"With the Camera as our Rifle"

These are two photos I took this summer on London's Southbank. The images were part of the Tate Modern's "Street Art" exhibition, and were literally placed on the facade of the building facing the city. Reading Solanas and Getino's article, and in particular the section that begins "In this long war, with the camera as our rifle, we do in fact move into a guerilla activity" (72), these photos came straight to my mind. 

Of course when I saw the image itself in July I did not make this association. Today, however, it brings various relevant thoughts to the forefront of what we are studying. Firstly, what are the implications of this image being placed in such an incredibly public place? It's really quite controversial when you consider it, especially as the image intends for viewers to assume the black man is holding a gun. His aggression is clear, with his head cocked at an angle and his eyes peering at us. Again though, as the exhibition itself was titled "Street Art", what are curators implying about the street itself?

 Like Third Cinema, it seems, part of the value of this art lies in its ability to encompass various struggles. The implied struggles here are racial, domestic, political, social, and more. This image communicates to the masses an open-ended history as well as a future (Gabriel 64).  The artist is perhaps using the space to, as Solanas and Getino suggest, "reach...larger social layers" (68).  The art doesn't make viewers 'feel good' or reassure them; it's not created based on a series of aesthetic standards (well, not really). Instead, it confronts viewers and challenges norms (as far as the artistic expectations of many Tate Modern visitors go).