UP for Debate Archives

Through the Looking Glass of Public Health

The hospital and the art institution meet in an uneasy space between public promise and private reality. Both claim some relationship to the collective good, the difference is that access to healthcare is a matter of necessity, while access to art is more often treated as a matter of choice. Yet who is able to participate in either system is not so different.

Becoming the Onnagata As the Gender Bending Icon and Hybrid Beauty Countering Racialization

I exhibited paintings and photographs depicting myself as an onnagata, a Northeast Asian beauty, and tiger simultaneously in my solo exhibition titled, “The Expression of Onnagata,” at One Art Space in Tribeca. I suspect that the viewers may have had more questions than I could answer, but my initial response would be to argue that the spirit of the exhibition was about breaking norms and crossing boundaries. I felt that it made sense for me to wear a Japanese kimono and makeup because I had studied the onnagata, and they were my main models for emulation in my art.

Graffiti and Street Art as Creative Therapy: Transforming Walls and Souls

Graffiti and street art aren’t just rebellious expressions—they’re powerful tools for emotional healing and self-discovery. By transforming urban spaces and offering a creative outlet, these art forms provide a therapeutic escape that helps individuals release emotions, find authenticity, and build community.

Cultural Tension: The Complex Relationship Between Graffiti and Society in Japan

Japan’s graffiti scene faces strict laws and cultural barriers, yet artists persist through hidden works and legal murals, contributing to a small but growing urban art community.

The Future of Graffiti and A PTE

Deputy Editor Lonnie Richard’s predictions on the future of graffiti culture.

Street Art in the Metaverse: Is it Really Street Art?

There’s not a lot of neutrality online. But whatever our feelings, we ARE moving toward more digitized worlds. So, let’s talk about how, or if, street art fits here.

UP For Debate: Artist Gregory de la Haba Agitates the Street

De la Haba shared an Instagram post on October 24th, 2023 featuring a new artwork that collages and composites six doors and entrance ways that still exist in some form around the five boroughs, all covered with years of tags, stickers, graffiti and other street detritus. As of this writing, the post has 109 comments, many of them from street artists-some quite salty, some pleasantly titillated. The debate concerns de la Haba creating a massive hi-res photographic print that blends and remixes 14 years of his own photographs of these various doors, some more iconic than others, like the door to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s famed studio at 57 Great Jones Street in Manhattan, where he died. Inciting further ire from several street artists whose work can be seen in the photo collage, is the fact that the large-scale print is actually indoors.

RSVP: Exploring Terms of Entry

Vittoria hardly even goes to the grocery store, that’s how much she hates waiting in line. RSVP-ing for an art show seemed out of the question. However, as street art continues to break into the mainstream, some curators have sought new methods to account for the crowds. Vittoria spoke with a few curators to discuss how they determine terms of entry.