Graphis 162 — Painted Walls
PAINTED WALLS
Before “public art” was a category, artists started using the city itself. Not galleries, not institutions—just walls. Big ones. Visible ones.
What stands out here is the intent. These weren’t decorations. They were direct. Scale used to be seen. Color used to interrupt. The building wasn’t a backdrop anymore—it was the work.
The article lands in that late ’60s to ’70s moment, especially in New York, where artists moved out into the street and started painting directly onto the sides of buildings. Sometimes commissioned, often not. It didn’t feel like permission—it felt like action.
Looking at it now, it’s clear how much changed. Art didn’t ask to be visited. It showed up where people already were.
Once that happens, a wall doesn’t go back to being just a wall.