Counterculture is most likely explained through the idea of 60's hippie subculture and the rise of punk scenes throughout the 70's, but today's counterculture is hardly known.
Counterculture can be described by any subculture that rejects mainstream values or social norms.
This can rang in people's identity, to the trends around them. Counterculture has even defined today's art scene, especially in urban areas.
Through graffiti and street art, the trends today is often used as a vessel for controversial messages such as those done by street artist, Banksy.
Though this thought provoking artwork is seen across Europe, a variety of street art can be found all over the walls of downtown St. Pete.
The difference between the two is that the murals in St. Pete are legal pieces of art.
Graffiti, in its essence, is placed in public view without permission from the city or landowner of a property, but graffiti isn't restricted to being "art". Take, for instance, the use of graffiti tags.
Tags aren't limited to being the creator's name, we've all seen the "I was here" graffiti at some point in our life, in a school bathroom, in our yearbooks, and even on the street. In a sense, tags are really just a way of someone claiming a moment in time and place.
This moment doesn't have to be isolated, it can be shared. For example, the graffiti tag "Kilroy was here" became popular through the spread of it among soldiers during World War II.
Meaning a simple discovery of a graffiti tag in downtown can lead to more questions then answers. "Blob Dylan," I thought that it was funny, a play on words.
Following a couple weeks after, spotted again, Blob Dylan, I was astounded and excited. I felt special, as though I was part of an elite inner circle who were the only ones that knew of these hidden gems.
After this, I had questions.
One Google search and a dead-end Reddit thread later, I was still empty handed.
So I took my questions to Instagram.
Looking up the hashtag, #blobdylan, I was shocked to find a plethora of these street tags. Even more shocking was the fact that a majority of the tags weren't even in St. Pete, much less Florida.
Blob Dylan was everywhere, from Los Angles to New York City.
My elite circle was gone, but I was part of a larger community community now.
It's hard to say whether or not there's any meaning to this tag, making "Blob Dylan" a simple and perfect example of modern counterculture. A counterculture that has no true definition.
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