Repurposing Public Space: A Reflection on the Social Commentary of Alexandra Bell and Banksy

“Repurposing Public Space: A Reflection on the Social Commentary of Alexandra Bell and Banksy”
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When I watched the video on Alexandra Bell, I was struck by her use of public space to share her commentary on race and class politics. She uses the medium of newspapers to create art that challenges dominant narratives in mainstream media. Bell's use of newspapers as a medium is particularly effective because it allows her to take something mundane and repurpose it as a tool for social commentary (National Geographic Society, 2019). She is able to use the public space of newspapers to subvert dominant narratives and create new, more inclusive and representative of marginalized communities.
On the other hand, Banksy uses graffiti to convey his viewpoint on racial and economic concerns. Graffiti is a particularly effective medium for Banksy because it enables him to take actions typically associated with vandalism and reuse them as a weapon for social critique. Banksy’s art frequently has a guerrilla feel and is meant to be noticed by anyone who happens to be passing by. Its meaning c...