Notes on Lachmann

This upcoming Tuesday, we will review Lachmann's text "Graffiti as Career and Ideology." Be sure to have read the entire twenty-one page article before our next class meeting. Pay attention to the following notes and questions as you read, for they will help inform your comprehension of the material. These bullet points do not need to be answered formally.  We will merely use them to guide our discussion of the text in class.

• How can graffiti be considered a cultural artifact? How does labeling graffiti as such help us understand its historical and/or contemporary cultural meaning and value? 
• Lachmann (1988) stated that his study was predominantly concerned with "understanding how the content of graffiti is formed and transformed by graffiti writers' social interactions with their audience" (p. 1). Why and how does audience factor so heavily into the overall acceptance, acknowledgement, and meaning of graffiti?
• The fact that "graffiti writers are involved simultaneously in an art world and a deviant subculture" could relate to the concept of the double-consciousness as coined by W.E.B. DuBois (Lachmann, 1988, p. 203). DuBois described this as a "sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness." How might this concept apply to graffiti writers?
• Closely read the passage on page 231 that begins with "By examining the content..." and that ends on page 232 with "...T-shirts, or coffee mugs" (Lachmann, 1988). Identify key terms and the passage's overall significance to the text's thesis, argument, and investigation of graffiti culture.
• Examine the concept of hegemony as defined by Hall on page 231, then offer your own definition of this latent, yet powerful social and cultural and ideological force. Provide one example of hegemonic forces that you can identify from your own experiences.     
• Why do gang's hire graffiti writers? What are the benefits and pitfalls writers experience as a result of their involvement with New York City gangs?
• The education of novice graffiti writers is extremely vital to their eventual development into maturity. How does the mentor-apprentice relationship help create and reinforce social hierarchies within this subculture? How might an analysis of the internal hierarchy of graffiti reveal a mimesis of or resistance to the various hierarchies (e.g., economic class, ethnic group, gender roles and norms) of dominant culture?
• Why do writers give up graffiti? When does this typically occur according to the text? What is the "dilemma of their [graffiti writers'] own making?" (Lachmann, 1988, p. 237f). Do you feel that this "drop-out" trend has changed since this article was published in 1988? Explain your position.
• In what ways is graffiti linked to criminal activity? What are the misnomers regarding linkages between crime and graffiti, especially as revealed by a NYC district attorney (cf. p. 236).
• How have police been successful in disrupting groups of graffiti writers? What is the greatest threat police pose to writers? 
• Explain how a "tag" solidifies and strengthens self-identity.
• Analyze the differences in geographic location between taggers vs. muralists. Consider, especially, the rise and fall of "writer's corners" and "crews" in NYC and the contributions of these "spaces" to the artistic world of graffiti. How did these corners protect the subculture? What happened when these corners were fragmented and eventually destroyed?  
• Graffiti muralists experienced two waves of art gallery attention, in late 1972 and in 1980. Analyze how by "packaging" graffiti into gallery spaces, this art form was co-opted "into the dominant art world" and therefore rendered a commercial and social commodity (Lachmann, 1988, p. 246).

Rubric for Thesis Proposal Posted

The rubric for the thesis proposal writing assignment is now posted on the Schedule, Readings, and Rubrics page. I distributed a hardcopy of this document in class today, yet should you need to retrieve another copy you can do so by clicking on the link on the aforementioned page.

(#4) Creating a Working Thesis and Intro Paragraph

Over the weekend, produce and post a draft introductory paragraph to the second formal essay assignment. Be sure to include an argumentative thesis statement that clearly identifies your two chosen authors and texts, and the main point(s) that will be utilized to support your paper's thesis. 

Remember that in your paper you can argue for the positive purposes and outcomes of graffiti and street art, you can argue against the negative purposes and outcomes of graffiti and street art, or you can argue for a combination of both positive and negative purpose and outcomes of graffiti and street art. Furthermore, the paper's main point(s) can stem from the list of ten possibilities that appear on the Rubric for Paper Two. 

Please bring one hardcopy of your draft introduction and thesis statement to class. (Due Tue, 3/12)

Rubric for Paper Two Posted

The rubric for the second formal writing assignment is now posted on the Schedule, Readings, and Rubrics page. I distributed a hardcopy of this document in class today, yet should you need to retrieve another copy you can do so by clicking on the link on the aforementioned page.

