I will present my research findings on the Berlin Wall, political activism expressed through graffiti in 1961 compared to graffiti during the 2008 presidential election. This paper will cover a brief history of the Berlin Wall and its intended social and political purpose. I will show how expression through art can change political space and majority opinion. I will conclude that the use of activist art in public space greatly affected the outcome of specific political events.
The Berlin Wall can be seen as a symbol of the dispute of a city. On a larger scale a symbol of the United States and the capitalist-democratic west and the Soviet Union and its allies with the Communist bloc of nations. The Berlin Wall was and is a powerful representation of the Cold War (1945-1961). Between 1949 and 1961, millions of East Germans fled to West Berlin in order to escape the Communist occupation. Fearing the mass emigration of its population to the west, the government built the Berlin Wall in 1961 cutting off Berliners from employment and family. Over the 20-year period the Wall was …show more content…
We do know that Thierry Noir was one of the first artists to paint on the Berlin Wall and definitely one of the most famous. Above is one of his paintings done in the 1980’s. His blocky cartoon like graffiti was the start of the political expression described above. Noir’s paintings on the wall became a symbol of newfound freedom after the reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War (Erjavec). An example of Noir’s global influence is seen on the rock band U2’s 1991 album “Achtung Baby”. The album is covered in Noir’s artwork and has themes inspired by the Berlin Wall and explores the changes of Europe after the Cold War. Here we see pop culture take Noir’s artwork and political expression, and deliver it to an even bigger audience. This concept can be related to a current political event, Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential
The Berlin Wall can be seen as a symbol of the dispute of a city. On a larger scale a symbol of the United States and the capitalist-democratic west and the Soviet Union and its allies with the Communist bloc of nations. The Berlin Wall was and is a powerful representation of the Cold War (1945-1961). Between 1949 and 1961, millions of East Germans fled to West Berlin in order to escape the Communist occupation. Fearing the mass emigration of its population to the west, the government built the Berlin Wall in 1961 cutting off Berliners from employment and family. Over the 20-year period the Wall was …show more content…
We do know that Thierry Noir was one of the first artists to paint on the Berlin Wall and definitely one of the most famous. Above is one of his paintings done in the 1980’s. His blocky cartoon like graffiti was the start of the political expression described above. Noir’s paintings on the wall became a symbol of newfound freedom after the reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War (Erjavec). An example of Noir’s global influence is seen on the rock band U2’s 1991 album “Achtung Baby”. The album is covered in Noir’s artwork and has themes inspired by the Berlin Wall and explores the changes of Europe after the Cold War. Here we see pop culture take Noir’s artwork and political expression, and deliver it to an even bigger audience. This concept can be related to a current political event, Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential