Середньовічні витоки стріт-арту

Abstract

The article deals with "street art" as a kind of urban culture, outrageous self-expression of urban youth. Its study is condensed mainly on modern modifications of phenomena such as graffiti, video projection, art intervention, flash mob and more. But the historical forms of this phenomenon, whose roots go back to cave times, are much more diverse and unexpected. The ancient street art is pretty well known to us, however the medieval street art, even the closest ‒ European, scientists were much less interested. However, the Soviet-era disregard for the experience of the Middle Ages, which was one of the most important links in the progress of our culture, is deeply flawed. The aim of this study is a scientific description of the street art of medieval Europe, its structure, spiritual orientation, genre originality and potential for further development. The article gives a detailed analysis of the theoretical projection of the problem (formation of the phenomenon of "street art" on the border of folklore and experience of professional art) and the practical need to expand the concept of street art in its historical diachrony in the study and teaching of world and domestic culture. The main idea of the articles is a comparison of medieval street art with its folklore and, in part, ancient origins, as well as the establishment of points of contact with the future Proto-Renaissance world. The article emphasizes that religious-Christian consciousness prevailed in medieval Europe, and this meant a radical change in worldview. Being ceased to be perceived as an "eternal whirlpool": the eschatological concept of the Bible prompted us to realize the temporality of the material world and the need to find ways to Eternity. Thus, street art, which used to be a signification of the everyday interests of citizens, has now received the status of a "signpost to Heaven", expressing a predominantly pious spiritual search for the urban community. This can be seen even in various inscriptions, signs, craft communities, etc. At the same time, phenomena marginal to the dominant church culture, such as "carnival culture", which condensed the hedonistic motives of pagan heritage, developed certain traditions of chivalric culture and were sometimes an echo of heretical teachings, are carefully analyzed. This article reports the results of a medieval street art as a powerful component in the formation of European culture and contributed to the involvement of broad sections of uneducated citizens in the spiritual life of the era. This situation largely became the foundation of the formation of the Renaissance process. The article is of great help to a more detailed and in-depth study of this important historical and cultural phenomenon.