Abstract
John Dewey’s aesthetic theory frames the critical–aesthetic role of graffiti and street art as “resisting forms.” In their dispersion and scattering on multiple surfaces, they cannot be centrally controlled. They resist the recourse to force by established powers to maintain order. The aesthetic dimension, Dewey shows, is not restricted to works of art, concentration on which impedes our recognizing art’s role in other sectors of our experience. Such a way of thinking transcends the distinction between “high” and “low” art forms and their intrinsic connection to the stratification of social and political groups. The interruptive nature of art forms to challenge perceptual and conceptual habits is exemplified in graffiti’s and street art’s power to do this with great skill and expressive richness.
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Notes
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I have treated different aspects of Dewey’s aesthetics in a number of essays and books. The most pertinent ones for present purposes are included in the reference list at the end of this chapter. I have avoided extensive citation of parallel materials and focused on Dewey’s contribution to a discussion of the central themes of this book.
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Innis, R.E. (2017). Resisting Forms: Prolegomena to an Aesthetics of Resistance. In: Awad, S., Wagoner, B. (eds) Street Art of Resistance. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63330-5_4
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