I think this is interesting, because, just as we discussed on the topic of photography, people can interpret the visual expression in many different manners.
The most interesting thing to me though, is the numerous varying forms of graffiti. There can be two pieces of graffiti that appear completely different, and raise different emotions, and yet are based on the same idea. I have some photos of graffiti that I took while in Israel and the West Bank that I would like to share.
Here we see a depiction most likely of an Israeli (designated by the sandals) holding up a gun. This was taken in Bethlehem. I see anger and can picture the action of such an individual upon simple viewing.
I find this humorous, how a popular culture reference has been appropriated to the political issue at hand.
Then there are people who just are mad at everything, at anybody who is passing by. Taken in Abu Tor, just South of the Old City.
This is harmless, but gets the message across. I like it.
This is a wonderful quote that I loved immediately when I saw it. The great thing about graffiti is that it is illegal, but can push across such a beautiful message sometimes.
This angers me. This is the barrier/fence/wall outside of Bethlehem. Banksy's work is just a few meters to the right of this graffiti. But it is troubling that signs and words representing the Holocaust are being used in this situation. While I can see the conflict from both sides of view, I cannot imagine or put up with the idea that it is anything like the Holocaust. Honestly, this is insulting.
An interesting call to action. Very troubling.
I support this idea. We will not get anywhere if we don't try.
The world is a canvas. And some will use it however they wish I guess!
The way that your captions describe your feelings on the graffiti perfectly describe the conflict. You may think that one of the graffiti acts is meaningful and another person may be entirely offended by it. With this conflict, everything is so complex, and the although the graffiti may not be a major part of it, it actually is.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting photos! I posted some pictures of Cairene graffiti in my blog, and I think the differences are quite interesting. From what I can tell, graffiti in Jerusalem seems to be mostly words rather than pictures, and it also seems to have been done rather hastily because the artwork/writing is not very detailed or elaborate (in my opinion). I wonder if this is because vandalism is more severely punished in Israel than Egypt, for example.
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