Bodies, doings, and gendered ideals in Swedish graffiti

Abstract

Drawing from extensive fieldwork among graffiti writers in Sweden this article investigates gendered identity work and its consequences. It points to how potentially inclusive aspects of disembodied subcultural performances—that identities are negotiated through the material representation of the writer rather than on basis of the physical body—nevertheless work excludingly, especially so in terms of gender. This is so because identity work in graffiti revolves around a re-embodiment of identities through normative notions of the able, male and invisible body.

Youth and social media: the affordances and challenges of online graffiti practice

“…The Internet and social media seem to allow for quick, easy and anonymous access to a wider range of writers, including young women, very young practitioners or less able individuals who can be involved in the learning, production and culture of graffiti writing because mobility is optional, with access to isolated, risky, and dangerous environments avoidable. This line of argument extends Hannerz’ (2017) understanding of graffiti culture as an embodied space of mobility that privileges the ability to move freely in order to access the city. This aspect of the culture is inherently limiting for some ‘bodies’ such as young women, the less able-bodied, and the very young.…”

Embodied graffiti and street art research

“…GSAR tends to emphasise the refinement of the cultural artefact in urban spaces rather than studying the embodied practices behind the artefact. There may be several reasons for this, one is here postulated as relating to ‘disembodiment’ (Hannerz, 2017) as bodies which create graffiti and street art in urban environments often perform when hidden from spectators. Therefore, graffiti and street art scholars tend to focus on cultural objects rather than on the bodily acts done in socially and culturally constructed settings.…”

“…Cultural artefacts and concepts may convey social, symbolic meanings; for example, expressing one’s membership within a peer group or identity within a subculture (Macdonald, 2002). Bodies can be perceived as cultural objects, where a person’s symbolic identity is distinguished, evaluated and communicated through bodily practices (Hannerz, 2017; Ignatow, 2007; Noland, 2010). Within graffiti and street art, cultural artefacts may embody the creators’ individual and culturally idealised forms (Hannerz, 2017).…”

“…Bodies can be perceived as cultural objects, where a person’s symbolic identity is distinguished, evaluated and communicated through bodily practices (Hannerz, 2017; Ignatow, 2007; Noland, 2010). Within graffiti and street art, cultural artefacts may embody the creators’ individual and culturally idealised forms (Hannerz, 2017).…”

“…Graffiti and street art practices may be understood as embodied experiences where both scholars and research participants are part of the embodied process, accumulating fieldrelevant knowledge. Some graffiti and street art researchers have considered how their creators' agency, identities, cultures, bodies, thoughts and emotions are embodied in artefacts (Hannerz, 2017;Schacter, 2014). Other researchers have emphasised the joint mind-body actions in generating and perceiving graffiti and street art products through embodied experiences (Myllylä, 2018;Halsey and Young, 2006;Nomeikaite, 2017).…”