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Articles and essays on graffiti
Articles and essays on graffiti
Articles and essays on graffiti
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Humans are social beings, we want to know and to be known as well as we desire to be understood and be heard by other people. Therefore we choose different ways to express ourselves and make our statements. Graffiti is one of the main uncurbed ways to do it which makes it one of the most discussed topics. While some people consider it as art some people call it just “stain” or “vandalism”. Leonard Kriegel emphasizes his negative thoughts and experiences in his article titled “Tunnel Notes of a New Yorker”. However because of he had traumatic childhood memory, he is being too emotional and personal in his article. For this reason he loses his credibility in his words. Although I think that graffiti is a way to express ourselves freely and it includes artistic value it is undeniable that respectively it affects society and environment in a negative way, it violates the law, and cause the decline of the urban civility.
People are free to share their thoughts, however like all freedoms, freedom of expression have limits. As Kriegel mentions in his article graffiti on the walls often in...
The most predominant attribute of a graffiti artist is their mindset, for a graffitist is constantly surveying the streets in search for a new spot to “bomb” as well as examining the work of fellow writers. For instance, when a graffiti artist looks at an empty wall or a distant water tower they envision a canvas suitable for displaying their graffiti. A graffiti artist uses specific terminology when speaking to fellow writers as well as average people interested in this illegal art form. The use of terms, such as “tag,” “throw-up,” and “burner” are used to describe different styles of graffiti letters. In addition, the term “bomb” is used when a graffitist paints on numerous surfaces in a given area. When analyzing the desires of a graffitist, they explain the desire to go “all-city.” The term “all-city” describes a writers’ aspiration to display his graffiti throughout the entire city. The lifestyle of a graffiti artist tends to be more active than that of an average person, for graffitist go “bombing” during late hours of the night. The reason for these late-night paint excursions is to avoid cont...
Inside the yard now stands a freshly painted mural, sixty feet wide and twelve feet high. The work is the result of weeks of designing and planning, and with luck it might last as long on the train as it already has on paper. What the boys have done, what has taken place inside that trainyard, is a work of art. [Let us begin with a basic assumption. One may object to graffiti on social or moral grounds, but only in the most conservatist terms can it not be considered “art.” Any idea of art which does not go out of its way to disinclude vandalism will, in fact, contain graffiti. We will, then, put aside social and moral considerations for the duration, and consider graffiti as art.]
The identity of a graffiti artist is hardly ever known unless they want to tag their art with their name or a nickname. Graffiti writers as a subculture are trying to express their political views through civil disobedience by painting pictures that speak out against the government. This subculture developed because they were tired of being oppressed by the government. Graffiti is one of the most enduring acts of protest. It is an important tool for the resistance movement as a way to publicize their protest. It is a visible and powerful form of protest that is going to promote change in the social justice by allowing oppressed groups of people express their viewpoints without being penalized by the
The Graffiti Tunnel in Sydney University echoes the postmodern ideals of questioning structure by challenging what is known to be art. The different views of graffiti – vandalism versus street art – reflect the instability and uncertainty of postmodernism. Furthermore, through its nature of storytelling, graffiti reflects traditions and preserves culture and the ideas and beliefs of the context it was created in.
Within the last few years, graffiti has been deemed an acceptable and tasteful genre of art. Long gone are the days where the spray can belonged exclusively to the local delinquent. From the past to present, there has been a shift in how street art is recognized by the general public and the government. Laws and policies are being put into place that both defend and threaten the promulgation of this creative medium. By both protecting and prohibiting, the government displays an inconsistent and confusing relationship with street art. When art is so subjective, it can become challenging to delineate the fine line between vandalism and creativity. This essay will discuss the changing public perception of graffiti, the trademark and copyright battles between graffiti artists and property owners, the categorization of street art as an artform, and the beneficial aspects of commissioned street murals.
...erent meanings and different types of self-expression. "The simplified imagery of graffiti has become attractive to certain professional fine artists in various areas around the world" (Philips). The point that I am making is that various forms of graffiti are beautiful and the need to express ones' self is part of what being a human being is all about. I don't see a problem with the reasoning behind why graffiti artists do graffiti and why taggers tag. It becomes a problem when they use other people's property (including public and city property) to express themselves via graffiti and tagging.
