Graffiti or street art?
CONTENTS 3-4 INTRODUCTION 5-6 WHAT IS GRAFFITI 7-8 GRAFFITI AND STREET CULTURE 9-10 GRAFFITI SUBCULTURES 11-12 GRAFFITI AS COMUNICATION 13-14 GRAFFITI PERSONALITIES 15-16 RADICAL AND POLITICAL GRAFFITI 17-18 GRAFFITI AS HIGH ART 19-20 EAST SIDE GALLERY 21-22 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Introduction Famous GRAFFITI ARTISTS SUCH AS BANKSY, MARC ECKO AND KEITH HARING ALL HAVE CREATED A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TO STREET ART, ENEN IF IT HAS PRVIOUSLY HAVE HAD NEGOTIVE CONOTATIONS ATTACTED, THIS BOOKLET WILL LOOK AT WHAT GRAFITTI IS, WHY IT HAS BECOME SO IMPORTANT, GRAFITTI CULTURE, COMUNICATION, AS WELL AS SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHERE GRAFFITI HAS CREATED A STIR WHITHING SOCIETY.
"People with money can put up signs ... if you don't have money you're marginalized...you're not allowed to express yourself or to put up words or messages that you think other people should see. Camel (cigarettes), they're up all over the country and look at the message Camel is sending...they're just trying to keep the masses paralyzed so they can go about their business with little resistance." -Eskae
What is Graffiti? Graffiti is writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and it has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire. In modern times, paint, particularly spray paint, and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner's consent is considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime. HOWEVER THERE ARE MANY DEBATES AND CLASHING ARGUEMENTS ABOUT WETHER GRAFFITI SHOULD BE CONCIDERED ART OR CRIME.
GRAFFITI AND STREET CULTURE Illegal Graffiti called ‘tagging’ is done by members from traditional gangs, as well as by ‘graffiti writers’ from the Hip Hop sub-culture. To leave their mark, gang-members use spray paint such as aerosol cans, wide-tipped markers, nametag stickers stickers/printed stickers (these are easily and quickly affixed to almost any surface) and even scratch (etch) glass or Perspex with sharp objects. To claim their turf or territory, taggers mark their neighbourhoods with graffiti that represents the group or crew or gang they belong to. They leave their mark on fences, schools, sidewalks, soundwalls, and road and street signs. Some areas, little rival gang /crew graffiti exists, because rival gangs will not risk getting caught or are outnumbered at these primary locations.
GRAFFITI SUBCLTURES Different types of gangs / crews create different types of graffiti. Typically, graffiti will include the name of the gang, nicknames of the members of the gang, and even the names of affiliated gangs, slogans or symbols exclusive to the gang/crew, and often the territory claimed . Graffiti also can include threats and challenges to rival gangs/crews. In addition, graffiti can be used to show disrespect of rivals or to antagonize the party or authority or rival that the tagger perceives as his/her competition- this is often prevalent at legal walls where one tagger is jealous of another. Because members of different gangs/crews often live in close proximity to one another, graffiti can provoke confrontations. When graffiti is not cleaned off immediately, it will often multiply as different gangs/crews cross out rivals and add their own messages or tag.
Taggers and gangs use graffiti to gain recognition or to express the identity of the group. -Gang/crew members are motivated to put up graffiti because it reflects their loyalty to the gang. In some cases, new gang members or associates may be ordered by their gang ‘king’ to put up graffiti to shoe their worthiness to join, and to prove they are “down for”the gang. Gang /crew members often use tag nicknames to identify each other, and it is common for these names to show up on “graffiti roll calls” or “placas”. Graffiti is used to promote and enhance the names and reputations of the gang/crew and gang/crew members In some cases taggers use graffiti to brag about crimes they have committed.
GRAFFITI AS COMUNICATION Street gangs or crews use their language to communicate with one another through graffiti. This language includes common numbers, letters, words or phrases, which are easily understood on the streets. The name of the gang/crew is usually abbreviated to two or three letters in gang graffiti- this is typically of both graffiti ‘crews’ whose members are interested in Hip Hop culture as well as crews who exist for drug use/selling and crews who are involved in other antisocial recreational sub-cultures such as Neo-Nazis, Satanists and skinheads etc.
NUMBERS Numbers also have significant meanings to gang . Crew members. The number 187 is frequently used by older graffitists, and represents a copy-cat of American graffiti gangs who use the number as it represents the Californian Penal Code for homicide so that graffiti using 187 is literally making a death threat. For the Gold Coast gangs, the number 13 (often written on the streets as XIII), represents the fact that these gangs are southerners. The number 13 represents the letter M (M is the 13th letter of the alphabet), short for “EME” or the Mexican Mafia.
