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To what extent does street art in Mumbai depict historical and cultural

background of the city?

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Introduction

Street art, widely known as ‘graffiti’ is a form of visual communication, usually illegal,

involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or a group1. Just like

any other form of art, even street art is used to express and communicate through images.

Street art can be very different from graffiti. Graffiti is basically writing or drawings

scribbled/scratched/sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place2.

Traditionally, graffiti didn't intend for the public to react, it was a source of communication

by defining space and ideology. Initially graffiti wasn’t considered as a form of art, people

believed that it was vandalism as it hurt the public’s sentiments and gave rise to

controversies. However, it was mainly done to direct their messages to other individuals

marking similar territory or to a specific group of people by tagging their gang/group name

onto walls. By comparison, street artists take the ideas and tools associated with graffiti and

use them to make art that communicates their thoughts visually. Street artists want people

to see their work because their goal is to provoke discussion and reaction, they want the

everyday person’s involvement , irrespective of their social class or political ideology . The

history of street art began ever since people scratched their names onto public walls. It

became most popular in the 1980s and early 90s as it transformed into a more widely

accepted form of art3. It has only evolved ever since. Some really famous graffiti artists of

the 1970s inspired some very well-known artists, like, Keith Haring of New York. Street art

has taken over not just walls but also surfaces in public places like building exteriors, shop

1
https://www.britannica.com/art/graffiti-art
2

https://www.google.com/search?q=define+graffiti&rlz=1C1CHBD_enIN805IN805&sxsrf=ACYBGNThZz7jB4zXlH
2pLEPb6MHUjBkOYQ:1569213882770&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjujrygkebkAhWL6nMBHVh7CZgQ_A
UIDSgA&biw=1396&bih=657&dpr=1.38
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https://www.slideshare.net/DomKnowles/street-art-essay-72659837
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shutters, billboards, highway overpasses, and sidewalks. It is usually created as a means to

convey a message, manipulate or inspire the public opinion. Street art has been a two way

street, it has adapted from several art forms and techniques like calligraphy, pop art 4,

caricatures, illustrations and combinations of shapes, curves and letters. At the same time it

has inspired modern art movements such as the contemporary (or “hip-hop”) graffiti from

the 1960s, and many more styles. The cultural context of street art is what makes it very

different from any other art form. It depicts the country/area’s current situation. However

, as graffiti can last as long as the structure it is created on lasts , we do have ancient graffiti

that tells us many a historical tale. Simultaneously, it reflects upon the history of the place.

There are several murals worldwide that have remained untouched for years, these murals

depict the place’s culture and relates to their contemporary political thought.

India

Indian street art specifically has gone through many changes, post and pre-independence.

Initially they only comprised of illustrations of deities and other religious and communal

symbols that were considered important at the time. However, during the fight for

independence, street art focused more on rebellion and antagonism towards the British.

Street Art in India has had a long history, and have included different portrayals of culture

and religion which has both addressed and fortified the commonness of the country.5 I plan

to investigate how street art in Mumbai has evolved in the last fifty years and how the art of

today reflects on the historical and cultural background of the city. In India, art is created

4
https://www.widewalls.ch/graffiti-inspired-art/mr-brainwash-chelsea-express-red/
5
https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2012/06/the-scenario-of-indian-street-art-then-and-now/
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not only on walls but also on temples, doors, store signs, behind trucks and rickshaws, store

shutters and even on public stairs. Street art in India has evolved from caricatures of

politicians and gods to painting advertisements and social awareness posters to painting an

entire city (Prayagraj, also known as Kumbh mela) and giving life to neglected areas like

slums.