The Berlin Wall and the Development of Street Art | Entry 2
The Berlin Wall was reconstructed in the 1980s into a 14-foot tall concrete border that separated East Berlin from West Berlin. The people of West Berlin soon had the impulse to paint on the wall and express their dissatisfaction and other opinions they had. One of the first artists was Thierry Noir, a French artist. After the graffiti scene started booming, it became a meeting point for many of the first graffiti artists. The graffiti showed the cultural and societal differences between East and West Berlin because of the West side of the wall being covered in murals while the East was left completely blank.
After the Berlin wall was demolished, East Berlin began acculturation with the West and the whole of Berlin became the place to be for street art. Many artists from the West would paint in plain parts of the East. In 1990, a multitude of artists was invited to paint on the East side of the wall to signify unification. This section, of what remains of the wall, is known as the East Side Gallery. Berlin is now known as the "street art capital" because of the graffiti spike in the '80s and '90s, which is ironic since graffiti is illegal in Berlin.
Citations:
After the Berlin wall was demolished, East Berlin began acculturation with the West and the whole of Berlin became the place to be for street art. Many artists from the West would paint in plain parts of the East. In 1990, a multitude of artists was invited to paint on the East side of the wall to signify unification. This section, of what remains of the wall, is known as the East Side Gallery. Berlin is now known as the "street art capital" because of the graffiti spike in the '80s and '90s, which is ironic since graffiti is illegal in Berlin.
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| One of Thierry Noirs murals on the East Side Gallery |
- "Berlin Street Art History – Where Graffiti Found Home." Berlin Street Art (blog). Entry posted February 6, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2019. https://berlinstreetart.com/street-art-history-berlin-wall-graffiti/.
- Dundon, Alice. "10 Iconic Murals on the Berlin Wall." Culture Trip. Last modified June 4, 2019. Accessed October 18, 2019. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/10-iconic-murals-on-the-berlin-wall/.
I can't believe it! I would've never thought in a million years of using a wall meant for protection as a way to let off some steam. A similarity I see between the Berlin Wall and Stonehenge is that both took something used for protection and turned it into a masterpiece. With the Berlin Wall, they took a wall and turned it into a canvas. With Stonehenge, they took the materials used for houses and made altars for worship.
ReplyDeleteIt's so cool to see how something that used to be hated has turned into a form of art. It's interesting to see how art is executed all over the world to make a statement and bring attention to the artist's point of view, from paint on a wall to movies and shows!
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