The Pandemic’s Positive Effect on the Revival of Street Art

By Thea Reddington

Throughout the past year, museums and art galleries all over the world were faced with closure and it seemed that the art world would suffer greatly as a result. However, one form of art that has been injected with life throughout the past year is street art. Artworks addressing the Covid-19 pandemic have been found all over the world, from LA to the Gaza Strip. Graffiti, which is often known for its satirical comments on current events has now become a form of art that is accessible and more importantly relevant to everyone.

Street artists across the globe have jumped at the opportunity to add their bit to the collective experience. There has been a variety of interpretations, yet a standout theme has been the praising and expression of gratitude to health care workers. This is evident in the street art created by FAKE in Amsterdam which depicts a nurse wearing a face mask adorned with the superman logo.

FAKE, Super Nurse! Amsterdam. Image courtesy of @iamfake/Instagram.

Throughout the past year, we have seen endless comparisons drawn between health care workers and superheroes, even Banksy whose works often take a more pessimistic view on social issues joined in on the collective outpouring of gratitude. He left an artwork named Game Changer at Southampton hospital in May 2020 which depicts a boy playing with a nurse donned with a cape, his Spiderman and Batman toys lying forgotten at his side. Banksy left it with the note "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if its only black and white."

Banksy, Game Changer. Image courtesy of @Bansky/Instagram.

Some street artists have reminded the public to follow safety regulations through the humorous additions of face masks to famous artworks. Artworks such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was spotted wearing a face mask in Barcelona and Francesco Hayez’s lovers in The Kiss were equipped with masks and sanitiser in Milan, likely making a light-hearted comment on the more poignant issue of how the pandemic has prohibited intimacy. These meta-art historical jokes provide a stance on the contentious mask debate yet avoid controversy with a veil of humour. 

Tvboy, Mobile World Virus, Barcelona. Image courtesy of @tvboy/Instagram. (left) Tvboy, L’amore ai tempi del Covid19, Milan. Image courtesy of @tvboy/Instagram. (right)

However, some artists have used street art to make overt political comments about the pandemic and more specifically criticising certain politicians’ responses to the virus. Australian artist Lushsux bashes Chinese authorities and president Xi Jinping for their lack of transparency and reluctance to report and comment on the virus in its early stages. Lushsux ironically places the president in a hazmat suit with the caption ‘’Nothing to see, carry on.’’ Even when making candid political comments, street art manages to maintain its satiric charm. A discussion about political criticism via graffiti would not be complete without a critique of Trump’s approach to the pandemic. One mural situated in New York utilises acute irony, placing Donald Trump’s head on the body of the Grim Reaper with the caption ‘DON’T BE AFRAID OF COVID,’ the writing giving the illusion of dripping blood.

Lushsux, mural depiciting Xi Jinping, Melbourne. Image courtesy of @lushsux/Instagram. 

Pure Genius, mural depicting Donald Trump, October 5, 2020, New York City. Image courtesy of Timothy A. Clary via Getty Images. 

Different street artists have taken a variety of approaches to discussing the pandemic, some thanking health care workers, some lightly reminding individuals to follow safety regulations and others explicitly commenting on the failings of those in power in their responses to the pandemic. Due to the pandemic halting every other aspect of life, the accessibility of street art has become something precious as it addresses the collective experience of the entire world, something that we are all experiencing alone yet together. 

Beautify, Street art decorating a closed business, May 4, 2020, Santa Monica. Image courtesy of REUTERS/ Lucy Nicholson.  

Bibliography

‘’Art of the pandemic: COVID-inspired street graffiti’.’ Reuters, October 16, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/art-of-the-pandemic-covid-inspired-stree-idUSRTX82S3I.

Ricci, Benedetta. ‘’Coronavirus Street Art: How The Pandemic Is Changing Our Cities.’’ Artland. https://magazine.artland.com/coronavirus-street-art-how-the-pandemic-is-changing-our-cities/.

The Editorial Board.‘’ COVID-19 herd immunity strategy fits Donald Trump's failures in coronavirus war’’ USA Today Opinion https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/10/22/covid-herd-immunity-strategy-fits-donald-trump-failures-editorials-debates/3680676001/.