3 - Decontextualisation of Street Art

Summary

The worlds of graffiti and street art are changing. Over the past fifteen years, institutions, corporations and the general public have increasingly taken an interest in these creative practices as legitimate forms of artistic and cultural expression. With this attention has come an influx of money, as collectors have bought up studio work by artists who also work in the street. Likewise, galleries, corporate brands, municipalities and others have sought to invest in – and capitalise on – the “urban cool” of graffiti and street art. This has been positive for some artists, who are now able to make a living from their work. However, the heightened interest has also brought to the fore questions about intellectual property in cases where expressions in different ways have been appropriated and commoditised without the author’s permission. A recent high-profile case involved the American graffiti writer Revok and the Swedish multinational fast fashion company H&M.