IS INSTAGRAM RUINING GRAFFITI?

On The Next Web, Már Másson Maack has voiced out about a study done on the gentrification of graffiti due to social networks. According to Nicola Harding from the Metropolitan University of Manchester, thanks to Instagram, writers from wealthier classes have given themselves visibility with their legal walls while leaving writers who work the streets in the shadows.

“Graffiti has been a way for young men of low socio-economic status to take risks to achieve sub-cultural kudos. But now better-off artists are able to achieve this reputation more quickly by using their higher economic status to bypass the risk associated with urban graffiti writing. In this way the rich kids of Instagram have killed the graffiti writer.“

Although the theory slips on a few points, it does propose many reflections on the evolution of graffiti in the internet era, and on the socioeconomic evolution of its audience.

“By displaying creativity through graffiti online, young people can enjoy sub-cultural rewards more efficiently than by repeatedly writing graffiti in urban environments. This is due to the receiving of likes, comments, and through the building of networks.“