Case Study: What is Graffiti? Can it be a Cultural Enterprise?

Graffiti as a cultural enterprise

This case study involves looking at graffiti specifically in the Chippendale area. It will follow how it emerged and how it is viewed not only by the artist and the individual but also the wider community. The paper will follow the transition from defacement or vandalism to what is culturally determined as urban art and what underlying social, political and cultural message are revealed.

Simply, graffiti is the illicit scribbling, scratching or spraying of public property in a public place to convey a message. The history of graffiti can be traced back to Pompeii where… and has occurred in varying forms since then.

However, the emergence of modern graffiti can be linked to the advent of the hip-hop subculture of America in the 1980s. Subcultures form often as a way to rebel against authority or the social and economic context of the time. Graffiti being born out of the hip-hop phenomena was a result of and reflects a raw response to the existing class struggles that were native to America at the time.

[As mentioned above, normally graffiti shows a culturally relevant situation that the artist feels emotive about. Not always pieces of anger, especially with the emergence of urban art. Where individuals are now being commissioned for work]

Throughout the paper, it is vital to remember that graffiti is a simple phenomenon. That is various types exists and each work has a different profile and pieces of graffiti and the complementary underlying message differ completely from artist to artist.

The most basic form of graffiti is a ‘tag’. This is a personalised writing of an artist’s name. This is a staple of graffiti culture. A tag is not necessarily defined as a culturally artistic ...

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...an art is an organised, skilled activity with strong aesthetic dimension. Seen in conjunction with international contemporary art movement. Questions the end point of graffiti subculture. An experienced and more mature participant in graffiti culture. Characterised by stylised art, development of signature styles and sets of characters.

Graffiti is a complex social issue and has varying degrees of perspectives and interests between different sections of the community.

Chippendale presently is in the midst of a cultural, economic and urban revitalisation. Community goals to creative a creative community initiate urban renewal and foster artistic and economic growth to not only local but also global community.

How does Graffiti affect those immediately involved?

Popular culture…

Resistance to authority…

Urban renewal…

Banksy – Melbourne…