From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
The National Art Gallery Graffiti Mural At the Intersection of West and West Hill Streets
Dec 3, 2007 - 4:13:20 PM
If you have traveled through the intersection of West and West Hill Streets in recent weeks, you would have seen a very colorful mural in a graffiti style adorning the external walls of the NAGB. At first one might be taken aback by the spectacle and think that someone might have tagged the gallery in the dark of night. However, on closer examination one notices the initials of the gallery boldly represented, eyes looking out at you and a variety of shapes and forms brightly drawn across the surface and realize that something different is happening here.
The NAGB mural is the result of an October 20th Youth Workshop led by the artist Allan Wallace at the request of the Gallery.
While growing up Wallace showed a natural inclination and talent in this immediate art form and he admits being included in a gang while young. He distinguishes being "included" from being "a part" of the group because he was never initiated and never engaged in the more nefarious activities of the group. Instead he served almost as a "resident artist" as he was the person they looked to tag their name across town.
Though Wallace left that life style a long time ago and later experienced a spiritual conversion, both he and the gallery recognize that more often than not this art form is associated with negative activities- particularly the defacement of private and public property in inner cities, subways and trains all over the world. But the point of the mural and this youth activity was to demonstrate that this reputation is really only a small part of the story of Graffiti Art.
In the Bahamas, tagging, as the practice is called is generally not seen at the level currently exhibited on the Gallery's walls. It is part of a larger initiative by the gallery that seeks to connect non-traditional creative processes with fine art forms.
Many of the world's most famous artists – that had access to the traditional avenues for entrance into the fine art world gained notoriety first on the streets through their graffiti work and then the museums. Artists such as the late Jean Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring are two of the more famous examples, with their work currently demanding millions and hanging in many of the world's most prestigious museums and galleries.
The Director of the NAGB states: "What we have seen in our work at the Gallery is that young people aren't just interested in traditional forms and approaches to painting, sculpture and printmaking. The society in which our children are coming of age is one driven by media and centered around information gained from three screens, the television, movie and computer screen. These are animated environments that may have us all exhibiting a type of attention deficit syndrome. Graffiti art is a youth driven art. It has been around for centuries and has largely been about the disenfranchised seeking voice and visibility. Young people have responded to this type image making partly to be defiant and to be seen, and to literally make a mark in the world, but also because the images are expressive, generate strong visual impact, retain a bit of mystique, involve risk and help them to claim space. Though it can be destructive in terms of the defacement of private property, there is also something very poignant in these desires that people should be aware of not afraid of. The gallery is simple trying to recognize these desires and channel this energy and talent in a positive direction."
Locally we see young men in particular doing brisk business airbrushing tennis shoes, cars and t-shirts demonstrating the commercial viability of the process, so we see that it is a skill that can be harnessed and directed in a positive way.
Evenso, the gallery has fielded one or two questions concerning what the mural might symbolize or generate. In response the Director states "Though we realize that this particular art form has been used for negative ends, that does not invalidate its status as art process and ironically reaffirms its power. Furthermore, the artist is from this community and by and large Bahamians recognize and respect art. We tend not to destroy it.
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For our part it was one of the more successful workshops held. It was filmed for later screening on the Learning Channel, with the artist repeatedly telling the participants that the process should not be used to deface property. I think the students got the message and enjoyed themselves."
This area of the NAGB has been used as a mural space for the last several years and will continue to be an interactive space. This mural replaced a calmer version and someday it too will be replaced. For now perhaps we should just enjoy it while it is here.
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