From Bricks to Canvas
Department
History and Political Science
Major
History
Research Advisor
Behrendt, Andrew
Advisor's Department
History and Political Science
Funding Source
Personal Resources and Advisor's Faculty Support Account
Abstract
Through my research with OURE in the 2020-2021 school year, I argued for a new form of periodization for the graffiti on the Berlin wall. The periodization I proposed was based on times when there was no graffiti, political graffiti, and when the graffiti was seemingly a chaotic mix of messages over art, politics, and personal life. This theory of periodization was based on one specific area on the Berlin wall, near the Brandenburg gate, called Potsdamer Platz. For my research, I would like to test my theory on other parts of the wall. I would like to look at more than just Potsdamer Platz to see if my theory stands for more areas, allowing for a stronger argument for it. I would also like to find more causes for the changing graffiti, while also finding more meaning behind what was put on the wall itself. Using the graffiti to strengthen my arguments, my research will delve into media studies, Germanic studies, and even German politics of the Cold War era. The OURE Fellows program will allow me to have the necessary resources to commit to this research by helping me to fund and find primary resource materials like German newspapers from the decades the wall stood. My research will use interpretations of graffiti on the Berlin wall to strengthen my earlier arguments of its periodization, while also giving a deeper insight into the thoughts and feelings of the civilians who lived near the wall and how they changed over the decades.
Biography
Ethan Prior is a Junior working on a B. A. in history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. After graduation, Ethan plans on moving forward to earning a masters and doctorate in history, with hopes on becoming a professor.
Presentation Type
OURE Fellows Proposal Oral Applicant
Document Type
Presentation
Award
2021-2022 OURE Fellows scholarship recipient
Presentation Date
29 Apr 2017, 10:15 am - 10:30 am
From Bricks to Canvas
Through my research with OURE in the 2020-2021 school year, I argued for a new form of periodization for the graffiti on the Berlin wall. The periodization I proposed was based on times when there was no graffiti, political graffiti, and when the graffiti was seemingly a chaotic mix of messages over art, politics, and personal life. This theory of periodization was based on one specific area on the Berlin wall, near the Brandenburg gate, called Potsdamer Platz. For my research, I would like to test my theory on other parts of the wall. I would like to look at more than just Potsdamer Platz to see if my theory stands for more areas, allowing for a stronger argument for it. I would also like to find more causes for the changing graffiti, while also finding more meaning behind what was put on the wall itself. Using the graffiti to strengthen my arguments, my research will delve into media studies, Germanic studies, and even German politics of the Cold War era. The OURE Fellows program will allow me to have the necessary resources to commit to this research by helping me to fund and find primary resource materials like German newspapers from the decades the wall stood. My research will use interpretations of graffiti on the Berlin wall to strengthen my earlier arguments of its periodization, while also giving a deeper insight into the thoughts and feelings of the civilians who lived near the wall and how they changed over the decades.
