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Graffiti - Skateboard Tagging Graffiti
It doesn't matter where you live in the world, chances are
you've seen graffiti somewhere around your local community.
It seems to spring up in every culture, although it tends to
be more prevalent in big cities.
But is it vandalism? Or is it art? That's a difficult
question to answer, mainly because there are so many
different types and styles of graffiti. The most basic form
of graffiti is "tagging" - which is usually a simple
graphic, usually letters, perhaps a play on the creator's
initials or nicknames. Often small and monochrome, it's
probably one of the most annoying and frustrating types of
graffiti, because it is small enough to deface almost any
surface, and is almost universally condemned as having no
artistic merit.
Graffiti, however, isn't restricted to tagging. On larger
surfaces, many graffiti artists employ multiple colors and
intricate designs to create their pictures. This is the type
of graffiti that starts to cross the line into being
artistic. It's this type of graffiti art that is now being
showcased in a number of art galleries, both in the USA and
around the world.
The other problem with graffiti as art is that the issue is
clouded by the location of the art. If some of these
stunning designs were created on a canvas, or a wall
specially set aside for the purpose, then it would be easier
to recognize them as art. Unfortunately most graffiti is
placed on private property, without the owner's consent, and
so is less likely to be viewed as a welcome addition.
Around the world, communities and governments have become
more vigilant in their attempts to reduce the amount of
graffiti. In many places there are community groups or
government funded teams who guarantee to clean up graffiti
in 24 hours after it's reported. Trains in New York were
given new coatings that allowed paint to just be "dissolved"
off their surfaces.
In my own local area, the sale of spray paint to persons
under 18 is illegal, and all spray paints are kept in locked
display cupboards. Another area has a team of painters who
regularly go around and repaint any fences that have been
covered in graffiti. One homeowner I know has had his fence
repainted 7 times so far! Over time, however, the amount of
graffiti reappearing is reducing, which is a victory for the
opponents of graffiti.
Still, simply removing the problem may in fact be a loss to
the artistic community in general. If graffiti is considered
in its most highly refined form, then are we in fact
stopping artistic development in its tracks by making it
impossible for budding graffiti artists to practice their
craft?
When you illegally deface someone else's property, no matter
how beautiful the art you create, you have still committed a
crime. Maybe what we need to do is find ways that graffiti
artists can learn and practice their craft, without needing
to deface hundreds of properties in the process. Some
communities now provide blank spaces and invite local
graffiti artists to paint them. Others have graffiti walls,
where anyone can paint whatever they want.
Maybe there needs to be a shift in the thinking of graffiti
artists, so they can discover the value of painting on
paper, rather than walls. Would the great painters of the
past still be as famous today if they had painted on walls,
rather than on canvas? The problem is complex, so finding a
solution that makes everyone happy is unlikely to be simple.
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Some Other Useful Web Resources
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1. Urban Retro Lifestyle - Urban Art, Vinyl Toys, Urban Music, Retro Art, Retro...
... more great art. Technorati Tags: Urban Art, Skateboard, Vinyl Toy, Customs Posted by Tahir on July ... ... Technorati Tags: Urban Art, Street Art, Graffiti, Tagging, Pirates of the Caribbean Posted by Tahir ...
http://www.urbanretrolifestyle.com/ |
2. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Microsoft Xbox 360 Video Game Review by AceGamez
... yet do it for money by tagging a certain spot that the local graffiti artist wants sprayed. You ... ... of traffic passing by to the rolling of your skateboard wheels on concrete, grinding on metal and ...
http://www.acegamez.co.uk ...an_Wasteland_X360.htm |
3. Skateboard Parks(tm) - Food Lion SkatePark - Asheville - NORTH CAROLINA
... or disorderly conduct No vandalism, graffiti, tagging, or other means of defacing city or ... ... Food Lion SkatePark- 16-Oct-2001 Disclaimer Skateboard Parks is a Trademark of CyberNetSpecialties ...
http://www.skateboardpark ...rthcarolina/foodlion/ |
4. Amnesty International - Music for Human Rights - M4HR Happenings
... International Zoo York Skateboard Coldplay graciously donated ... Neptune's/ N*E*R*D backstage tagging his deck In 2003, Amnesty ... Outkast, The Sleepy Jackson, graffiti artist Daze and pro ...
http://www.amnestyusa.org ...ights/happenings.html |
5. Shop for Siver Cartel at LifeStylze.com
... Graffiti Cap The Siver Cartel Graffiti Cap displays your allegiance ... thing for burglarizing 7-11s, tagging dumpsters, or more law ... all wetsuits, wakeboards, skateboard completes, snowboards ...
http://www.lifestylze.com/brands/Siver_Cartel.html |
6. Articles - Los Angeles 'CHOLO' Style Graffiti Art
... I kept on. Later, I would go tagging with a friend or my ... an influence on L.A. Hip Hop graffiti. Even though the Cholo and ... coast inspirations. Here skateboard and surf art, lowrider and ...
http://www.hiphop-network ...ticles/cholostyle.asp |
7. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 GameCube game review from allCube.com
... emblazoned, souped-up Segway rather than a skateboard. Now, you can't necessarily say that Jesse ... ... of justice, THUG 2 incorporates 'tagging' surfaces with graffiti and stickers as a gameplay element ...
http://www.allcube.com/reviews/thug2.asp |
8. Yardwear Blog - March, 2006
... materials (album covers, skateboard decks, toys, zines, etc ... www.picturesonwalls.com/ Art| graffiti posted on 03/07/2006 13:40 ... does need a bit of knitwear tagging. Geek Shit posted on 03/02 ...
http://www.yardwear.net/b ...lt,month,2006-03.aspx |
9. Chaos Generation Weblog
... He explained his style of tagging, the colours used, how to get ... that night and noticed some graffiti art and took some time to ... work in it. Andy Howell. Skateboard gear, streetwear. http ...
http://www.chaosgeneratio ...05_11_01_archives.htm |
10. Skatepark Facility | CITY OF MISSION VIEJO
... boisterous behavior. Engage in graffiti, tagging or other defacing of City property or the property of others. Ride, operate, or utilize any device other than a skateboard or in-line skates. MUNICIPAL ...
http://www.cityofmissionv ...ts/rcs/skatepark.html |
11. Press
... Graffiti wars What price tagging? Growing subculture fuels $7 ... convention. Motsenbockerís graffiti remover is biodegradable ... in Escondido, who patented a skateboard design. Chemist cleans up ...
http://www.liftoffinc.com/press.asp |
12. MTV Online Story
... the street, that he can get skateboard and graffiti kids pissed ... The work of the 34-year-old graffiti artist/graphic designer ... Revolution." Their late May tagging sessions, organized by the ...
http://www.freewayblogger.com/MTVonlinestory.htm |
13. http://www.skateperception.com/fork/cutenews/show_news.php
... all that cool. I'm all for graffiti in the park, but ... that's going to come from tagging the park is having it closed ... about this or that. But we skateboard and through skateboarding ...
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14. Bomit.com Skateboard Art Stickers Graffiti Tagging Sticker Artists
http://www.bomit.com/blog_google.htm
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15. hustler of culture: NYC - "Endless Summer" (06/30/06 - 07/29/06)
... s feed ´ Pedal Envy. | Main | Tagging the Sky. ª NYC - "Endless ... beautiful curate art crimes / graffiti.org art.blogging.la being ... rights the land of plenty skateboard foundation eat 101 ...
http://www.hustlerofcultu .../nyc_endless_sum.html |
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