Why Can´t Banksy Be a Woman?

The Gendering of Graffiti and Street Art Studies

  • Sofia Pinto Universidade Católica, Portugal
Keywords: Women, Feminism, Graffiti, Street Art, Production, Reception

Abstract

In this article, the question ‘Why Can´t Banksy Be a Woman’ is a point of departure to approach some of the pressing challenges regarding sex and gender in graffiti and street art studies, in order to contribute on the matter of the presence/absence of women graffiti and street artists in this epistemological field. To this aim, I summon feminist contributions on the invisibility of women in the established art world, namely from art historians Linda Nochlin and Griselda Pollock. I map important contributions on the question of women in graffiti, by referring to graffiti scholars Nancy MacDonald and Jessica Pábon-Cólon. As street art has been considered more gender inclusive in regards to conditions of production, I locate restrictions mainly in terms of reception. Finally, I suggest that the question of women in graffiti and street art studies is larger than sex and gender.

Published
2020-12-30
How to Cite
Pinto, S. (2020). Why Can´t Banksy Be a Woman?. SAUC - Street Art and Urban Creativity, 6(2), 6 - 11. Retrieved from https://journals.ap2.pt/index.php/sauc/article/view/234