Graffiti
I.
What does it mean graffiti?
When most people think of
graffiti, they imagine "tags," or a stylized writing of a person's
name. While tags are probably the most popular forms, graffiti art is much more
than that. It can mean a colorful mural with a message of diversity or a black
and white stencil piece protesting police brutality. In each case, graffiti art
makes a statement.
In our modern world of speed
and technology, an art can be any object - even an ordinary comb. That is why
graffiti is becoming more and more popular nowadays. Art refers to anything
that is made by someone who is considered to be an artist; however the meaning
of art continues to be argued. People still debate about what is the graffiti:
art or vandalism.
Graffiti means writings or drawings that have been
scribbled, scratched, or sprayed on a wall or other surface, often in a public
place. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings.
And now some words about the history of graffiti. Graffiti have existed since
ancient times, with examples dating back to prehistoric cave painting on the
territories of Ancient Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, and the states of South
America. For example, wall paintings were found in the catacombs of Rome and at
Pompeii. These images help us to understand better ancient civilizations.
Graffiti is not a new
word in our world. Graffiti is the plural form of the Italian word graffito.
It is pronounced in the Italian way with the stress on the last syllable but
one. The word graffiti means drawings or words scratched or painted on a hard
surface especially on a wall.
There are various forms of
graffiti. One of the simplest forms is that of individual markings such as
slogans, slurs, or political statements. Examples of this type of graffiti
commonly are found in bathrooms or on exterior surfaces, and this graffiti is
usually handwritten. Another simple form is that of the tag which is a fancy,
scribble-like writing of one's name or nick-name. That is, tag signifies one's
name or nick-name.
There are lots of kinds
of the graffiti art. I would like to tell you about seven the most creative
directions. Firstly, it is a Throw up style. The aim of it consists of the
transforming ordinary colored lines into letters. Usually, authors sign with
the capital letter and an exclamation point. Second one is going to be the
Bubble style. There are lots of opportunities to draw with the bubbled letters.
There is the Blockbuster style. It is a kind of the art where you have to draw
in 3D. The fourth style is named like dynamic style. It was popular in the
middle of the 80s in the USA. It was important to show sketches in a movement.
The fifth style is called like a Wild style. The style has not got any frames.
There is a free lance of the ideas. The next one is quite modern style and it
is named the Computer Roc style. The idea of it is really good. You have to
draw each letter on the separate level and even overlapping others. And the
last one is the Character style where the graffitist mostly draws well-known
characters of the comic books. To be honest I would like to say that the real graffitist
always mixes kinds of the graffiti and there are certainly more than 7 styles
of it.
The origins of graffiti go back
to the beginnings of human, societal living. Graffiti has been found on
uncovered, ancient, Egyptian monuments, and graffiti even was preserved on
walls in Pompeii. Graffiti is the plural form of the Italian word grafficar. In
plural, grafficar signifies drawings, markings, patterns, scribbles, or
messages that are painted, written, or carved on a wall or surface. Grafficar
also signifies "to scratch" in reference to different wall writings
ranging from "cave paintings", bathroom scribbles, or any message
that is scratched on walls. In reference to present day graffiti, the
definition is qualified by adding that graffiti is also any unsolicited marking
on a private or public property that is usually considered to be vandalism.
Graffiti did not die with
ancient civilizations but have survived and live on in the modern world. During
World War II and for decades after it, the phrase “Kilroy was here” was
widespread around the world. (“Kilroy was here” is an American popular culture
expression, often seen in graffiti. Its origin is debated. This phrase - and a
funny-looking bald-headed man with a prominent nose climbing over a wall - was
widely known among the U. S. residents who lived during World War II.
Graffiti writing is
called tagging today. It was popular among Soviet soldiers. They left their
names on the walls of the Reichstag. Lord Byron also left his name on the walls
of the Castle of Chillon. These were memorial graffiti.
During the students’
protest of 1968 in Paris there appeared a lot of revolutionary slogans on the
walls. People considered them as an act of vandalism.
Some researchers link the
revival of graffiti in the USA with name of Taki 183. He was a messenger who
lived and worked in New York City in the 1970s. While moving across the city,
he left his nickname on the walls of buildings. He wrote his name and the
number of the street he lived in. On July 21, 1971 The New York Times
published an article under the heading “Taki 183”
Spawns Pen Pals, which meant that the number of his followers was growing.
Very soon hundreds of teenagers began to write their names on New York walls.
It is interesting to note
that The Encyclopedia Britannica (1975) does not mention graffiti as a
social phenomenon or an art style. But graffiti continued to spread the world
over and have developed into a pop culture often related to hip hop music and
street gangs. In my opinion, it became a sort of mural painting. (mural means
wall painting).It did not take long for graffiti artists to gain popularity,
and two Americans (Lee Quinones and Fab 5 Freddy) were given a gallery opening
in Rome in 1979.
