my mind has changed and I find that graffiti is just like any other form of art. In the world of hip-hop art is more then just graffiti. Many fine art galleries have incorporated hip-hop style art and even graffiti in their main exhibits. Some of these museums include The Bronx Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, The Smithsonian, and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Lecture 11/01). Fine art could be determined as almost anything, it could be the light streams and the colors tat an artist chooses to be part of a live performance. Hip-hop artists are using fine art as another way to express themselves and show some use of polyculturalism. One artist in particular seems to always incorporate art in to his CD’s, that is Kayne West. On of my favorite album covers Kanye’s Graduation album. He had the artist Takashi Murakami create his album cover as well as alternate covers and artwork that Kanye included with the album. I am hoping to see more people having the cultural dynamic to bring hip-hop into the fine art community. If at all possible, I think it would be incredibly interesting and beneficial if we could take a class field trip to a particular museum or that has hip-hop and fine art., rather than the other way around.
ReplyDeleteLainie Fouts
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop Aestetics and Fine Art
When you think of Hip-Hop, a painting or photograph usually doesn’t come to mind. To be honest before lecture I really had no idea hip-hop existed in the art industry. When people speak about art within hip-hop the only thing that comes to mind is graffiti, but there are also artists that do hip hop art work that sell their work for millions and that are hung up in actual art galleries instead of just spray painted on a train. I think this allows the artist to receive more credit because graffiti artist have to hide who they are for the sake of them getting in trouble. Another thing is photography. Little did I know that hip-hop is within photography. I really looked into the artist name Nikki S. Lee and found her work very interesting. She is a Korean woman who studies a certain culture for a period of time. She studies their clothing, posture, and language. After reviewing these cultures she then dresses up like them and makes an appearance in a similar group. She tells them she is an artist but little of them believe her, and have a friend take photos while being in this group. This really intrigued me because she really does put weeks of work into one photograph. When looking on blackboard I found photos that were taken of her when she was doing a hip hop project. When doing this project she spend time with hip hop culture and experienced what it was like to be an African American. I feel like this quote really sums up what Nikki Lee is trying to say: “We are all linked, the one and the many, the many in the one” (Miller 150).
After driving by a couple of buildings in my hometown I can see why graffiti artists continue to do what they do, and that is to create beautiful art (or in other terms “fine” art). Well at least I consider it beautiful unlike the public work employees who paint over it the next weekend. You don’t have to be an accepted artist to produce “high” art; rather the art must convey something meaningful to a wide range of observers. It is hard to imagine though that hip-hop art could be showcased in world renowned galleries like the Smithsonian, think just how far hip-hop has come to achieve something like that. Some hip-hop artists have humbled backgrounds like Luis Gispert who hails from New Jersey and Jackie Salloum from Detroit (Chang 134) each have different unique backgrounds that led to their unlikely rise in the art culture world. Examples like these people show that high art isn’t reserved for the elitists or the privileged; rather it can be expressed by anyone that has the will to showcase their talents as we have seen from the likes of Keith Haring, Wiley and Nikki S. Lee.
ReplyDeleteA common tie between many forms of hip hop art is the incorporation of metaphors in most composer's murals and designs. the use of metaphors in an artist's work adds depth and meaning to what might at first come off as a goofy or abstract, graffiti-esque, display. An example of a metaphor used in a hip-hop piece of artwork could be a pen with a revolver barrel comparing poetry to ammunition. Most would be confused after being educated about how expensive hip hop art can be and its association with other well known "fine" art. This is highly ironic because the largest population of hip hop fans (lower-middle class) are not making close to the income required to purchase the pieces of art. Hip-hop art is often associated with street art, requiring little education or materials to create, but often is noticed and brought to the eyes of main stream connoisseurs. Having highly regarded pieces of hiphop art helps move away from the association with a once thought of “rebel culture” (Biggers 146). This reinforces the idea that art is art, and no matter the theme or association, quality art is always highly regarded and is recognized with a price tag. My favorite type of hip-hop art is the highly detailed, metaphoric, polyculturism influenced murals; an example artist would be Rozeal Brown.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of hip-hop you normally do not consider it “fine art.” According to lecture on Monday, “Hip-hop artists began to disrupt notions of “high” and “low” culture in the mainstream art world” (Lecture 9/1/2010). Originally, I did not consider graffiti to be works of fine art, I considered it to be vandalism corrupting the faces of buildings. After exploring hip-hop works of fine art more, I can now see the beauty behind the art. If you were to see the Shepard Fairey “Public Enemy” piece, you would blow it off as strictly hip-hop; however, the depiction of Obama by Shepard Fairey is widely known as a political masterpiece and can be recognized by many nationalities that inhabit the United States. Although Fairey has created works of art that are on opposite sides of the spectrum, he has also bridged street and fine art. Paul D. Miller also bridges the gap between “high” and “low” culture, “People tend to forget that one of America’s premiere poets, Biggie Smalls, and another, Walt Whitman, were both from Brooklyn” (Chang 151). We cannot dismiss the beauty within hip-hop because regardless of the often demeaning lyrics and propaganda there is still a story to be told and an artistic expression to be heard.