Twoday Old Graffiti

Graffiti wars have been raging at many levels for many years. It’s a real hot potato in and out of the community/political arenas. This tug-of-war makes rational minded people lose all sense of reason and it creates even more truculent proponents to the aesthetic (assuming of course many of those who do it also understand the basis of its study related to sensory or sensori-emotional values. For the most part, I suspect many proponents are followers in not innovators of the higher thoughtform.

Advent of the Spray Can
“The advent of the spray paint allowed for the tag to develop in size and color. The spraycan separated the taggers from the artists in that color, form, and style could be emphasised creatively with this new tool to produce a tag as a part of an overall artistic production. The tag which is monochromatic and a writing style that just about anyone can do, gave way to the throw-up, which is a two colour tag usually in outline or bubble-like lettering. Again this style is not too difficult, but soon more complicated styles evolved.

The stamp is a little harder and involves the use straight letters to produce a 3-D effect. The piece, which is short for masterpiece, appeared next, and it is a large multi-colour work. A production is a piece that is usually on the scale of a mural, and it involves original or familiar cartoon characters in addition to the writer or graffiti artist’s name.

It should be noted that every graffiti form listed involves the artist’s name, whether as the central feature or as an ornament within the piece because writers want to be known. Hence, finding new and creative ways to display one’s tag in a highly visible place, as opposed to just scribbling it everywhere, was the fundamental force spurring the development of modern graffiti art.

In the middle to late 1970’s, writers started painting subway trains; thus the name, subway art. Train painting was instrumental to the development of graffiti art because the trains became the stage for the style wars which was a time when everyone who wanted to be recognised as the best artist or the “King” or “Queen” of a subway line got-up, i.e. painted trains as often as possible. If one’s name was on a train in a colorful and unique style, it was guaranteed to be seen by many people; most importantly by the other writers, because the subway trains in New York City travel in circuits throughout different boroughs.

Style and Talent
To be a “King” or “Queen” one could not just get-up or simply paint his or her name in a thousand different places. On the contrary, style and artistic talent were and continue to be extremely important. The goal was and is to create burners which are pieces that stand out because of creativity, colour, vibrancy, crisp outlines so no drips, and an overall artistic appeal.

It’s the recognisable artistic talent of the graffiti artist that established his or her reign on the subway line and not just the appearance of a name in a thousand different places. The styles that emerged with the previously mentioned forms during this time were round popcorn or bubble letters, wildstyle which is an intricate, interlocking type of calligraphy that is difficult and almost impossible to read, computer and gothic lettering, 3-D lettering, fading which blends colors, and the use of cartoon characters. The ability to produce complicated pieces is what separates the tagger from the graffiti artist; graffitist for short. Taggers scribble and graffitists do art.

The high visibility of the train and the potential audience encouraged more artists to participate in this new form of art. Despite New York City’s vigorous anti-graffiti efforts the style flourished and soon influenced artists in cities all over the world. The biggest promotional vehicle for graffiti art worldwide has been the Hip-Hop phenomenon which is the culture associated with rap music.

Subway Art / Spray Can Art
Subway art is now termed ‘spray can art’ because subway trains are no longer the canvas of choice. Besides, every graffitist could not possibly do all of his or her work on subway cars because of laws, police, and the dangerous environment of the subway yards and lay-up stations. Ironically, the latest innovation in spray can art has been that of “freight art” in which graffitists paint railroad, freight cars with the expectation that their artwork will travel across the United States and throughout the continent.

The reasons and values for why one might engage in graffiti art are as varied as the artists who produce it. A chief reason is the prospect of fame and recognition of one’s artistic talent. Graffiti is also a form of self expression. The art as “writing” is a creative method of communicating with other writers and the general public. What it communicates is the artist’s identity, expression, and ideas. Judgments are based solely on one’s artistic ability.

This type of communication is of value because it links people regardless of cultural, lingual, or racial differences in way that nothing else can. In addition, producing graffiti art with a crew builds team work in that the crew works together for the accomplishment of a common goal. The feeling of this achievement in league with others is of value to the artist. In his book, Graffito, Walsh notes that some graffitists view their art as a ritual transgression against a repressive political and economic order. For some artists see themselves as revolutionaries reacting against the established art market or gallery system in that art is not only that which appears in the gallery as determined by the curator.

Artist Statements
Some artists also view their creations on public and private spaces as a statement against Western ideas of capitalism and private property. Of course, the majority of graffitists enjoy what they do and find it to be fun, rewarding, and exciting. Although these reasons are valid, they do not conclusively settle the matter as to why graffiti art is art or why it’s a valid art form despite its illegal origins. Graffiti as seen and experienced on the New York City subway trains and that which developed into the modern-day form of spray can art is art. The production of graffiti art includes established techniques and styles, and the art form also is characterised by a standard medium; spray paint.”

At present in my home town of Waipukurau there’s a proliferation of tagging that even among ‘real’ graffitist’s would at best be described as novice scribblings. It’s these scribblings though that are enough to get the backs up of a small country town determined to maintain and put up a good front to the rest of the district and visitors. And that too is fair enough. On the other hand, in a country town like this, perhaps scribbling is simply a symptom of boredom. I’m going to take my time over this one so come back tomorrow, gonna chew the fat a bit longer.

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* This is 2 of a 6 part blog. The NEXT blog is entitled ‘Threedays Old Graffiti’