Today, I happened upon this image of Afrika Bambaataa and I
felt that I had to share because I think that it is a perfect illustration of identity. When I look at this picture, I see that the graffiti
is illuminated and the figure of Afrika Bambaataa and his devices are shadowed
and darkened, leaving just the profile of the figure to be seen by the viewer.
To me, this picture represents the struggle of identity and
fame within the culture of Hip Hop. I
feel that the artist has an identity before becoming well-known to the public;
yet once their name and beliefs become illuminated (as the graffiti on the wall
has been) to the public, the figure and the identity of the artist fades (as Bambaataa’s has
in this image) and becomes the identity of the everyday youth in search of their own.
Let me know what you think.
The black & white definitely symbolizes something, but the fact that he and the tables are showing symbolizes that that is what is most important in the picture.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the black & white of the graffiti symbolizes how the art is seen by those inhabiting the neighborhood. Maybe their "jungle" is black & white (not actually because forests are usually green), but that is all that one knows as a patron of that community. On that search for the way out it could still be black and white. I like the picture.