When Art Isn't Just Entertainment
The following essay first appeared in the Los Angeles Times on December 14, 1992. It is reprinted here with the permission of Sharron Gordon Donnan, who is a teacher at Fair elementary school in North Hollywood.
by Sharron Gordon Donnan and Diane Alexander
Los Angeles is not the same city we baby boomers grew up in. For kids today, walking home from school is no longer doing a simple six blocks; it’s negotiating an urban minefield littered with gangs, drive-by shootings and sidewalk drug dealers. If you stand on a street corner with your friends, you might be harassed, arrested or shot down just because of the way you walk, dress or wear your hair. Even home is no longer a refuge because—regardless of race, culture or income—parents are frustrated, angry, fearful and exhausted, all by-products of the struggles for survival in the ’90s.
Our kids are killing themselves, us and each other at an alarming rate, yet out of the dangerous world of L.A.’s streets, they have developed unique strategies for survival. Many have embraced the international urban street culture called Hip Hop, which brings messages of “peace and unity,” this new and invigorating lifestyle has its own distinct music, dance, dress, language—even its own art form, which includes creating large, colorful images on walls.
Yes, it is graffiti we’re talking about. Most people see only the vandalism caused by tagging and gang writing. Graffiti is another side to the story. To the inner-city teen-ager, graffiti has been a positive alternative to gangbanging, a way out of the violence. Since the mid-1980s, urban youth have made conscious decisions either to gangbang or to “write” (Graffiti artists call themselves “writers”).
Once a kid chooses to be a Hip Hop artist, he has opted out of the gang life. He belongs to a crew, not a gang. He is absorbed in developing his artistic style and technique, rather than defending his territory. He carries a spray can, not a gun.
Spray cans don’t kill.
For many kids, graffiti is the only thing they are interested in. Even those who are failing and cutting classes, whose attention span in school is nonexistent, will spend hours with their sketchbooks, meticulously drawing “def” (superlative) “pieces” (short for “masterpieces”) of their street names, rendered almost illegible by the popular wild style. Trading sketchbooks and ideas is done with an all-consuming passion.
This was a strong message to us, the Graffiti Arts Coalition, a group of professional artists, film makers, graffiti writers, anthropologists, teachers and others who came together in March, 1991. We decided it was essential for us to support the teen artists by providing them with legal venues, as well as educational and career counseling.
We wanted to provide positive alternatives. What we found was that once kids had the chance to paint legal murals and were acknowledged and praised for their work, tagging became much less fulfilling. For the first time, these young people experienced a sense of ownership, pride and a clearer understanding of how others feel when their property is defaced. Since then, many of these kids have earned high school diplomas and have gone on to college and art school.
By contrast, the graffiti abatement programs funded by the City of Los Angeles continue to fail. They are costly in terms of money and manpower. Throwing kids in jails or youth camps is not the answer. There is a better way.
As part of the revitalization and transformation of Los Angeles, we must create programs and legal space for graffiti artists to meet and paint their “pieces.” To create maximum impact on our youth, the Graffiti Arts Coalition proposes:
Creating Hip Hop centers. At these centers kids could kick back, listen to music, practice, perform, try out new skills, find jobs and assistance.
Establishing legal walls for graffiti. Many of the areas frequented by graffiti artists are threatened by increased gang activity and police harassment. They should be declared open-air museums with security provided for the artists and the public, which finds pleasure in this art form.
Funding a project coordinator. Establish a position that would create and coordinate artistic opportunities for youth and educate the public, while making sure artists’ rights are protected and their responsibilities fulfilled.
Graffiti art is a magnificent vehicle through which society can empower young people. Hip Hop carries a positive energy we must nourish, not repress. Graffiti crews are living the multicultural dream of racial harmony and peace. We, as elders, must provide a time and space where these young people can flourish.
Publisher’s note: The above is borne out by my own experience with the Street Artist’s Workshop. On June 18th, I received an invitation from the planners of the NoHo Arts Festival to allow young people associated with the Workshop to paint on the plywood wall facing Lankershim Blvd. at the Academy. Given no advance notice (less than an hour) I was able to assemble about 15 people for this project. I simply made two phone calls which mobilized this underground culture. The interesting thing about it is that I called a Chicano youth (Eberardo featured in the June issue) in Sun Valley, who in turn contacted their friends in Granada Hills. They contacted their friends in North Hollywood, and we all met at Eagles Coffee Pub.
I was concerned that there would be two different groups and that they might not get along. My concerns were unfounded (as is usually the case). All of these kids either knew each other, or knew of each other. Boundaries of race and class were nonexistent within this group.
We then proceeded to paint the wall and didn’t stop until we ran out of paint (thirty cans of Krylon at $2.99 each—I hope the check doesn’t bounce—hint hint) and even L.A.P.D. got in on the act when an officer doing excellent community relations painted “Code 7 LAPD” with lots of friendly chiding from the kids (his can control was a little lacking).
It should be noted that I do not advocate vandalism. It is a very serious problem, and it is my aim to affect this problem through the Workshop. I believe that vandalism is only a symptom of the real problem, which is the alienation of our youth. Their inheritance is a racially polarized city, a bankrupt state, a huge national debt and a polluted planet. The only solution society can offer is threats, coercion and violence in the form of tougher mayors, higher taxes and bigger prisons. I would be alienated too.
On June 18th, fifteen youths spent a Friday night creating a sanctioned, supervised work of art. They were having a good time without committing a crime, without violence, and had a very positive interaction with the police in the process. This city would be a much better place if every Friday night were like June 18th.
Special thanks to David Cox of the American Renegade Theatre, Jim Mahfet of the Chamber of Commerce, and Bill Wiley of the Academy.♦