Citation and Annotation of a Podcast

Meyers, Tom, and Greg Young. "Subway Graffiti 1970-1989." Hosts Tom Meyers and Greg Young. New York City History: The Bowery Boys. EuroCheapo.com, 3 Sep. 2010. Web. 28 March 2014.

This podcast features the highly informative duo Tom Meyers and Greg Young, who discuss New York City history in monthly podcasts. From Niblo's Garden to the George Washington Bridge, Meyers and Young mostly detail fascinating aspects of significant New York City landmarks. In this specific podcast, Meyers talks about the first people to popularize tagging, media descriptions regarding this burgeoning activity, and the evolution of graffiti mediums.

Citation and Annotation of an Online Film Review

Catsoulis, Jeannette. "On the Street, at the Corner of Art and Trash." Rev. of Exit Through the Gift Shop, dir. Banksy. New York Times. New York Times, 15 April 2010. Web. 27 March 2014.

Jeannette Catsoulis's review of the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop offers several differing opinions of the film. Although Catsoulis expresses concern over the documentary's unlikable narrator, she believes this does not negate from the film's successful portrayal of street art culture. She also ventures as far to claim that it doubles as an extension of Banksy elusive facade, a "prankumentary".
   

 

Graffiti Hall of Fame

The Graffiti Hall of Fame is located in a school courtyard in East Harlem on 106th street and Park Avenue. The courtyard provides an expansive amount of space for exceptional displays of artwork (which are featured below). In regards to Ronald Kramer's argument in his article "Painting with Permission: Legal Graffiti in New York City," this area represents graffiti writers who work within the parameters of the law (263). I argue, alongside Kramer, that graffiti can be perceived as both a sanctioned and illegal activity. Graffiti is not just one or the other. The general public's perception of this activity (which has been mostly influenced by city officials and media portrayals) greatly excludes the existence of legal graffiti. After viewing the beautifully executed murals that are part of the Graffiti Hall of Fame, I strongly argue that legal graffiti is a viable outlet for artists to display their work. It is also a facet of graffiti which should always be taken into consideration when attempting to perceive the overall picture of the long-time controversial activity.

Photo by Carol Szwei 

Photo by Carol Szwei

Photo by Carol Szwei

Kramer, Ronald. “Painting with Permission: Legal Graffiti in New York City.” Ethnography 11.2 (2010): 235-253. SAGE Journals. PDF file.

Citation and Annotation of a Wiki Entry

"Graffiti." Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, 8 March 2014. Web. 21 March 2014.

This Wiki entry explores the many facets of graffiti, in regards to hip hip culture. While it does thoroughly define graffiti, it also delves into its etymology and history. From its entrance into mainstream pop culture to its eventual political and social significance, this article highlights the art form's constant development (including change in methods and modern experimentation.)

Citation and Annotation of a Sound Recording

Shostakovich, Dmitri. Symphony No. 5 in D minor. Perf. New York Philharmonic. Cond. Leonard Bernstein. Sony, 1999. CD.

This source is a live recording of a 1979 performance by the New York Philharmonic in Bunka Kainan, Tokyo, Japan. Shostakovich composed this piece for orchestra in 1937 and was first performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in November of the same year. This work was met with unprecedented success, as his more recent works had been met with much criticism.

Citation and Annotation of a Musical Score

Schubert, Franz. Ave Maria. 1825. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1902. Print.

One of Schubert's most celebrated works, "Ave Maria" was composed as a setting of a song from an epic poem. Originally performed under the title "Ellen's Third Song", the composition's lyrics have changed overtime, ultimately differing greatly from the original content of the poem. This version of the song employs the Latin text from the Roman Catholic prayer of the same name, as well as its English and German translation.

Citation and Annotation of an Online Magazine Article

Ellsworth-Jones, Will. "The Story Behind Banksy."Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institute, Feb. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.    