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop theater, according to Javier Reyes, is "edutainment" or the combination of educating and entertaining. He also states that it is a constant creating and reinventing of the arts (Chang, 80) while Eisa Davis refers to it as the child of hip-hop and theater (Chang, 70). Hip-hop theater is a way for those not traditionally involved in the western idea of theater to create their own aesthetic and bring about a sense of community with their work. This relates to the idea of performance in the sense that artists have the ability to bring their own life experiences into the work that they are doing in hopes of reaching an audience that has been underrepresented in the past and that shares in their representations of hip-hop culture. One example of a popular artist today who has taken on this idea and opted to lend his skills to hip-hop theater is Sean "Diddy" Combs in Raisin in the Sun which Davis refers to in her article saying that by simply being on stage, he created an excitement around live theater that many young people had never felt before (Chang, 72). Ideas of polyculturalism, the sociopolitical context, and call and response can all be seen in the performance of hip-hop theater. Davis states that artists are pushing the envelope these days and creating culture instead of just riding it and she mentions in relation to hip-hop theater that there is call and response, and an amped, young audience of many colors that actually wants to be in there seats (Chang, 73). While hip-hop theater may not have reached its height yet in terms of the legacy it wants to leave, the artists who are promoting it and creating the expression of how they would like it to be perceived are still here and without a doubt will continue on their quest until they reach their goal.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of hip hop and fine art, especially when looking at the videos of Wiley in class, I think a lot of polyculturalism. In the Youtube video with Kehinde Wiley, he was looking for different races and ethnicities to re-create poses from art that is not connected to their culture. This is an excellent example of Fine Art and polyculturalism, and I think a lot of hip hop art tries to further bridge the gap between hip hop and everyone else. We also learned in lecture that at the beginning, graffiti artists would work to just have their pieces publically known and available to everyone. Now, many artists consider getting your work commissioned and into a museum is “selling out” (Hodges Persley Lecture 1 November 2010). Hip hop also has certain aesthetics to it that make it distinguishable from other art. Some of those include codification of language, dress, gestures and images, call and response, illusion and polyculturalism, just to name a few (Hodges Persley Lecture 1 November 2010). Hip hop and fine art are very much connected in their attempts to bridge gaps between certain societal issues. “Ultimately, the goal is for them to cross-breed or cross-pollinate with each other” (Biggers 147).
ReplyDeleteThere is amazing diversity found in the works of street artists. There only a few similarities, such as the universal audience the artists are trying to have view their work and the non didactic sentiments they hold. Much like other cultural developments in hip-hop, there can be sampling, polyculturalism (Iona Rozeal Brown), political sentiment (Banksy), braggadocio (putting art boldly on tough to reach surfaces). What I find difficult is finding a definition for what is and what is not hip-hop culture. For example, a question is asked to the panelists during Between the Studio and the Street about how their works fit into the “four elements,” and the panelists don’t necessarily see themselves as fitting into this mold much at all (Chang 146). For the most part, these artists are institutionally trained rather than auto-didactic, as is more common for hip-hop graff artists I think. But because of the era during which they grew up in, and the ability of these artists to “shout-out” and to go beyond traditional institutionalized art, they are somehow categorized as hip-hop artists. DJ Spooky ends his piece, The City in Public versus Private with a question asking whether a 70 year old movie from Germany could possibly be considered hip-hop or not? That’s how I feel about many of the fine arts people we are discussing for this class. Are we merely going on tangents, or are these individuals really, truly connected to hip-hop? Somehow, the answer must be yes, because “we are linked – the one and the many, the many and the one – in ways that digital media are finally making plain (Chang 150).” Hip-hop sampling is in essence a juxtaposition of different sounds and eras, so the poetries of Biggie Smalls and Walt Whitman must each be a type of hip-hop, because they are both from the Bronx.
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear the two phrases Hip-hop and Fine Art being paired together, the first thing that I think of is Graffiti. Hip-hops first presence in the fine art world began when graffiti artists shifted from “painting urban spaces to painting canvas” (lecture). Graffiti’s voice was so strong in the art world because it represented the ideals and people that represented Hip-hop. The shift from the street corners and sides of trains, to the museums and galleries allowed graffiti to be seen as less ‘urban’ and more commercialized and profitable to all audiences. The images that artists like Keith Haring or Jean Michel Basquiat displaying in urban communities were only available for the people of the upper class to buy. The “upper” class, in fact, was the only group capable of affording the art that depicted the “lower” class. It was as though since the upper class could not relate to the life and culture of the lower class, they now had the ability to buy art that portrayed this measly lifestyle. This is the same practice used by many people in reference to music. We cannot fathom the lifestyle that these artists speak on in their music. So what we do as an audience, is buy the music, buy these objects that are being rapped about in hopes that we can be on the same eye level. Many of the pieces represented in this week’s images are samples of other artwork and have been twisted to comply with the stylistics of Hip-hop art.
