Att skriva (på) staden
En studie om graffiti- och gatukonstutövares praktik och meningskapande i det offentliga rummet
Public spaceUrbanSocial orderAppropriationIdentityGraffitiStreet artDet offentliga rummetUrbanSocial ordningAppropriationIdentitetGraffitiGatukonst
The purpose with this essay is to examine and create an understanding for what meaning graffiti and street art has for those who practice it. Furthermore, the practice of graffiti and street art is seen in relation to how urban space is produced. Five semi-structured interviews and one group interview has been made to answer the questions "What meaning does graffiti and street art has for those who practice it? Can it be seen as a way to construct identity?" "How do the artists relate to existing ideals about public space?" and "Does the artists see graffiti and street art as a resistance against the normative representation of the city, in that case, how?" The theoretical framework consists of Mitchell's ideas about public space, Tonkiss' definition of social order, Lefebvre's spatial triad, de Certeau's concept of strategy and tactics, the concept of appropriation and Castell's theory about collective identity. The results showed that the practice of graffiti and street art can be understood as a more complex practice than earlier research has shown. Four different dimensions of meaning could be distinguished. Together the four different dimensions expressed an understanding of graffiti and street art practices as a collective resistance identity. The essay also shows that street art and graffiti artists have a more including ideal about public space.