Leaving It to the Streets: An Examination of the Consequences of Memorializing Street Art

Street art, an inherently anti-institutional art movement, resists preservation and formal recognition. However, as the art has become more and more recognized and established, a public desire to save this work has necessitated a compromise. Museums and galleries attempt to institutionalize this work, independent alternative exhibition projects have emerged, and finally, plexiglass is installed on the street, covering the pieces where they were originally tagged. All three options challenge the integrity of the work in significant and specific ways: the importance of context is questioned, illegality is typically lost, hierarchies and an element of selectivity are introduced to the work, the transitory and collaborative elements afforded this art on the street are typically eliminated, etc. This study examines the ensuing consequences, and attempts to illustrate the complexities of maintaining the ethos of this movement in the face of formal recognition