Saving New York

         Graffiti in New York City is a fine art form. Gone are the days of simple name tags; New York graffiti artists now take to the streets to raise their voices about whatever matters to them— each blank wall is a new platform to incite discussion about socio political matters, current events, and the like. New York City is filled with incredible examples of the intersection between religion and culture, and many graffiti artists utilize their skills to create loud art that provokes thought and discussion.

          I was wandering around Brooklyn with my friend Milo looking for interesting things that he could photograph (he’s a photographer.) We came across this fully tagged wall and the thing that stood out most to be was the phrase, in large, white, capital block letters: “Y’ALL F****** NEED JESUS.” This phrase is actually pretty popular in contemporary pop culture, and I hesitated choosing this as my artifact due to the vulgarity. However, I strongly believe that this is a raw representation of the manifestation of a new counterculture produced from street culture and religion. Graffiti artists are unfiltered and uncensored vigilantes and voices of the people, and even simple works like these can be unpacked to discover deep symbolic meaning. 

         Street art in New York is ever-changing. The constant evolution of murals, name tags, and other graffiti parallels the ever-evolving nature of one's relationship with God, and in today’s political culture and seemingly heartless world, many individuals turn to religion for comfort and hope. The simple statement that the world today “needs Jesus” represents the prevalent existence of Christianity and religion in general in contemporary society. This graffiti artist could use his or her voice to say anything, yet they created an artifact representing the people, the aching members of the community yearning to be saved. 

         The phrase “y’all f****** need Jesus” is typically said to or about someone who  regularly engages in “sinful” activities. Drugs, drinking, hateful actions, and even murder have a strong presence in today’s media and communities across the world, especially in America and even in New York.  Regardless of the intended recipient of the phrase, the bold statement catches the eye of anyone that passes, and because of the colloquial nature of the phrase, can perhaps remind everyone (regardless of religious affiliation) to be a little more kind as they go about their day. In addition, the location of this piece as part of a large group of graffiti represents the pluralistic nature of America itself. Christianity now finds itself situated among masses of beliefs, spiritualities, and religions, yet it holds steadfast to its ideals while changing--much like the Constitution-- to adapt to its practitioners. 

        Street art in New York is ever-changing. The constant evolution of murals, name tags, and other graffiti parallels the ever-evolving nature of one's relationship with God, and in today’s political culture and seemingly heartless world, many individuals turn to religion for comfort and hope. The simple statement that the world today “needs Jesus” represents the prevalent existence of Christianity and religion in general in contemporary society, while the casual, vulgar diction displays the edgier counter culture of the youth. Our generation does a lot of things that would be unspeakable in our parents time, and this pairing of a curse word with Jesus' name is the artist's effort to represent the new ways we approach religion. This graffiti artist could use his or her voice to say anything, yet they created an artifact representing the people, the aching members of the community that share a new identity in a new world, and a timeless yearning to be saved.