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Nathan Seidenberg
Dr. Preston
AP English P.4
What are the Qualities of Non-Mainstream Art
That Fail to Resonate with a Wide Audience?
When I think of non-mainstream art, I think of graffiti, tattoos, and my favorite music Indie Rock and Underground Hip-Hop. I wonder if the quality of non-mainstream art that keeps it from becoming mainstream is lack of exposure or is it is too extreme in some respect. In the case of graffiti and tattoos, it is the canvas itself that is too extreme be mainstream. In the case of Indie and Underground Hip-Hop, it is to some degree exposure, but most importantly it is just too intense and real for the general public to appreciate.
Today, graffiti is thought of as unsolicited spraying of paint in a public place, it is considered an act of rebellion and not always art, but the origins of graffiti go back to the beginnings of human society. Graffiti has been found on ancient Egyptian monuments, and was preserved on walls in Pompeii
In the 1960’s, graffiti resurfaced as “tagging” in the New York
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artists started painting subway trains; thus the name, subway art. The high visibility of the train and the potential audience encouraged more artists to participate in this new form of art. Despite New York City
In the past, those that were tattooed were gang members, rock n' rollers, or others going through rough times perhaps feeling a need to fit in such as sailors or soldiers. This gave people with tattoos the image of being rough or rebellious. In the 1960’s body decorating with Japanese tattoos became popular but only in certain subcultures. Anyone who sees these intricate designs could not deny they were art but the canvas of the human body would always prevent them from being mainstream. Today the small inconspicuous tattoo is actually more common than you would think for both men and women, but it is hard to believe it would ever be a mainstream art form, inking ones body is too extreme.
So what about non-mainstream music as an art form? Two forms of related music come to mind as non-mainstream, Indie rock and Underground Hip-Hop. Indie (independent) rock is a genre that originated in the United Kingdom United States
To become mainstream and appeal to a wider audience does Indie and underground Hip-Hop need to be “watered down” with a repetitive catchy verse? These musicians write with more passion than most do, influenced not by a label, but they pull everything from their lives. They write about their honest dreams and hopes, instead of writing about something a big label has
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told them to write about. They have a sense of respect for their music, and are not interested in financially capitalizing off it. They just want their music and lyrics to influence others the way that their life experiences have influenced them. Although it is not mainstream fame, Indie and underground musicians become famous not because a label had a deal with a radio station, but because their music is truly appreciated.
It is not unexpected to conclude that the qualities of non-mainstream art that fail to resonate with a wide audience are not their lack of exposure but their extremism. In the case of Indie and Underground Hip-Hop, it is that they are extremely honest and might be uncomfortable for mainstream listening.
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Works Cited
George, Nelson. Hip Hop America London
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_music
Wickipedia, the free encyclopedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_music
Enjoy Indie. 26 Jan. 2012 http://enjoyindie.com/?p=2834
Art Crimes. 28 Jan. 2012 http://www.graffiti.org/
Dictionary.com. 28 Jan. 2012 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Graffiti
Buzzle.com. 28 Jan. 2012 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/japanese-tattoos-and-their-meanings.html
Knocksteady.com. 28 Jan. 2012 http://www.knocksteady.com/
Underground Art. 28 Jan. 2012 http://makingmommaproud.com/
Copious Magazine. 28 Jan. 2012 http://copiousmagazine.com/08_summer/
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