ReplyDeleteAndy Kriegh
ReplyDelete11/3/10 Fine Arts Blog
Keith Haring was/is one the most respected street artists turned fine artist. Like many hip-hop music artists and street artists, Keith Haring had a message to his work. Many of his work was to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS when it was at its peak during the 1980s. What is the difference between art being street beautiful and fine arts beautiful becomes non-existent once the two cultures combine. When street art goes to the galleries like Keith Haring’s amongst others it disrupts “high” and “low” culture ideals (Lecture 11/1). “We live in an era of the world city. So much of what we have seen is about what we project into the world. Your eyes have a perceptual architecture. They break light waves and particles into some kind of coherent meaning that the mind then organizes, and makes into metaphors, thoughts, and, of course, images”(Chang, pg. 149). In 1984 the city of Melbourne, Australia commissioned Keith Haring to do his mural artwork on a city wall. The city officials was paying an artist to do something that New York City was trying to precent. The only difference between street art and fine art is the city is a free public canvas everyone can enjoy!
The world of fine art has been gradually accepting youth culture into its folds since the days of Pop Art and Andy Warhol. Hip-hop art, using hip-hop aesthetics and hip-hop methods (e.g. Romare Bearden reclaiming the idea of sampling by using collage techniques) have been gaining momentum under the supervision of graphic artists like Banksy, Shepherd Fairey, and Kehinde Wiley. Nadine Robinson, a mixed media artist, believes that the art world is “going into a neo-Pop phase, post-Warholian, so in most of the works [we can] see a bunch of youth” (Chang 144). To be a hip-hop artist, one need not reference hip-hop explicitly in each work, but rather “make something new that connects to hip-hop and other things in the world” (Chang 140). This can mean an insertion into a debate about urban conditions, youth culture, or economic inequality; hip-hop art is not one thing. Artist Paul Miller poses the question: “what’s the image track for an America equally at home with the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat as it is with Jackson Pollack” (Chang 150)? This is the problem of hip-hop art, and the end towards which these artists are creating.
ReplyDeleteHip hop’s fine artists take a traditionally “street” art form and bring it into the realm of fine art. Their work which can feature anything from a graffiti style to a hip hop icon can be seen in art museums yet the form is still seen in the streets, not just as graffiti on the walls but as “folk” art (Lecture 1 November 2010). The inaccessibility of their work can be seen as a contradiction of one of the key principles of hip hop culture; the idea that hip hop attempts to transcend racial, ethnic, gender and class line (Lecture 23 August 2010). The fact that the lower class may not be a part of this “high” art form goes against this idea. Their art that may be hidden away in galleries is unable to be shared with everyone. The part of hip hop aesthetic that speaks the most to me is the polyculturalism seen in Kehinde Wiley’s art. He incorporates many ethnically diverse black men that take on old portrait paintings in the renaissance style. He travels the world and seeks out everyday men to pose for him. They come from all over, from Brazil to Africa. They then will pick out a pose from an old photo from another location all over the world. (Lecture 1 November 2010) His photos are all polyculutral in this way’ whether or not you can initially tell.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop fine art goes out and challenges what is considered “high” culture and “low” culture, narrowing the gap between the “street” and the “elite” (Lecture, 11/8). The visual art is able to help tell the artist’s story in a way that lyrics couldn’t. Instead of being a storyteller by word of mouth, the story comes out through the paint. Because of the intimacy of the artwork it has a special appeal to everyone, especially the younger generation that has grown up in the hip-hop nation. Kahinde Wiley’s work showing hip-hop icons in different light obviously strikes a cord with enough people if his work got placed in the Smithsonian (Video). The hip-hop aesthetic of braggadocio makes a strong presence in Wiley’s portraits. I like how the pictures of Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, etc. are shown as royalty, very reminiscent of European Renaissance portraits of the upper class. And this is an example of the combining between what’s high and low and bringing different generations together.
ReplyDeleteFine Art has always puzzled and interested me. From the masterful art pieces by DaVinci, Van Gogh and others in high class museums, to the child prodigy that is classified as fine art yet most of us don't understand. With Street art I have the same puzzled interest. Some art I can see as being fine art just that the background of the individual is not the norm found in fine art. With such a broad topic today I will focus on Banksy. His background is not known to most people but his art is captivating. His background I believe is not what most think of Hip-hop background but he is one of the best known street artist. Like the stereotypes of fine art of an artist having to spend years studying their craft, usually in an art school, Banksy practices his craft on the street. Does that mean his craft should not be classified as fine art? According to those art enthusiast the answer is no, which just complicates fine art form me once more, but doesn't mean I agree or disagree.
ReplyDelete