National Art Education Association

An Art of Resistance From the Street to the Classroom

Author(s): SHENG KUAN CHUNG
Source: Art Education, Vol. 62, No. 4 (July 2009), pp. 25-32
Published by: National Art Education Association
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Instructional Resources

An Art of

t <at
From the Street to the Classroom
BY SHENG KUAN CHUNG
Recommended for Grades 9-12

WjJWA ooted in graffiti culture and its attitude

AksL toward the world, street art is regarded

as a postgraffiti movement (Bou, 2005;

MacNaughton, 2006). Street art encompasses a wide array oof

media and techniques, such as traditional spray-painted tags,
stickers, stencils, posters, photocopies, murals, paper cutouts,

mosaics, street installations, performances, and video projec

tions displayed in urban streets (Bou, 2005). It represents the
desire of humans to leave traces of their existence in the public

sphere. As Lunn (2006) explains, "It has a rawness you don't

get through other forms of media. It is the voice of the world

around us" (p. 4).

As a vernacular art form, street art, such as the work of

British artist Banksy, deals with activism, reclamation, and
subversion and allows artists a platform to reach a broader
audience than traditional art forms. Street art can serve to
engage students in critical dialogue about art and visual culture

while they collectively explore the issues it raises. This Instruc

tional Resource describes a learning unit for high school

students where they can address social and political issues by
studying street art, specifically the work of Banksy.

Learning Objectives
While participating in the activities suggested by
this instructional resource, students will acquire
a deeper understanding of how Banksy s art
addresses the processes of public interaction,
intervention, and dialogue involved in street art.
Students will:
describe, analyze, and interpret Banksy s
street art to explore the social and political
issues it raises;
participate in a creative writing activity to
understand Banksy s work;
investigate street art in their urban
neighborhoods in terms of its symbols,
artistic techniques, and meanings to make
connections to their lives and the lives of

others;
demonstrate how art addresses social issues
by stenciling a T-shirt that communicates an
important social issue or questions a social

practice;
examine the significance of culture jamming1;
and public intervention by wearing the shirt
they designed and gathering feedback from
the public.

July 2009 / ART EDUCATION 25

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Figure 1. Street art by Banksy. Photograph taken by Alex MacNaughton, from his book London Street Art (2006).

Reprinted with permission from photographer.

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Instructional Resources

About Banksy and His Art

In contrast to government-commissioned public art, street art is illicit and
subversive in nature. Therefore, most street artists, including Banksy, use
pseudonyms to avoid legal prosecution for vandalism. Although Banksy
has traveled extensively across the world to create site-specific pieces, has
exhibited in major museums, and has had his work auctioned at Sotheby's in
London, his identity remains mysterious. He disguises himself while working
on his street projects and refuses to reveal his identity. This so-called "art
terrorist," according to Tristan Manco (2002), "was born in 1974 and raised in
Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier engineer, he trained as a butcher
but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the

late 1980s" (p. 74).

Banksy's street art focuses on the processes of intervention, public
engagement, and dialogue. He travels across the globe to stimulate political
dialogue on social issues by creating site-specific, ephemeral art, often in
combination with stenciling techniques. Banksy's work creates provoca
tive sights that force pedestrians to question their everyday surroundings,
rekindling the functionality of public art. His stenciled street art often voices
sentiments felt by those living in urban environments and those who have
been marginalized. Banksy's pieces lead viewers to reflect on established
social practices, including the treatment of animals in zoos, the power of the
art world to define standards, and the reluctance of populations to confront
social and cultural aspects of who we are and what we do.

The Legality of Street Art: Graffiti Removal Hotline

The piece shown in Figure 1 was seen on Pentonville Road in the London
borough of Islington in May 2006. It was considered offensive and was soon
washed off by the Islington city council in charge of graffiti removal. Banksy
created this piece using spray paint, cardboard stencils, and several freehand
brushstrokes. Most, if not all, of Banksy's work shows a distinctive style that
is clean and instantly readable. This street painting appears to illuminate the
ongoing battle between the graffiti artist and the London city government by

portraying a boy defacing the fabricated public notice.

Dialogue Activity
Teachers can use this picture to initiate a discussion about street art and its
legality, including issues of vandalism, public/private spaces, and activist/
political art. Questions for dialogue include:

1. What do you see in this picture?

2. What is the boy doing? Why is only the number painted over?
3. Is this work created by one person or many people? How did the artist

do it?

4. Where was this picture presented? Is the location of this picture

important, and why?
5. What is the artist trying to communicate? What do you think the picture

means?

6. How does the artist feel about graffiti? Is this art or vandalism, and how
do you judge it? Should the city remove this picture? How would different
parties reach a compromise over graffiti?

7. Is the street a public space or a private space owned by the city

government? Why are only commercial signs allowed in public space?
What kinds of art can be considered acceptable in public spaces?
8. What kinds of art can be considered activist or political art? Is this work

political?

July 2009 / ART EDUCATION

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^^^^^^^^^^ ^^hEh

Figure 2. A playful boy with bucket by Banksy on the West Bank barrier. Photograph taken by Richard Shotton/i-globe.org.
Reprinted with permission.

