Basic Summary: Revolution in a Can by Blake Gopnik

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Basic summary: Revolution in a Can by Blake Gopnik
In the article Revolution in a Can, Blake Gopnik argued that graffiti is an important tool for communication and should not merely be celebrated for its aesthetic value as is common in the West. The writer traces changes in the popularization of graffiti in the 1980’s where graffiti began being considered art in New York. However, the purpose of graffiti had been communication and empowerment, but was no co-opted by the consumerist culture where there was emphasis on aesthetic innovations and styles. Graffiti can express fury, and when there is political upheaval, street art can indicate what a section of the people want. Similarly, when there is no censorship street art is a way to pass messages on the need for political freedoms, and graffiti content tends to increase when there are events that oppose political repression. Graffiti was mainly used to present priv...