This paper brings together past and contempary elements that play a role in the body of work, I prepared in the Master's project and which I call, 'Omen Wallpaper'. The title draws on the idea that 'omens' as signs and 'wallpaper', as a decoration somewhat on the periphery, surround us in the urban environment. The paper begins by describing the influences and historical movements from which I have drawn. These range, for example, from. Duchamp, Schwitters to Rauschenberg, Warhol and Basquiat. Many of these traditions share the idea of 'anti-art', particularly 'anti painting', manifested in the use of found materials, text and 'unpainterly' techniques like printing and collage. The paper then moves in to ideas more local to me and this body of work, as for example, graffiti. I explore styles of graffiti and some of the most significant artists of this movement. Artists such as 'Misstic' from Paris and 'Banksy' I also investigate some of the problematics associated with that territory, by describing the conflicts I encounter in my research. I also consider another type of' street aesthetic' that operates in a different way, exploiting the general decay and wear and tear of posters. I focus this part of my enquiry, on the French Nouveaux Realist, Jacques de la Villegle who has worked with this medium since the 1950's. Villegles work began central to my research in Paris as well as becoming a inspiration for adopting the technique of 'affiches laceries' or 'tom posters'. This technique allows one to capture a moment culturally, stylistically and randomly amoung many other things with minimal mediation which became a significant turning point in the development of my own style.

Thesis (M.A. Ed.)--Georgia State University, 2009. / Title from title page (Digital Archive@GSU, viewed July 1, 2010) Melody Milbrandt, committee chair; Melanie Davenport, Teresa Bramlette Reeves, committee members. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-50).

Cette thèse porte sur une comparaison des pratiques envers la propriété des graffeur.ses, street-artistes, militant.e.s anticapitalistes et antipubs. Partant d’une analyse de la littérature criminologique concernant le vandalisme, cette thèse interroge les figures du « vandale » ou du « casseur » en tant que constructions sociales. Dans la continuité des travaux interactionnistes en sociologie de la déviance et en criminologie post-marxiste, nous interrogeons les dégradations volontaires d’objets matériels à partir des trajectoires et expériences d’acteurs déviants, tout en replaçant ceux-ci dans l’imbrication des rapports sociaux de classe, de sexe et d’âge. L’enquête de terrain procède par ethnographie multi-située, rassemblant seize récits de vie combinés à des observations participantes. Les résultats montrent la formation et l’évolution de « sujets propriétaires » par effets de socialisation aux interactions entre individus, corps et objets matériels dans diverses sphères (familiale, scolaire, professionnelles, sous-culturelles, militantes). La propriété et la possession apparaissent comme des enjeux centraux des rapports sociaux et de la socialisation. Leur naturalisation au sein des rapports de pouvoir participe tant de la réaction sociale au vandalisme que des rapports aux objets et espaces des peintres ou militant.e.s interrogé.e.s. Malgré l’hétérogénéité de leurs positions structurelles ou de leurs trajectoires d’engagement, nous trouvons dans leurs rapports aux objets dégradés, aux pratiques de soin, aux techniques ou encore au contrôle social, une internormativité faisant dominer les normes de propriété formelle sur les normes de possession. Cette thèse explore les rapports de pouvoir contemporains traversant les atteintes à la propriété et apporte une contribution à la sociologie de la déviance, des rapports sociaux et des cultures dominées. / This study aims at comparing practices in relation to property among graffiti writers, street artists, anticapitalist and antiproductivist activists. Stemming from an analysis of the criminological literature on vandalism, this thesis explores the notions of “vandals” and “casseur” as social constructs. In line with the interactionnist works in the sociology of deviance and in post-marxist criminology, we question the willful damaging of property based on the trajectories and experiences of deviant actors, while integrating social class, gender and age dynamics in the framework. The fieldwork consisted in a multi-sited ethnography, gathering sixteen life histories combined with participant observations. Results show the formation and evolution of “owning subjects” through socialisation processes, shaping relations between individuals, bodies and material objects in many instances (family, school, work, subcultures, activism). Property and ownership appear as central stakes in social relations and socialisation. Their naturalisation in power relations affects social reactions to vandalism as well as the relations to material objects shown by the participants. Despite heterogeneous positions in the social structure and different trajectories in relation to deviance, we find in their relation to damaged objects, in their caring practices, in their techniques or in their relationship to social control, an internormativity ensuring the dominance of formal norms over informal ownership. This study explores power relations in contemporary France and in property crimes, and contributes to the sociology of deviance, sociology of social structure and critical criminology.

