The Nature of Art, Lesson 2
Lesson 2: Fact-Finding Task
Focus: How do real-world examples of street art and graffiti reveal tensions between justification, interpretation, and perspective?
Suggested Length: 1 hour
Learning Objectives:
- Investigate real-world case studies of street art and graffiti to understand how meaning and legitimacy are contested.
- Analyze how different interpretations and perspectives influence public response, legal status, and artistic recognition.
- Substantiate or challenge claims from Lesson 1 using contextual examples and TOK reasoning.
| Critical Thinking Concepts | TOK Concepts | Reflection Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Confronting Biases & Assumptions: Question the belief that only art curated by galleries or experts is legitimate. Exploring Contexts: Consider how race, class, geography, and politics affect responses to the same artwork. Extrapolation & Reapplication of Principles: Assess whether street art was judged, removed, or commercialized fairly using ethical principles like justice and equity. | Justification: What reasons were given to support or reject the work as art? Interpretation: How did different groups interpret the same artwork differently? Perspective: Whose viewpoint shaped public or legal response to the work? | Can efforts to include marginalized artistic voices ever be truly equal when power and access to platforms remain uneven? What role should visibility, credibility, and consent play in deciding how street art is displayed, removed, or commercialized? Should all public uses of artistic expression require consultation with the communities they represent — or are there exceptions? |
Resources and Preparation
- Slides, attached below.
- Students will need access to their Kialo discussions from Lesson 1.
- Ensure students complete the homework preparation task.
- Videos/readings accompanying the case studies of your choice should be viewed in advance.
Homework Preparation Task
Case Study Task
Divide students into small groups and assign each group a case study related to street art and graffiti. Students will add their findings to the Kialo discussion from Lesson 1.
Each group will:
- Reflect on how the case connects to the concepts discussed in Lesson 1.
- Explore the case using provided resources and their own research.
- Prepare a short presentation (5–7 minutes) responding to the question: “How does the chosen street art or graffiti case challenge or reinforce our understanding of what counts as art — and whose interpretation shapes that understanding?”
Students should include details of:
- What happened in the case.
- How different perspectives (artist, government, public, media) justified or criticized the work.
- Which TOK concept is most relevant: justification, interpretation, or perspective.
- Whether the case supports or challenges a claim from Lesson 1.
Case Study Options
Banksy’s “Girl with Balloon” – Shredded at Auction
- Focus: How institutional framing and market value influence artistic legitimacy.
- Key Question: Does commercial recognition justify calling something “art”?
- TOK Concepts: Justification, Interpretation, Perspective
- Suggested Sources: BBC – Banksy artwork self-destructs at auction, The Art Newspaper – Was the shredded Banksy a staged performance?
5Pointz NYC Graffiti Site – Erased by Developers
- Focus: The erasure of cultural landmarks and community art spaces in urban redevelopment.
- Key Question: Who decides which public artworks are preserved — and why?
- TOK Concepts: Perspective, Justification, Interpretation
- Suggested Source: The Guardian – 5Pointz Graffiti Landmark Battle
Shepard Fairey’s “Hope” Poster – Political Art and Mass Reproduction
- Focus: The tension between political messaging, mass production, and artistic status.
- Key Question: Does a work’s political impact or popularity affect how it is interpreted as art?
- TOK Concepts: Interpretation, Justification, Perspective
- Suggested Sources: In Conversation with Shepard Fairey: The Artist & Activist Who ..., Now on View: Portrait of Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey
Local Graffiti (Student-Sourced) – Street Expression in Your City
- Focus: Everyday graffiti as political commentary, protest, or art in local communities.
- Key Question: Can local, unsanctioned art be more powerful or meaningful than curated gallery works?
- TOK Concepts: Perspective, Interpretation, Justification
- Suggested Sources: Encourage students to find examples via Instagram, Google Maps, or local blogs
- Optional tool: Graffiti Art Magazine (@graffitiartmagazine) - Instagram for international comparisons
Introduction
Recap Lesson 1: Review key claims from the Kialo discussion.
Prompt: Which claims did you find most convincing or flawed? Did any arguments rely too much on opinion without real examples?
Present the guiding question for this lesson: “How do real-world examples of street art challenge the boundaries of artistic legitimacy and reflect different perspectives?”
Emphasize applying justification, perspective, and interpretation to evaluate how art is judged and categorised by institutions, audiences, etc.
Main Activity
Bridge to Lesson 2:
Explain that students will now explore real-world artistic controversies where different perspectives shaped whether the work was legitimized, erased, celebrated, or commercialized.
Clarify the shift: This is no longer just about theory — we’re now examining specific case studies that show how public reception, legal frameworks, and cultural values shape what is accepted or rejected as “art.”
Reinforce the goal: Move from opinion to evidence. These case studies should show how knowledge in the arts is constructed, challenged, or reframed in particular social and institutional contexts.
Presentations:
Students present their case studies to the class.
Students should take note of any useful points from other groups’ presentations to use in the Kialo discussion.
Recording Findings in a Kialo Discussion:
Students return to the Kialo discussion from Lesson 1 and:
- Add at least one new claim or counterclaim based on their case study.
- Reply to at least one peer’s argument, using insights from another group’s case.
- Label their post with the relevant TOK concept (e.g., perspective – public vs artist, justification – market value, interpretation – political symbolism).
Focus areas for Kialo updates:
- Cultural Gatekeeping: Who decides which street art is preserved, erased, or commodified — and which is ignored or criminalized?
- Interpretive Authority: How does context or audience shape the meaning of a piece of street art?
- Knowledge Inequality: Are all artistic voices and expressions (especially those from marginalized communities) treated equally by institutions or the media?
Reflection Activity
Discuss the following reflection questions in open discussion or exit ticket format:
- How did your case study affect your understanding of who gets to define and preserve art in public spaces?
- What made certain examples feel more like suppression or erasure — versus celebration or empowerment?
- In your case, who had the most control over the artistic narrative — governments, institutions, artists, or communities?
- Can efforts to include marginalized artistic voices ever be truly equal when power and access to platforms remain uneven?
- What role should visibility, credibility, and consent play in deciding how street art is displayed, removed, or commercialized?
- Should all public uses of artistic expression (e.g., galleries, public walls, museums, brand collaborations) require consultation with the communities they represent — or are there exceptions?