GRAFFITI PERSONALITIES To some graffiti writers their tags can be more involved than a simple scribble and the work can be a filled in letter (called a throw-up) or include a simple icon. Many of these taggers see their work as art and in many areas, taggers are individuals from middle and upper income homes, whose source of entertainment comes from vandalizing public and private property with their mark or art. Serious taggers are primarily between the ages of 15 years and 29 years old. Some will also belong in subculture, and wear alternative labels such as skaters, punks, Nazi and skinheads, Straight Edge (anti-alcohol & tobacco but into chemical drugs such ‘e’ or ‘speed’) and anarchists. Taggers tend to have risk taking personalities, and may be attracted to extreme sports like skateboarding, snowboarding and break dancing.
Graffiti and crime Tagger graffiti has increased at an alarming rate in most cities around Australia. It often appears even in the most affluent neighbourhoods and business districts. Community members may at first be confused about the fact that “GANGS” are appearing in their area. Taggers, however, are not traditional street gangs- although they carry weapons and much of the sub-culture is now involved in some form of drug use. In most parts tagging crews are less violent than traditional street gangs, they do, however create most of the graffiti damage or wilful damage in many communities.” Battles” or wars between crews are usual with two or more crews agreeing to conduct a battle, and will use another crew to judge the competition. The Battle is staged in a specific area and over a predetermined period of time, such as a weekend, week or night. The crews are judged on style, quality, quantity and original locations.
The competition determines the best writers or crew and they earn the name “KINGS”. Often, the losing crew will split up, with former members joining another crew. Sometimes individuals who believe they have been unfairly judged will cross out or line out the winning crew and challenge another battle, this behavior also sets boundaries for territory and the quality of locations where the tagger can paint without violence
Radical and Political GRAFFITI On top of the political aspect of graffiti as a movement, political groups and individuals may also use graffiti as a tool to spread their point of view. This practice, due to its illegality, has generally become favoured by groups excluded from the political mainstream who justify their activity by pointing out that they do not have the money – or sometimes the desire . to buy advertising to get their message across, and that a "ruling class" or "establishment" control the mainstream press, systematically excluding the radical/alternative point of view. This type of graffiti can seem crude; for example fascist supporters often scrawl swastikas and other Nazi images.
GRAFFITI AS HIGH ART
Graffiti is a subjective art form. Some regard it as a new and rising art form, and others regard it as plain vandalism. In most countries it is regarded illegal. Thus graffiti art is sometimes referred to as ‘underground art’. Artists are forced to create their works in the dark, hiding from the police, officials and the common city dwellers. Graffiti art is widely recognized around the world. There have been exhibits and galleries worldwide dedicated to the celebration of graffiti art. Another prestigious exhibition is ‘Born in the Streets’, at the Fondation Center in Paris, France.
Today, the art world and the general public is more open toward graffiti art. The public has become more tolerant and appreciative of this underground art. In Los Angeles, for example: The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) organized an exhibit celebrating urban graffiti on walls, subways and buses; and it proved to be a hugely successful show. The ‘Art in the Streets Exhibit’ featured prominent street artists like Taki 183, Banksy, Keith Haring, Henry Chalfant, etc. This is actually the first major US museum exhibit on graffiti and street art. The exhibition traces the development of graffiti art from the 70s to the international movement it’s become today. It featured installations, paintings, sculptures and mixed media that helped shape the evolution of graffiti art.
East side gallery Artists like Thierry Noir and Keith Haring discovered the Berlin Wall as the world's longest canvas which had to be painted. Many known and unknown artists painted on the Wall in the following years and the paintings were often painted over within hours or days. The Wall art was not protected, everybody could paint on the Wall. On the Western side of the Berlin Wall the Wall was colorful whereas the Eastern side was white or grey. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the Eastern side of the Wall was also painted by artists. Today only a few painted sections of the Eastern side of the former Berlin Wall still exist at Potsdamer Platz, East Side Gallery at M端hlenstrasse and in the Wall Park at Bernauer Strasse. Painting on remaining sections of the Wall has become very difficult. The Wall at East Side Gallery has been listing and painting is prohibited
In 1976 East German Border Troops begun to erect a new typ of Wall in Berlin, the so-called 'Border Wall 75'. This concrete Wall was 3.60 meter (11.81 ft) high and white painted. Although painting was not allowed, the complete Wall system was on the territory of East Berlin, many artists begun to paint on the Western side of the Wall in the beginning of the 80s.
BIBLIOGRAPHY GRAFFITI PLANET MICHAEL O’MARA BOOKS LIMITED 2007 LONDON, ENGLAND GRAFF: THE ART AND TECNIQUES OF GRAFFITI SCAPE MARTINEZ IMPACT BOOKS GEORGETOWN, CANADA http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/art/ http://berlinwallart.com/ http://artgraffiti.blogspot.co.uk/2007/06/graffitioften-has-reputation-as-part.html http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/2003graffiti/hintz.pdf http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/israelpalestine/101002/west-bank-graffiti-wall#1