Thesis (B.F.A.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2009. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. Thesis supervisor: Rosa A. Eberly.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-159). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Street art and graffiti are predominantly made by urban residents to assert their presence in society; address social, political, and economic issues; and transform the physical spaces of a city. Historically dominated by men, the graffiti/street art subcultures are experiencing a rise in the participation by and recognition of women. Existing literature has generally focused on men's involvement, while the discussion of women writers/artists is often limited to how they have remained on the periphery. With the growing use of social media to publicize their artwork and connect with other artists, women are expanding their reach within the subcultures. By adapting traditionally masculine content and approaches to graffiti/street art while incorporating their own perspectives, relationships to the material and social environment, and expressions of identity, women graffiti/street artists are creating unique spaces of artistic expression and transgression, both online and offline. This case study in Oakland, California, uses semi-structured interviews with thirty informants, document analysis, participant observation, and creative practices to examine how women graffiti/street artists change the urban landscape. My research indicates that women artists are both performing and representing their socio-cultural identities, and thus redefining the subcultures in ways that are increasingly nonpatriarchal, nonhierarchical, and decolonial. In contrast to studying only the broad, structural forces in a city, this research contends that examining the individual identities of participants—their lived, daily experience and senses of agency—is crucial for understanding the workings of urban space. This research also contributes to our grasp of how women further important feminist approaches to urban space and dialogue. Situated within the traditions of feminist geography and the geohumanities, this case study aims to contribute to the body of literature on street art and graffiti by emphasizing the transformative impact of women street artists on urban space, urban identities, and an urban aesthetic.

While graffiti is revered as an art form to some, it is often seen as an unwanted nuisance by others. While vibrantly rich in history, graffiti has a controversial past, present, and future that will likely continue to be the subject of debate, especially with the insurgence of street art, an art form that often overlaps graffiti art in subject matter, media, aesthetic appearance, and placement as a public form of art. Distinguishing between street art and graffiti art proves quite challenging to the undiscerning eye, yet through a series of interviews and thorough investigation, I questioned the contexts of street art and graffiti art. By introducing non-traditional forms of art that are engaging to adolescent students, street art and graffiti art can expand the secondary art curriculum by helping students become more cognizant of current social, visual and cultural aesthetics in their own visual world.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

In my diploma thesis I would like to focus on dance battles events and on the street dance life style as it's the topic of my diploma thesis. I have been very close of the street dance world, as a dancer and an observer, since I witnessed countless dance battles, concerts, camps, workshops and so on - which gave me the knowledge to express myself on this topic and gave my perspective in both ways: from up to the stage and audience. I was always very curios and wanted to share with, such as: how does the street dance events looks like, what's happening there, what kind people attending it, what is the motivation for dancers, djs, choreographers, producers etc…? Where those events are happening and how often is them happening? My curiosity crossed the Czech Republic border, I wanted to know more from outside of my country. I believe that having the knowledge of what's going on abroad gives you power of discuss and compare things with confidence and comfortability. Mainly my research methods were observing and interviewing, then field diaries, video documentation, collecting as much information as possible from people that lives in this world nonstop, which gave me so much knowledge from inside, how they behave, how they communicate, their attitude etc. This scenario always fascinated me and after attending to many events, battles, meetings and jam sessions (as a dancer and observer), I was able to collect different point of views from another dancers, choreographers and guests and compare it with my own thoughts regarding to it, using my countless notes and hours of recording interviews, those tools combined gave me so much information.

Thesis (BTech (Surface Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / The purpose of this research is to investigate whether street artists make statements about current socia-political affairs as a form of popular protest and whether those statements can be reflected in another design discipline. such as jewellery design. while reflecting upon the work of Faith47. a South African social commentator. Cultural studies has been referenced as a theoretical framework in relation to cultural sup-groups and. a historic context is provided in order to better understand the significance of social commentary in graffiti, a form of street art produced by social sub-qroup, and made during a period known as Apartheid and currently. in Post-Apartheid South Africa. A range of jewellery then emerged from the research. dealing with the aspects of social-political commentary. as an interpretation of a form of protest art and applied to wearable jewellery. The products incorporate word and images that are provocative and invite the viewer to question and reflect upon what in my view was a contentions and significant period in the history of South Africa.