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Posts Tagged ‘Graffiti Art’

To understand why graffiti is so vilified by the powers that as mere “vandalism” one must know what vandalism actually is. Painter Gustave Courbet (a famous vandal himself,) considered it to be the “destruction of monuments symbolizing war and conquest,” a perhaps romanticised view I find difficult to agree with; since when did a bunch of chavs ever justify overtly the arson, for example of a bus shelter in terms of the shelter’s socio-economic significance? I’ve yet to hear one. A more apt descriptor is that of vandalism being the expression of an alternate culture, in this case the “criminal” one.

Vandalism is executed against another’s property in any case, and this is to my mind the root of the reason as to why it is considered unacceptable in a capitalistic society such as ours: it destroys the link between being a well-adjusted, functional person’s exploits at work, and his material wealth. Tags on cars make them worthless, and consequently the hours spent at work tallying up the monies requisite to buying said car are no longer of worth to the worker. The tag has transubstantiated the work from a point where it can be used to buy things, where it is essentially useless. Needless to say, for the worker, this is upsetting. His car is fucked, and he’s wasted his time doing reports on how John Doe broke his legs while sodomising a large black man on a non-regulation surface for the purposes of an insurance claim. The worker thus makes the link that vandalism annuls his exploits, and therefore must be in in opposition to his goals; much like an enemy.

To me, this is a good thing, It reminds us of the transient nature of things material, and it seems as if many crews which don’t produce crap graff are intent on reminding us that there are things far more important than the appearance of a public space, or the look of a car. It is a special case due to the car still being useful as a tool, and nothing else. It no longer becomes a status symbol of the hours sacrificed, or ideals compromised to achieve a status the worker has had to to make his purchase possible. Some people need this violent prompting more than others, but I view graffiti as a vector towards a more functional, and less materially judgemental system of thought. This can be considered the “criminal culture” discussed above. It may also teach that events do not necessarily follow from one another, and infuse a bit of interest into the life of your average 40 year old, who’s perfectly nice and all, but wandering his way to the grave having left all of his passions in his 20’s. This “interest,” is something the taggers also sometimes seek, when they enter into the risk-taking of tagging a train, or someone’s personal property, indulging an impulse made redundant years ago, when risk was the conduit to survival, e.g. through catching animals to eat, etc. and thus I am compelled to support graffiti made in that spirit of awakening the senses, through the desecration of certain things we hold dear: for the sake of the one who had his house graffiti’d (it’s for his own good,) and for the burning youth’s desire not to become totally numb, in a society whose ruler’s recent actions seem to treat people as mindless economic units.

It is also important to celebrate graffiti expressing unfavourable, and even seditious views, for they are socially incredibly important. They remind us that “the right” to free speech extends only as far as what the government want us to say, and no further. Examples such as Richard Barnbrook’s treatment in the London assembly, and laws outlawing the professing of hatred for gays and minorities reflect this bastardised version of free speech, that prohibits discussion of “extreme” and “underground” views. Look at the picture below. To “say” such a thing would incur a legal action if someone of eminence said something “bad” by these laws, or arrest if someone normal said them at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The presence of offensive graffiti evokes discussion, and alerts people as to the presence of more that just centrist views present in their community, something that allows itself to be a platform for articulation of something more than just fuel price issues, and directs thought towards why and how such graffiti artists exist, and either what can be done with them, or (preferably) why the laws of free speech prohibit the progression of certain, equally viable viewpoints to just the centrist one. Either way, if it makes people think, it’s good.

Graffiti, finally becomes art through the framing of a certain point in time, such as Banksy’s protests against increasing police power in Britain manifested as a picture of homosexual activities between 2 officers of the law, or the below Nazi picture epitomising a racial divide in a community. It is through this, it realises itself also as a form of culture. Perhaps a criminal one, but most certainly one whose primary tool is “shock and awe” tactics to deliver whatever message is has across.

Diy Teens Wall Art Decor Project, decorating projects ideas for teens.

Article by: Madeleine M Langlois

Miy Project: Teen wall art decor “Graffiti Paris Canvas Art”

My teenage son’s graffitilike text on paper and book covers gave me the idea of asking him to make an artwork peice for a decor exhibit I took part in. His contribution was the word Paris in graffitilike text done in pastels on a box-style canvas.

I wanted to share with other teens and mom with teens to encourage their teens in their art form, and that it can be acheive on many other surfaces besides walls.

Hands-on time: An hour or more, depending on detail.

