From New York Graffiti to Community Art: A Historical Overview

The evolution of community-based art is explored, starting with New York graffiti from the 1970s and 1980s, leading to participatory public art in the 1990s. Urban environments were reshaped by graffiti artists such as Keith Haring, who began his subway artwork around 1980, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, who connected street art with institutional spaces. Kenny Scharf contributed to this shift, while Jenny Holzer showcased statements like "Protect Me From What I Want" (1985) in Times Square. Daniel Buren's Les Deux Plateaux (1986) served as a notable permanent installation. The late 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of US initiatives, such as Diane Shamash's In Public: Seattle 1991 and Mary Jane Jacob's Culture in Action: New Public Art (1993). Miwon Kwon observed that participants regarded their efforts as activist art, whereas the Critical Art Ensemble critiqued the dependence on bureaucratic intermediaries.