Graffiti/underground art and Propaganda

Sometimes I often wonder if like in other continents graffiti art could serve a purpose in steering people to revolution against tyrannical governments as we often find in Africa.
Graffiti art besides being an eyesore in a few cases could quite easily also translate to being a potent source of communication to the masses. It does not require purchase, it only needs an individual to focus or stare, consciously or otherwise. This simple trick has been used the world over for commercial purposes in the form of outdoor billboard advertising, why then can it not be used to further more worthy causes. I may be wrong but I’ve not come across anywhere in Africa where this method is currently being or has been used to educate, inform and organise the masses to stand up for their rights. Another brilliant point about graffiti propaganda could also be its one-to-many nature which communicates not only to the oppressed but also the oppressor. My most recent foray into the field of graffiti propaganda has led me to the works of Shepard Fairey who with his art contributed immensely to the election of one Barack Obama as the first ever Black US president, interesting. I hope in the coming months to share with you more…