Total time:Plus drying time for varnish.

Skill: this miy teen wall art decor project idea is of easy to moderate skill depending on the details.

Materials & Tools:

•Artist canvas (17.8 x 17.8 centimetres) 3D box-style

•Oil pastels in assorted colours (many brands available, try a few samples)

•Pencil

•Drawing paper and graphite paper

•Graffiti design

•Masking tape

•Permapaque artist markers by Sakura

•Grey and white eraser

•Cloth

•Workable fixative by Krylon

MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE AT ARTS AND CRAFTS STORES or on line.

MIY INSTRUCTIONS:Art is a great way to interact with teens and encourage self-expression and creativity.

Using a style they’re familiar with is even better. What’s essential with this project is that it is done in the same spirit as graffiti — free-flowing expression captured on canvas.

Art is a great way to interact with teens and encourage self-expression and creativity. Using a style they’re familiar with is even better. What’s essential with this project is that it is done in the same spirit as graffiti –free-flowing expression captured on canvas.

Preprimed canvas is ideal for graffitilike art. On paper, draw or write words (in our case it was the word Paris) to use as a template. With a pencil, draw the text on the canvas or transfer it onto the canvas using graphite paper. Cut out the word from the sheet of paper. Cut a piece of graphite paper in the same size. Put graphite paper under the cutout word and secure with masking tape. Use a pencil or pen to trace the design onto the canvas.

Colour the word or text in three or four colours of pastels, shading in areas around the edges of the letters. Use scrap pieces of paper to practice shading first, if preferred. Glide pastels smoothly onto the canvas and lift the tips as soon as the lines are finished. You can use a cloth or your fingers to blend the colours. Use a wide marker for the outlines. Add a colour border around the letters.

The background is left white. Use the grey part of eraser to remove pencil, graphite lines or pastel smudges.To protect the artwork from dust and smudges, spray on fixative in a side-to-side motion. It fixes the pastels without leaving a glossy finish. Several coats can be applied. Let dry between each coat.

Variations: Use different sizes of canvases to let your teen create his or her mini art gallery. Larger canvases placed side by side have impact. Smaller canvases are perfect for personalized tags. For younger children, create a montage to add colour to a bare wall. Paint several canvases, each in a different solid colour: yellow, blue, green, etc. Then let children doodle on them, using pastels in assorted bright colours. Thick wax crayons or washable markers can also be used. This is a great activity for a birthday party.If your teen wants to do larger frames with spray paints, be sure they work in a well-ventilated area and wear a protective mask. Spray paint fumes are toxic.

Copyright Miy Decorations © 2006

For more Miy decor projects visit www.maddylane-decor.com

graff subway train tagger king65 graffiti art old school tagger ike eisenmann … new york tagger king65 art subway train graff graffiti ike eisenmann king 65

some graffiti … graffiti taggers new jersey

Oakland has close to a dozen people employed to clean up Graffiti… however that does not seem to prevent tagger and spray artist from defacing the city. … Graffiti taggers spray art paint

graffiti and tagging in los angeles … graffiti tagging art street los angeles buer hufr phs gods yonoe trush noter telok script ruet asylum imez cult asc bnb merch difer tower jfck gash nbc clems kaws spacer unok sane glossy drone bak fok dash plugz mouse otis rth inik made csm oes dcal ogk tmr relax omg romoe catz yero bisko futur bart dems osb fmk irc tener cloax

LA graffiti artist Make One tagging at the book launch of The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art at the Museum of Contemporary Art, LA.

los angeles,graffiti,tagging,art … los angeles graffiti tagging art trailer advertising performing arts short film

is like 200 ft. in the air..So I decided to take some pictures of it to show how life risking taggers can be.. … HOD Hand of Doom handofdoom Graffiti Art Tagging Bombing Portland Oregon I-5Movement Westcoast life risking death defying crazy kids downtown Burnside Broadway Steele Freemont Ross Island cool fun rap underground sacramento dead die lunatic kill murder sick sicc insane Northwest subway art freights rails freeway overpass taggers tagger tagging Honor or Death HonororDeath Honor …

GRAFFITI CHARACTER … “how to draw characters” “art lessons” “drawing lessons” tutorial illustrator blackbook sketchbook spraycan “learn to draw cartoons” caricaturas “como dibujar” art animation mtsk “drew street” “glassell park” “step by step drawing” wildstyle “wizards art” “how to draw graffiti” taggers writters “how to draw a rabbit” instrumental