This article examines the anonymous Banksy's beginnings in graffiti writing (the inception of his stencil aesthetic) as well as his stance on political issues involving artistic merit. This article is ironically, an expansive portal into this mysterious man's achievements and endeavors. There is also much information regarding his recent installations around the world and of their consequential influence upon the social sphere.  

Edited Collection Citation and Annotation

Burlin, Bonnie Maria. "Aerosol and the Environment. Race, Poverty & the Environment. Ed. Leticia Alcántar and Laura Pulido. San Francisco: Reimagine! 1993. 37-38. Print.  This article, along with the many others in this collection, serves to inform the public of environmental inequality. It delves into the dilemmas surrounding land ownership, as well as the troubles faced by the latino population in regards to this enduring issue. This essay identifies the South Bronx (as well as Los Angeles) as a location most related to this debate, the appropriate manner to utilize and develop land. 

NYC Graffiti

Long known as a "Red Light District" for incessant drug and prostitution, the South Bronx neighborhood Hunts Point offers much more than what it's moniker suggests. When commuting along the 6 line in the Bronx, the train shifts it's underground path to an above ground oasis of  murals, "fill-ins", and "tags". Whether this colorful display constitutes an act of vandalism or not, it's presence showcases a cultural narrative amongst writers, as well as their audiences.

Youtube Citation and Annotation

ThaInfamousAce. "Getting Up (Full Graffiti Documentary)." Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 6 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. "Getting Up" is an educational documentary that features major graffiti writers JA, Ket, Noxer, Skuf, Chino, and many others. In 30 minutes, the film discusses aspects of a graffiti writer's lifestyle, including their outlooks on their own craft. Specifically, the writers discuss their personal intentions behind "tagging" and "bombing", as well as their opinions concerning the general rules in street art (such as, not writing over another person's work, or not writing on a church or school). While explaining the difference bewtween an amateur writer ( a "toy") and experienced artists, they assert that graffiti is a powerful tool used to publicly express their freedom. This activity is not necessarily an outlet for painting on as many surfaces as possible. It is message-oriented and provocative.  

 

Newspaper Article Citation and Annotation II

Citation

Buckley, Cara, and Marc Santora. "Night Falls, and 5Pointsz, a Graffiti Mecca, Is    Whited Out in Queens." New York Times 12 Feb. 2014: A23. Print.

Annotation

The article "Night Falls, and 5Pointsz, a Graffiti Mecca, Is Whited Out in Queens" remarks upon the graffiti haven's bitter undoing. Late last fall, hundreds of graffiti artists' artwork was covered by white in an effort to pave way for high-rise luxury apartments. While the owner of the former outdoor graffiti exhibit remains sympathetic of the aerosol artists' plight for space to legally showcase their work, many artists and tourists alike have taken news of the eventual destruction of the iconic landmark with heavy hearts.    

Citation and Annotation I

Citation
Khosravi, Shahram. "Graffiti in Tehran." Anthropology Now
        5.1 (2013): 1-17. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.  

Annotation
"Graffiti in Tehran" explores a cultural resistance founded on anti capitalist privatization notions in the form of provocative wall murals. The harsh climate of the Tehran social sphere (one which encompasses a massive youth population) drives young graffiti artists to express their attitudes and beliefs via visual representation. The article also ventures to suggest that the expansion of graffiti in Tehran can be attributed to the internet, a source which links the Tehran youth culture to the rest of the world.

"Style Wars"

The documentary "Style Wars" comments upon the perspectives of various people involved in an evolving hip hop culture during the early 1980s. Although the film features breakdancing and rapping, it mainly emphasizes graffiti. Throughout the one hour documentary, authority figures (such as Mayor Edward Koch) denounce graffiti, citing its financial burden on NYC, as well as its unsightly appearance for the city's residents. Nevertheless, in the film, many young struggling artists countered their attackers by asserting that "bombing" and going "all city" is their form of expression, an outlet for their distinct styles of street art. Disparaged by authority figures, they remain resilient and stand by their controversial craft. The film depicts these young people as both aloof about their supposed property damaging activities and pioneers for a hip hop revolution in the making.