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The Outsiders: Graffiti as Folk Art
How do we determine worth? Who gets to decide?
In art criticism, works are often described as either "high" or "low" art - with high art designated by the ruling classes as works deemed reflective of “the culture." Works viewed as outside of this lens are low art, deemed “novelty” at best, their creators uneducated and unworthy of formal recognition. From low art came “outsider art,” coined to designate these works as outside of established culture.
Graffiti is often subjected to these terms - low art, created by the uneducated “outsiders," divorced from culture. However, across styles, graffiti exists in constant communication with culture - the culture of the folk.
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