Many graffiti artists
began to work for commercial firms. For example, graffiti on buses and trolley
buses are advertisements.
III.
Who does the graffiti Art?
People do graffiti for many reasons. Graffiti markings have been around since
the beginning of time, remnant of early graffiti can be seen in caves all over
the world. It represents a human desire and need for communication, and in some
cases the simple display of existence. A tag or a mural for graffiti artists is
an advertisement for an individual--the goal is to get your name known. You
have to have a marketing strategy, what will be the most effective way of
getting your name (product) well known, everywhere! Sound familiar? Well it
should, because that is exactly what all of us are doing on twitter every day,
facebook or any other medium that we use to promote ourselves, our business
etc. Companies with money use billboards and TV ads, people with less or no
money in the 70's, 80's, and 90's used a marker.
I will talk about 3 individuals that brought street art to the
mainstream.
Taki 183
What better place to start than Taki 183, who some call the
godfather of modern graffiti. TAKI 183 is one of the most influential graffiti
writers. His "tag" was short for Demetaki, a Greek alternative for
his birth-name Demetrius, and the number 183 came from his address on 183rd
Street in Washington Heights. He worked as a foot messenger in New York City
and would write his nickname around the New York streets that he frequented
during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Zephyr
Andrew Zephyr Witten is a graffiti artist, lecturer and author
from New York City. He began creating graffiti in 1975 and first signed using
the name "Zephyr" in 1977. He has been identified as a graffiti
"elder", who along with Futura 2000, Blade, PHASE 2, Lady Pink and
TAKI 183 invented styles and standards "that continue to be used and
expanded upon today". His works can be seen in the Hip-hop culture
documentary Style Wars and he was featured as himself in the
landmark hip-hop motion picture Wild Style.
Banksy
Banksy is the name of a
graffiti artist from Britain. Nobody knows his real name and few people have
seen him. He has become famous for his street art, which has appeared in London and
other cities around the world. He has stay unknown because graffiti is illegal.
Nobody has caught him yet. One of the
most famous graffiti artists, Banksy, has had his work shown in galleries such
as Sotheby's in London. Despite his anonymity, the British artist has gained
tremendous popularity. Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have
purchased his work for a hefty price.
What
is Graffiti Vandalism?
The question “When does graffiti
become art?” is meaningless. Graffiti is always vandalism. By definition it is
committed without permission on another person's property, in an adolescent
display of entitlement. Whether particular viewers find any given piece of
graffiti artistically compelling is irrelevant. Graffiti’s most salient
characteristic is that it is a crime.
Graffiti vandalism is figures, letters, drawings or
stickers applied, scribbled, scratched, etched, sprayed or attached on or to
the surface of any premises, structure, or other property. Graffiti vandalism
is a crime and carries serious consequences. There are many different types of
graffiti vandalism.
Less than one per cent of graffiti in Calgary is gang related.
The most common type of graffiti vandalism is the Hip Hop graffiti which
consists of hand scribbles, bubble type lettering or complex works.
Communicative graffiti vandalism is about conveying a message, usually about
political views.
How does graffiti vandalism affect
individuals
Graffiti vandalism is more than just words or symbols
sprayed. Graffiti without permission is an act of vandalism that costs millions
of dollars to remove, or cover, every year. Every dollar spent on graffiti
vandalism removal is a dollar that could be used on other badly needed
programs.
If not immediately removed, graffiti vandalism sends
out a message that "nobody cares" about the area. It also causes the
area to look unsafe and makes people concerned about their personal safety.
This creates an open invitation for more littering, loitering and other
graffiti. It may also lead to an increase in other crimes and/or acts of violence.
Areas filled with graffiti vandalism are less
appealing to those who may be looking to buy or rent property. Houses becomes
more difficult to sell and values are reduced.
Why do people do graffiti vandalism?
Graffiti vandalism research shows that it is about the
vandal's ego. It has very little to do with creating and more to do with
individual recognition. The vandals are attempting to create a recognizable
name for themselves within their subculture and demonstrate just how risky
their acts are.
T.A.G.
Everyone can participate in graffiti eradication. There
is an organization which is considered to make a graffiti cleanup. T.A.G. or
TOWNS AGAINST GRAFFITI is a landmark cooperative program formed through a
public partnership between States. This program has been made possible by the
dedication and cooperation of the governing bodies of all the participating
towns. T.A.G. believes that its three pronged approach like criminal
enforcement, graffiti legislation, community awareness and involvement will
make sure that T.A.G. includes a litter clean up program. Using non-violent
offenders from the corrections system, T.A.G. cleans up large public areas and
major highway.
