# Urban cultural movements that was unique in a particular city during a certain era



## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

I find it interesting that various urban cultural movements happens in a city during a certain era and is usually confined to that city or it's neighboring regions. 

That is before it has spread in other cities in any country around the globe.

One example with be the *hip-hop and graffiti movement* that was unique to New York especially back in the 1970s - early 1980s.























































Today, it has spread to other parts of the globe.


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## lawine (Jul 24, 2006)

I'm pretty sure it wasn't unique to NYC; or at least, the graffiti movement part wasn't. Graffiti culture was pretty global even in the early 80's. It flourished here in Amsterdam for instance.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

lawine said:


> I'm pretty sure it wasn't unique to NYC; or at least, the graffiti movement part wasn't. Graffiti culture was pretty global even in the early 80's. It flourished here in Amsterdam for instance.


I'm talking about *letter based hip-hop graffiti* that is seen on subway trains and walls.

But NY's graf scene predates that of Amsterdam. In fact it was NY graffiti writers that introduced the scene there and perhaps in all of Europe as well as Dutch art exhibitionists who visited New York and saw the scene.


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

Oh brother, here we go. These things are very hard to prove. Culture is very transient and tends to sprout in numerous places all at the same time. The influences for these things also tend to be global in nature. We don't live in a bubble.

Voguing came from New York, but beyond that....


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

Punk UK 1980s

















Early parkour, Germany 1930s






Shanghai pajama brigade, early noughties

















London Romos late 70s-early 80s

















Cosplay Japan 1990s, birth of the hipster


































Tokyo Rockabilly, 1980s


























New York disco 1970s

















Urban golfers, Berlin late 90s


















Ganguro, Japan, mid noughties


















Acid House and ravers, UK late 1980s




































Nu-rave, London mid-noughties


































Beijing Punk, late 90s, early noughties


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## SE9 (Apr 26, 2005)

The *Swinging London* era in the 1960s...











*Fashion/cultural influence:*

- The creation and height of Mod culture. 

- Modern fashion innovations such as the Mini-Skirt.

- The use of the Union Flag in fashion and design.


*Music influence:* 

- London based artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream and Pink Floyd.

- The "British Invasion" spreading these cultural traits overseas.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

Mods


















versus

Rockers




















Brighton, UK 1960s


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## SE9 (Apr 26, 2005)

*Dubstep* - London - late 90s onwards

For many years during the 00's decade, Dubstep was only made, played and raved-to in underground circles in London. No expectations of it breaking-out or reaching worldwide consciousness.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Graffiti is not an urban movement, is a crime, a urban cancer that spread from some places of origination to trash cities worldwide. So I don't dare compare graffiti as any more artistic than I'd never dare say armed robbery is a movement against capitalism, for instance. It belongs to a whole different category (police pages) than other movements cited here.


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## CNB30 (Jun 4, 2012)

^^ grafiti is a form of art that adds life to a city. If we did all we could to ban it, I think cities would look much more boring.

May i ask your opinion of murals though?


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

CNB30 said:


> ^^ grafiti is a form of art that adds life to a city. If we did all we could to ban it, I think cities would look much more boring.


May i ask your opinion of murals though?[/QUOTE]

I answer with a two-fold answer.

First and foremost it comes down to what the _owner_ (an ownernship title being the instrumental variable here) thinks. If an owner wants to hire someone to paint something there, and regulations allow, then go for it. If not, graffiti is a crime of vandalism like smashing windows, scratching cars etc, and should be punished as such. People who don't own a buiding don't have a right to modify its physical characteristics. On the other hand, crime never adds life to a city.

As an aesthetic opinion, I hold murals and the likes, painted with full consent of the building's owner, on the same category I hold Lady Gaga's music or Paris Hilton as actress: cultural trash that I dislike and loath, but that I respect as the free speech right manifestation of someone else's artistic preferences. I actually dislike 99% of what people normally label as an 'urban' form of art, I like cities neat, spotless, absolutely clean - if possible as much as a hospital ward - as much as possible.


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## weava (Sep 8, 2007)

CNB30 said:


> ^^ grafiti is a form of art that adds life to a city. If we did all we could to ban it, I think cities would look much more boring.
> 
> May i ask your opinion of murals though?


I don't know of any graffiti within 5 miles of my house. Graffiti is a crime and usually indicates gang activity and drug sales. Not interested in that sort of "life" being added to where I live.


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