(#3) NYC's Graffiti is Still Burning

There are numerous similarities and differences between gang graffiti, graffiti art, street art, and the integration of graffiti into the global community. In class we have begun to identify a few. Graffiti has been used as a visual symbol of resistance, group identity, and individual identity in and out of art galleries and the corporate social world. Current graffiti artists incorporate images of popular culture into their work and are also challenged with creating artistic and aesthetically pleasing works in the public environment. Graffiti is no longer considered subculture but has a history quite independent of that in the dominant culture.

For this homework assignment, I would like everyone to locate an example of graffiti or street art in their local community or neighborhood. If possible, this example should be photographed, or even sketched, so that it can be distributed and shared with the class on Thursday. Then, a brief synopsis of the chosen example should be offered in the same fashion as a piece of art that hangs in a formal gallery. Using the Glossary of Graffiti, employ key terms to help describe your chosen example. The following list of questions should help to guide you.

How long has the work or graffiti or street art been there? On what kind of wall or building does it appear? What is the medium used: spray paint, sticker, marker, etch, scratch, etc.? What type of graffiti or street art is your chosen example? What are the significant elements and aspects of the chosen example? Who is the artist; i.e., what is their assumed name or identity? To your knowledge is the artist active in the city still? How much territory have they claimed? Where else does/might their work appear?  

Explain how and why you consider the chosen example to be vandalism or art, or both. What purpose might your example serve for the individual, for passersby, or for the community? What are some of the emotions you feel upon viewing this example of urban graffiti or street art?

Please post the description (about 250 words in length) of your graffiti or street art example as a comment below. Visual reproductions of your example can be linked by providing a URL to the photo in your post, they can be emailed to me before class meets, or they can be printed and brought to class. (Due 2/28)

Graffiti-Marked Subway Train Spotted in 2013!

I would like everyone to briefly visit this article, titled "Old School Graffiti-Marked Subway Train Spotted at W4th Street Station" from The Gothamist, that was published on Jan. 10, 2013. While the article claims that this was performed by Europeans and not NYC natives, this throw-up is nevertheless proof that there is still an active graffiti counterculture in our city and other cities worldwide. Arguably, such transgressive artwork like this hasn't been seen on a subway car in a very long time, and is reminiscent of the extremely prevalent subway graffiti of the 1970s and 80s.

What are some of your initial thoughts after encountering this article and photo?

Revision of HW#2

After examining your submissions for HW#2 - Let's Argue About Flash Mobs, it appears that a large number of students failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. Therefore, I am offering everyone the chance to revise their original submission by this upcoming Tuesday, 2/26.

Please review the terms of the assignment, provided for your convenience below. Importantly, when reviewing your original submission, be sure that you labeled each paragraph to identify which rhetorical device is being employed, and that you used at least one direct reference from the course texts to support your argument.

Should you revise this homework, you can simply reply to your original comment with the revision.

Again, this revision is due before class this upcoming Tuesday, 2/26.

This assignment will require two developed paragraphs to complete your answer. In the first, argue in favor of flash mobs. That is, identify the "positive" qualities and results of flash mobbing. In the second, argue against flash mobs. That is, identify the "negative" qualities and results of flash mobbing and mobs in general. Each argumentative statement should constitute the topic sentence of these paragraphs.

Vitally, you should employ one distinct pattern of organization, or rhetorical device, in each paragraph. Be sure to head each paragraph with a label that identifies which pattern or device you are using to argue your point. See Hacker's textbook, pages 32-45, for information regarding patterns of organization and rhetorical devices.

Be sure that you include at least one direct reference (i.e., quotation) from one of the course texts in each paragraph. These references should be parenthetically cited according to APA or MLA format and thoroughly explained so as to best support the paragraphs' topic sentences.

Paper One Peer-Edit

This is a reminder that you are required to bring two extra copies of your first formal paper to class tomorrow. We will be performing a peer-edit for the first portion of the meeting period. I would recommend glancing at pages 20-22 in the Writer's Reference for some helpful information regarding the revision and peer-editing process.

Good luck in your writing! See you all tomorrow.
s.

Flash Mob Mayhem

Please see this recent CBS news article from 2/4/13 regarding flash mobs here in New York City by following the link here:Flash Mob Mayhem: Violent Groups of Teens Leave NYC Businesses in Ruins. I have included the video from the original news report for your convenience below.

Thanks to Joyce for submitting this!

Syllabus (v.3) Update

The course syllabus has been updated in order to conform to Department and College-wide standards. While the language of the course description and attendance policy has been changed to reflect these standards, the essential content and your responsibilities have not been altered. I encourage you to download the latest version, syllabus v.3, and examine these changes so that you remain current.