Halsey, M and Young A, 2006 ‘Our desires are Ungovernable’: Writing graffiti in urban space. Theoretical Criminology, 10 (3) pp. 275-306
Freedom of speech enables artists to produce or display any of their works in any way they want to, even if they are seen as breaking the law. If anything could be labeled as freedom of expression, the suspects will be deemed innocent, as it is their right to showcase their works. One common crime that contains this loophole is graffiti. Graffiti is defined as writing or drawings done on public spaces, which can be considered as art, a form of expression. The Oxford dictionary states that art is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination” and graffiti fits that criterion. Therefore, anyone can argue that they were simply exercising their right to freely express their imagination on a different canvas. However, others consider it as vandalism, which becomes an offence. This is a contradiction of the law and the right for freedom of expression, which may cause others to not adhere to the laws strictly. This leads to unrest in the country, which would impact some other aspects like the political or even the economical situation, resulting in development at a slower rate. One place with excessive graffiti is New York. The Post reveals that New Yorkers filed 4,167 graffiti complaints in 2014 alone, a 5 percent spike citywide from 3,956 in 2013. Many of the taggers are still not arrested. Not only does this show that the taggers have won over the law, it also makes the police department seem incompetent, resulting in people having less faith in the NYPD. Therefore, free speech should not be defended at all costs as it may cause problems with law enforcement in the various
People around the world have different ways to express their feelings through. It could be done legally or illegaly. One way in which it could be done is through art like graffiti. Graffiti is a form of art where people express their feelings by spraying colors on street walls. It is actually a very interesting kind of art, as it is not easy to draw with sprays and to express yourself using some kind of symbols on walls that represent something deep inside you. Since the beginning of time, people have been debating on whether graffiti is legal or not. If you think about it for a second, you will find each and every reason for graffiti to be legal, but people till now tend to accuse it as a form of crime. Since when is art a crime? Since when is expressing your feelings in a peaceful way is a crime? Graffiti could not just be used on walls of other people’s property, it as well could be done on portraits and sold and actually in Brazil many people travel there to see the graffiti portraits in the galleries. Graffiti grabs people attention in a way and raises people’s awareness of something through drawing. Isn’t it just beautiful to draw something that grabs people attention and raises their awareness towards something and then credit you for doing so? Therefore, graffiti is passionate beautiful kind of art that I do not think it should be seen as a crime, instead as an astonishing form of art.
Mention the word graffiti and what typically comes to mind is something unpleasant and distasteful like indecent language scribbled on a wall of a store or crude pictures. Most graffiti is characterized as vandalism on property that does not belong to the culprit. Graffiti also displays negative graphics that promote some type of vulgar message such as violence, sex, drugs, gangs, and racism. On the other hand, when the terms “street” and “art” come together, a blast of colorful creations upon blank slates on the street comes to mind. Although street art is technically considered graffiti, it is a type of graffiti with positive qualities, but certain figures in society find street art to be, in some way, disruptive. If used properly, street art can be appreciated artistically and socially. Despite the negative stigma attached to graffiti, street art has emerged as a progressive valuable art form whose vast history, surge in popularity, and urge for social change warrant its classification as a fine art.
“Graffiti has long been villainized by those in authority and allegedly associated with gangs, violence, drug culture and street crime. In most jurisdictions, creating graffiti art on public property without permission is a criminal offense punishable by fines and incarceration”(Add In-text citation). Graffiti is an artform that has somewhat faded and has been lost in the background because of the popularity of rap and emceeing
Graffiti started in the 1920s when gangs would tag train cars and walls to mark territory mainly in New York City. Graffiti took a different turn in the 1970s when young adults decided to use street art as an outlet to express their political and social outrage. This movement had soon gained the attention of the “adult” world. Graffiti was known as “creation through destruction” and to this day is still considered illegal in most parts of the world. In modern street art the mediums used have evolved past spray paint and now artists are using different methods with spray paint to progress their works past crude tags.
For as long as humans have been able to write, people have been writing on walls. The Romans wrote on the buildings of the towns they conquered, and even before words were used, the cave men painted on walls; hence, the Romans called this writing phenomenon graffiti. Graffiti is defined as “the act of inscribing or drawing on walls” for the purpose of communicating a message to the general public (Merriam Webster). The term comes from the Greek word "Graphein," which means 'to write.' As the times have changed, so have the forms of writing on the walls has taken. Today, a few different classifications separate graffiti such as the gang graffiti that street gangs use to mark their turf, graffiti that people write to express political views, and graffiti art, which is the new form of graffiti that has just emerged in the past twenty-five years. In the urban city settings, graffiti has taken a vibrant, bold, and often illegal presence. Recently, the question is raised as to whether any form of graffiti can be considered art. Is it vandalism when it is placed on the side of a building or car, but art when it is on a canvas on someone's wall or in a gallery? Looking at these two views of graffiti, graffiti should be considered art because it encompasses three significant components of what defines “art”; graffiti art demands technical skills, showcases the artist’s worldview, and thrives within the traditional art community.
Graffiti will always be looked down upon by authority. “There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on the best walls a town has to offer and nobody is put off by the price of admission (Banksy).Those who have no appreciation for graffiti will never realize its true impact and meaning. I know that I can’t change this, but the opinions of others also can’t change the fact that it is an art form. No matter what form of art you express yourself through whether it be painting, sculpture, or photography. You are telling a story about what you are feeling.
While some form of “graffiti” has always been present, the graffiti that is known today can be traced back to New York City in the late 1960s. This New York City is much different from the New York City known today. As the population increased, the middle-class and the upper-class started to move out into the surrounding suburbs. The city was now filled with lower-class people working low-wage jobs. Crime rates had increased, and New York was truly a terrifying place.