There
is graffiti in almost every city in the world. A lot of people look at graffiti and think
of it as being harmless and it doesn’t hurt anybody. And some of it is kind of
fun to look at, for sure. But from the viewpoint of the property owner, it’s a
nuisance. Graffiti art is
many things: A statement. Self-expression but also vandalism. Cultural, but a
pain for those who have to clean it from their property. Thought-provoking, but
also annoying. Complex, but simple. Misunderstood, and a crime.
It is these
contradictions that draw people’s attention to graffiti, even while knowing
that the conventions it breaks sometimes include the law.Can we do graffiti
where we want these days? Not exactly. It is illegal to draw on somebody’s property
so make sure you find a legal wall.
From
my point of view, graffiti is a form of expression, and artists should be free
to make their thoughts and beliefs public. Serving as a way to avoid violence,
graffiti is an outlet for many to express their feelings. Making street art
illegal limits the freedom of artists to create influential masterpieces.
Graffiti artists create influential masterpieces. Graffiti artists create works
that reflect struggles and at many times display political and social messages.
But the
question is did graffiti become art? I think that graffiti is art or an art
style at least, a form of self-expression, communication or protest, often
anonymous but always public.
Like all other artistic
forms, graffiti has experienced movements or changes in style. From the first
tag scribbled on a subway train to the large, complex mural on a billboard, the
movement has experienced change. The tools and the means have changed as well.
Markers were traded in for spray paint, and stencils and stickers were
introduced to make pieces easier to execute in a hurry.
The messages have also
evolved. Graffiti has always been somewhat political, but it has come a long
way from simply tagging one's name to parodying world leaders to make a
statement.
This is further proof
that graffiti is a form of art and not just a result of random acts of
vandalism. The graffiti community moves in different directions and the
resultant artwork moves with it.
V.
Practical part
of report
A.
It was for me interesting to study how the
things are in our town. And it was consciously to me to learn that the School
of Arts in our town is also keen on graffiti as Art.
I asked the principal of this school to help
me in my survey. So I interviewed 2teachers of this school. The question was: “Is Banksy's work vandalism?How do you feel about his works?” I have put their answers in the table.
Positive attitude
|
Negative attitude
|
Of course its not vandalism! Every building that Banksy chooses to put his art on
instantly becomes famous. That building will get more recognition then it
would have ever gotten before. His/her art is not obnoxious, it's simple.
Banksy isn't just any other person doing graffiti, he/she has books and
galleries. Ask any building owner if they mind that Banksy chose them to put
his/her art on and I guarantee they wouldn't mind.
Graffiti
is a way for people to express their right of freedom and the first
amendment. Graffiti is like the art in a museum only you don't have to pay to
see it, you can drive by the side of the road and see some marvelous art work
on your way to work.
|
Yes, Banksy's work is vandalism to begin with
Banksy’s work is pure
vandalism since it is direct violation of personal property. Work done by
Bansky is not only vandalism in the sense of intellectual property rights but
it also is responsible for making people follow the trend and try to deface
the art which in turn is vandalism in it's own self. Graffiti is not an art. The definition of art
is: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation.
Does it take skill to take a bunch of paint
and throw it on a wall? Graffiti is a crime, not an art. Graffiti is done by
people who want to cause trouble.
|
Thanks for their answers. Each of them has
a point which is important to vote for and to prove opinion. According to the
table I can say that graffiti is an art when
it is used in the correct areas. When there is a building with just one name
and it is vandalism.
But overall Graffiti can be a beautiful thing,
which also is a good way for one to express them, to feel free.
B.
In the second part of my practical
work I made some surveys among my classmates.
The
question was «Do you know what a green graffiti is ? ». Out of fifteen
people who I asked seven said that they knew, two of them guessed and six
confessed they did not know what a green graffiti is.
The right answer was: “Green graffiti are masterpieces
crafted in moss and grass”. The
results I got from my servey show that the number in the field of graffiti are
50 to 50.
To conclude, I strongly believe that graffiti is
developing more and more as Art.
Graffiti have traveled a long way from prehistoric
cave paintings to rude, offensive or memorial lettering which is known today as
tagging and a complex pop culture which has a strong influence on design,
illustration, advertising and the political life. Graffiti is changing form a bad omens to pieces of
art. The cons of graffiti have held it back but with proper use graffiti can be
beautiful. However if people continue to spray graffiti on other people’s
property, graffiti’s image will stay negative in some people’s views. Raising
awareness of the true form of graffiti is vital in improving graffiti’s image.
Jackson Pollock once said: “Painting is a self-discovery. Every good artist
paints what he is.” And, it is true.
During my work on this report I have known a lot of
interesting facts about graffiti. I had an opportunity to admire with
masterpieces of the graffiti. The world is a canvas for graffiti artists, and
they should feel free to cover it as they please.
Literature
1.
http://www.graffiti.org
2. http://www.martinezgallery.com
3. Castleman, Craig. Getting
Up. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1982.
4. Cooper, M. and Chalfant,
H. Subway Art. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1984, pg. 32.
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti
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