his graffiti art is about ideas: satirical social commentary, particularly critical of power and oppression, hypocrisy and greed, mili- tarism and police brutality, and the cozy re- lationship between capitalism and fascism. Every piece is an opportunity to have a con- versation. Similarly, every painted wall we come across in our own neighbourhood an invitation to learn and to reflect.


ENTER KIMBERLÉ CRENSHAW


Clara and Kaya, two Grade 8 students in my media studies class, are making a documen- tary on the topic of intersectionality. Kim- berlé Crenshaw coined the word as a way to describe the compounding nature of race, class and gender inequities, among other fac- tors. Clara has decided that Crenshaw must be on the wall and begins to make her stencil. Our graffiti hallway is slowly evolving,


showcasing a wider and wider range of per- sonalities. Students have interviewed Chan- dra Talpade Mohanty, a professor of women’s and gender studies, sociology and cultural foundation of education at Syracuse Uni- versity, who prompts them to think of in- tersectionality as the opposite of singularity. “Intersectionality is so important,” she tells them, “because it draws our attention to the fact that a single story or a single narrative is always very limited.” We use this idea to ask, “who is on the


my plans. I have to consult with my students. “Is our hallway of heroes fundamentally


flawed?” I ask, a trickle of sweat running down my brow. We’re waist-deep in this proj- ect. Ivy in Grade 8 pauses for a second or two and then responds. “Te idea of heroes cre- ates a culture where people think someone else will do all of the work; but finding in- spiration within yourself is really important. In reality, everyone has to do it.” Perhaps a stencil of Ivy should go up on the wall with this good idea. Te conversation turns to the importance


of putting a QR code next to the stencil. Ruthie observes that “all of the people in our graffiti alley had good ideas. Tat’s where all of their activism came from.” Te conversa- tion around the room is animated and we’re just about to wrap up for lunch when Xavier slips in a final word. “We should’ve made the


24 ETFO VOICE | WINTER 2024


QR code bigger than the person!” It dawns on me that if we’re going to focus on ideas, it’s time to introduce Banksy.


LOVE IS IN THE BIN


We are watching a video of the 2018 auction of Girl with Balloon, a piece of graffiti art by the anonymous artist Banksy. As the gavel falls for a bid equivalent to $1.4 million Ca- nadian, those in attendance at Sotheby’s auc- tion house in London turn in shock as they suddenly see the art feed through a shred- der hidden within the bottom of the frame. It jams halfway through its descent, leaving tentacles of Girl with Balloon trailing below the frame. Te piece is renamed Love is in the Bin and is resold three years later for 18.5 million British pounds (about $32 million). Let me be the first to say that I’m no ex- pert on Banksy. But what I do know is that


wall?” and, just as importantly, “who isn’t?” Who gets sanctioned, like Zamora’s mural near the school, and who doesn’t? As they choose the subject of their stencil, some are surprised by who has been missed. “I can’t believe Coretta Scott King isn’t in our hall- way yet!” “Where are the young activists?” “Where are our transcestors?” Clearly, we have work to do.


“GET IN GOOD TROUBLE, NECESSARY TROUBLE”


I’m reminded of these words from John Lew- is, a civil rights activist and longtime politi- cian from the United States, when I think about graffiti and the law. Students know that it’s an offence to spray-paint on public and private property. As criminal lawyer Mark Zinck writes on his website, “It doesn’t mat- ter if it is an old dumpster at the bottom of a dark lane, or the front doors of Toronto City Hall, if the police catch you tagging, they will charge you with mischief.” So, do my students think I’m encouraging


them to break the law? “No,” rings out quickly across the room. “It’s our wall and we had permission.”


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