Breaking the Barrier

Banksy's visit to the Israeli West Bank barrier in 2005 appeared in
news headlines. During his visit, he made several thought-provoking
pictures on the 425-mile-long barrier (see Figures 2 and 3) that
Israel has constructed to separate itself from the Palestinian territo
ries. While supporters of the barrier argue that it provides regional

Dialogue Activity
Before showing Figures 2 and 3 to students, teachers should
encourage them to share what they know about the West Bank
barrier and provide further background information if necessary.
These images can be used to discuss issues of living with terrorism
in relation to the barrier and illuminate the importance of context

to understanding street art. Street art can add a powerful subversive

stability and security by protecting Israeli civilians from Palestinian
meaning to a site if displayed with the sites context in mind. Ques
terrorism, opponents make the case that it infringes on the rights
tions for dialogue using Figure 2 include the following:
of the Palestinian people. The United Nations has ordered Israel to
dismantle the barrier because it violates international laws. According
1. Describe what you see.
to Banksy, the West Bank barrier essentially turns Palestine into the
2. What is Banksy trying to tell viewers through this picture?

world's largest open prison.

3. What possible issues does this picture raise?

4. Is the site where this picture is shown important? How so?
5. How would you interpret this picture if you saw it in your neigh
borhood? Would the pictures meaning change if seen on the West
Bank barrier versus on your neighborhood street wall? How so?

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Instructional Resources

&3t

Figure 3. Street art stenciled by Banksy on the West Bank barrier. Photograph taken by Richard Shotton/i-globe.org. Reprinted with permission.

Kissing Policemen

Creative Writing Activity

After briefly discussing the West Bank barrier, teachers can use
Figure 3 to facilitate a creative writing activity. To begin, teachers
can divide students into pairs and then show them the image of the
girl. Ask each pair of students to write one story about the work from
the perspective of the girl in the picture, a viewer gazing upon the
picture, or the artist who made the image. Encourage the students to
use descriptive language and a first-person perspective as they write
their story, chronicling the thoughts of their chosen character. They
can include all elements seen in the picture and any metaphors or
similes associated with it. Have the students share their writing at the

conclusion of this activity.

Several of Banksy's images of kissing policemen (see Figure 4)

have been seen in London city streets. The representation of these

policemen forces pedestrians to revisit their conceptions of homo

sexuality and masculinity and to confront the issue of homophobia.
In societies, including that of America, heterosexual couples are
often free to show their affection in public while homosexual couples
cannot. These latter displays of affection are considered a social taboo.
Banksy s kissing policemen can be used to explore such concerns,
and hopefully to develop respect toward differences among human
beings.2 In America, it is not uncommon to hear school children use
homophobic language to humiliate their peers or make deliberate,
malicious jokes. Students uninformed about homosexuality are
more likely to form prejudices and use offensive behavior toward gay
people. Another direction for initiating discussions about homosexu
ality is to introduce the concept of heteronormality. In other words,

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9tm I

Figure 4. Street art by Banksy. Photograph taken by Scott Davis. Reprinted with permission.

students need to understand that heterosexuals are the dominant

group in society, holding the political power to legitimize and
advance its own heterocentric cultural, economic, and educational

agendas. The dominant group defines, governs, and polices cultural

values and social norms such as sexual relationships, marriage,
family structure, and parenthood from a heterocentric cosmology.
Heterocentric gender roles have permeated mainstream ideology
that controls almost every aspect of social practice and portrays
gay people as deviant, which in turn has a detrimental effect on gay
youth as they struggle to understand themselves and construct their
identity.

Dialogue Activity
1. Teachers can use this picture to explore homophobia and the
concept of heteronormality. Questions for dialogue include:

2. What is your first reaction to this picture? What responses is the

picture meant to elicit from the viewer?
3. What is the picture trying to tell us? Are there elements you

would characterize as symbolic?

4. How do you think this picture was made?
5. Where was this picture presented? Is its location important, and

why?

6. Is this art, and why?

7. Are policemen authority figures in our society? Is it socially
acceptable to see policemen act in this way? Would it be more
socially acceptable if one of the policemen was a woman, and how
so? Are there other implicit messages in this picture?

8. Can societies be truly equal and democratic? How does American

society as a whole discriminate against gay people? What can we
do to make America a truly equitable society?

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Instructional Resources

Figure 5. Sweeping It Under the Carpet by Banksy. Photograph taken by Canonsnapper.

A Voice for the Marginalized

Banksy s spray-painted image entitled Sweeping It Under the Carpet
(see Figure 5) was seen in Chalk Farm, London. According to news
paper reporter Arifa Akbar (2006), the image depicts a maid called
Leanne who cleaned the artist s room in a motel in Los Angeles.
Considering that in the past only the rich could afford to have their
portraits painted, the portrait of the maid serves to highlight the
democratization of subjects in works of art.

fieldwork, document issues and stories important to the location, and

present their findings. To conclude their investigation, students can
discuss the following questions about the street art world (Erickson,

2002):

1. Which people do members of the street art world judge to be

important?
2. What sort of places do members of the street art world meet to

share activities and ideas?

