The Economics of Everyday Things
26. Graffiti
Nov 20, 2023
This podcast dives into the controversy surrounding graffiti as an art form. It discusses efforts to remove graffiti quickly and the impact of graffiti on communities, including its negative effects on retail sales and property value. The podcast also explores Philadelphia's shift from punitive measures to encouraging graffiti artists to contribute to public art through city-funded murals. Lastly, it talks about the rise of graffiti vandalism during the pandemic and the ongoing battle with these vandals, with a humorous nod to their abundance of paint.
14:10
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Quick takeaways
- Cornbread revolutionized graffiti in Philadelphia, shifting it from a gang-related activity to a form of individual artistic expression.
- Mural arts programs provide a positive alternative to graffiti, transforming communities and improving mental health, but raise concerns about artist compensation and potential gentrification.
Deep dives
Graffiti Culture and Origins
Graffiti artist Repos shares his fascination with graffiti, observing other artists' techniques and learning the art form in high school. He mentions the unique graffiti style in Philadelphia called Wickets, originated by the renowned artist notorious Bick. Philadelphia is considered the birthplace of graffiti art with artist Darryl McCray, also known as Cornbread, starting the trend in the 1960s. However, graffiti was mostly seen as gang-related before Cornbread inspired a generation of individual recognition-focused artists.
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