Graffiti

[Quinlan]

What are your thoughts on Graffiti?

I was thinking about it on the train, here in New Zealand most of the graffiti isn't gang related, it's mostly done by teenagers trying to be "famous". So I thought to myself why do they desire fame so much? What is the root psychological cause? I believe that these kids seek fame because they have a strong need to be loved, adored and celebrated because they did not or do not receive that kind of love at home. Children that grow up in stressful environments where money is short and both parents must work are going to seek love, adoration and attention elsewhere and one way to do that is through graffiti. I also think that children who have gone from cultures where community and extended family is important and are then transplanted into a "nuclear family / individualist culture " are more likely to go seeking "fame".

So from now on I'm not going to look at graffiti as the territorial pissings of uncaring youths, I'm going to look at them as thousands of voices crying out to be loved.

Is this a naive view?

 

[Shai Gar]

territorial pissings of uncaring youths seems to be the way of things.

 

[Deathjam]

graffiti in the style of banksy and other ofthat quality are good, all other are utter shite

:mpick:

 

[Shai Gar]

Graffiti to be art isn't bad, as long as it isn't on private property. It's when it's on Private (not public) property, and not accepted there that it's vandalism and on the same level as physical assault regardless of skill.

When it's actually art it's not bad, when it's just scrawling your name, it's shite. Though yes, what they want is to be loved. So did Pol Pot.

 

[Lurker]

^ yup.

On private property fine, grafiti art can look pretty damn awesome. On someone else's property, not cool. Tacky tags, always uncool.

Have you seen what they're doing in Melbourne with trying to put graffiti behind glass to preserve the culture. The National Trust and Heritage Victoria are trying to heritage list grafiti art meaning if your personal property has been grafitied you will be unable to get rid of it. Wtf!

Melbourne graffiti considered for heritage protection.

I see a difference between those who scrawl their tag on property and grafiti artists, the first could be peer pressure, one upmanship, acting out or just kids being little shits. Grafiti art is probably more about recognition, you know there are walls being sold now cause the artist has such a reputation.

 

[logan235711]

I agree. Public=Cool, Private=Bad. I don't want someone writing possibly obscene things on my property...That's BS. In regards to people writing their names (tags), that's part of the art, writing one's name in an artistic and often abstract way.

Some cities are also creating areas esp. for Graffiti artists to use, and I think this is great.

Also, on a separate issue, what does everyone think of Reverse Graffiti--the method of creating graffiti by removing dirt/dust/grime/old-graffiti from a surface?

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=5lX-2sP0JFw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_graffiti

 

[Shai Gar]

I can certainly appreciate that.