3. What activities are essential to maintaining street art culture?

A Fieldwork Investigation
This image illustrates how art can be a voice for the marginalized.
Teachers can use this image to prompt students to further investigate
street art in their own neighborhoods and the voices that proliferate
there. Teachers can give a fieldwork assignment, asking students to
survey their neighborhood streets, document street art, and present it
to the class. Encourage students to take pictures and notes during the

4. What important ideas are members of the street art world

engaged with?
This neighborhood inquiry will deepen students' understanding of
street art and allow them to gain firsthand knowledge of how street
artists, like Banksy, resist established social practices, address social
issues, or mark traces of human existence.

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Assessment and Conclusion

Studio Activity: Stenciling and Culture Jamming

Students can stencil T-shirts that illuminate or challenge social
practices, demonstrating their understanding of how art can act as an
intervention. First, ask students to individually identify an important

social issue or a questionable social practice and draw a black-and

white image for stenciling a T-shirt based on this issue. Students
need to understand that their images should address individually
chosen issues or bring to light a questionable social practice. Remind
students that because they will use their images to make stencils,
they should be simple, instantly readable, and in black and white (the
black area will be the cutout area where the ink is filled). Then intro

Teachers can assess this unit through class participation, writing

assignments, and studio production. Students should be able to artic
ulate an understanding of street art and Banksy s work and apply it
to a developing knowledge of activist art that initiates dialogue. They
should examine such questions as: How do street artists mark their
existence in the street? What issues does Banksy s work raise? What
issue did you address and how did you approach it in your work?
What responses do you hope to elicit from the audience through
your piece? How is your own work similar to or different from that of
Banksy or other street artists?

duce stenciling techniques to transfer the images onto the T-shirts.3

Street art is omnipresent in urban streets and is a rich source of
The ultimate goal of the studio project is to allow students to enter the inspiration for artistic creativity. From this learning unit, students
real world with their art to increase public awareness about impor
will begin to understand that street art reflects the unedited world
tant social issues. They can participate in culture jamming using the
in which we live. It possesses the aesthetic voices of the ordinary
guerrilla communication approach.4 To do so, encourage students
and enables resistance for the marginalized. Banksy s street art, in
to wear their designed T-shirts as human billboards while soliciting
particular, can guide students to think about various social and
comments or reactions from the public. Culture jamming moves
political issues and to reflect upon the immediate, if not unjust, world
students from passive spectatorship toward active involvement
in which they live, to transform that world, and to possibly initiate

with culture production.

change.
Sheng Kuan Chung is Associate Professor and Graduate Program
Director of Art Education in the Department of Curriculum and
Instruction at the University of Houston, Texas. E-mail:skchung@

uh.edu

RESOURCES

ENDNOTES
1 Culture jamming is an activist tactic for breaking corporate domination over
what we consume and experience (Lasn, 1999). Culture jammers appropriate
mainstream media constructs or produce alternative cultural forms to illumi

http://www.banksy.co.uk/
http://www.instructables.com/

http://www.youtube.com

nate important issues or question social practices.

REFERENCES
Akbar, A. (2006, May 16). Banksy takes to streets to highlight Aids crisis. The
Independent. Retrieved December, 2008, from http://www.independent.

co.uk/

Bou, L. (2005). Street art: The spray files. New York: Collins Design, Monsa.

2 The lack of discussion about homosexuality or gay issues in schools has

encouraged ignorance and fear about homosexuality. A consequence of igno

rance is intolerance based on sexual orientation, leading people and several
states in the United States to adopt practices that are openly discriminatory
(Fischer, 1982; Lampela, 1996).
3 Websites such as YouTube.com and Instructables.com have numerous step

Erickson, M. (2002). What are artworlds and why are they important? In M.
Erickson & B. Young (Eds.), Multicultural artworlds: Enduring, evolving,
and overlapping traditions (pp. 17-25). Reston, VA: National Art Education

by-step video demonstrations for art teachers unfamiliar with stenciling tech

Fischer, T. R. (1982). A study of educators' attitudes toward homosexuality.

get a cleaner result. Due to possible health hazards, spray paint should not be
used in the classroom.

Association.

niques. A stencil can be made out of paper, translucent mylar, or poster board
and the image can be set using fabric spray paint, which is recommended to

Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Virginia, Charlottesville,

VA.

Lampela, L. (1996). Concerns of gay and lesbian caucuses within art,

education, and art education. Art Education, 49(2), 20-4.
Lasn, K. (1999). Culture jam: The uncooling of America (TM). New York: Eagle

4 Guerrilla communication is a communication method and a political inter

vention using street performance/events or public engagements designed to
disrupt or change the public's perceptions.

Brook.

Lunn, M. (2006). Street art uncut. Australia: Craftsman House.

MacNaughton, A. (2006). London street art. London: Prestel.

Manco, T. (2002). Stencil graffiti. New York: Thames & Hudson.

32 ART EDUCATION / July 2009

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