In the last few weeks, a series of art installations have popped up on a variety of walls around campus. Featuring the faces and words of prominent voices of color, the installations have helped to spark vibrant discussion via a new and exciting medium on the university's campus.
Usually reserved for neon-colored fliers and aging scraps of duct tape, some of Tufts' walls have recently be host to the likenesses of AudreLorde, James Baldwin and Pedro Albizu Campos. The origin of the installations is unknown: No one has publicly claimed ownership of the pieces, and this mystery is a part of their appeal. The organic, secretive nature of the art lends it an even greater authenticity.
The new posters have appeared in several locations around Tufts, from outside of Latin Way to the academic quad. Each has been adhered to its respective wall using a degradable sort of paste that eventually wears off and seems to cause no long-term damage to Tufts facilities. In this way, these installations differ from standard street art pieces, which generally come in the form of damaging spray paint.
In 2009, the university commissioned Shepard Fairey to install a large wheat-paste mural outside of the Mayer Campus Center. The installation coincided with the famous street artist's exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.
The new posters echo the Shepard Fairey installation in that they provide a highly-visible artistic means of inspiring conversation on campus. Yet, unlike the Shepard Fairey installation, these haven't (at least to the best of our knowledge) cost the university a dime.
Guerilla art generally carries a populist sentiment. Both the messages of each installment and the anonymity of their creator(s) serve this purpose by simply allowing Baldwin, Lorde Campos and the other social critics to speak for themselves.
Ultimately, the mystery posters have provided a visible outlet for leading voices of the often under-represented communities of color and creatively incited discussions that might have otherwise failed to occur -- all without any openly acknowledged source.
The installments' anonymous origin might be their most compelling feature. Not knowing the creator allows the art to communicate for itself, instead of being complicated by the additional connotations a student group or individual might attach to the installations. The lack of a physical face associated with the project makes the faces of the papered figures more powerful and their word more potent. The art installments are an excellent example of street art executed with passion, intellect and integrity. They've facilitated dialogue, without causing any damage to Tufts buildings. The intellectual life of Tufts students emerges in the classroom, and now, on the walls of the university.
