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Graffiti - Smile Now Cry Later 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. Strange Horizons Fiction: A Field Guide to Ugly Places, by Patrick Samphire,...
... scrawled with graffiti; the doors had ... him a wonderful smile. "Isn't it great ... t him. Some time later, Cole levered ... the right size. Now Jamie was on his ... her left breast. "Cry," she said. He did ...
http://www.strangehorizon ...6/field_guide-f.shtml |
2. The Box Hunters @ The Borderland
... the ghost of a smile to touch his lips ... But they know that now you have a copy of ... to scribble graffiti on the placards ... and send it down later." "Asleep in the ... waited until the cry ceased. He spoke ...
http://www.mpeters77.free ...o.uk/boxhunters4.html |
3. Walter In Denver: January 2006 Archives
... Leaving aside the now decades-old ... an ism, sooner or later you are going to ... elicits a knowing smile from everyone ... were trying not to cry. She was a Canada ... to a hunter as a graffiti sprayer is to a ...
http://www.walterindenver ...archives/2006_01.html |
4. Velie Family Circle of Friends
... Physical Graffiti In The Light ... They'll be here later on. I need you ... do not be afraid to cry: it does relieve ... not in vain." And now I am contented ... I made somebody smile. So if you meet ...
http://www.veliefamilycircle.org/lyrics-poetry.htm |
5. Adventures with Meps ‘n’ Barry » Interlude Two
... The man had a charming smile and, oblivious to the ... a muffin. A few weeks later, Barry and I walked ... Everybody eats chicken now, instead of fish, he ... in the pavement, graffiti unchecked ...
http://www.mepsnbarry.com ...urneys/interlude-two/ |
6. CODEPINK : June/July delegation
... up with a warm greeting smile--in the midst of all ... the column with the graffiti. ìSo you think the ... as a marketing rep and now lives in Amman working ... off. More from Baghdad later, just wanted you to ...
http://www.codepinkalert.com/article.php?id=76 |
7. Ben Calvert Tour Stories
... eyeing up the graffiti and piss ... off. Ten minutes later his takes his ... for himself he is now frantically ... solo to him, smile and shout across ... Rock. And. Roll. Cry Me a River Nearing ...
http://www.bearos.freeser ...uk/ben article 05.htm |
8. the pelican
... that thing is. total graffiti, with this steel and ... to realize a moment later that nothing ... this is it the time is now posted by: limine at 18 ... to save others. and we cry and we hurt and we vow ...
http://www.thepelican.motime.com/archive/2004-03 |
9. Bazhe: Excerpts, Chapters, Book Damages, Art, Poetry, Writing and Painting, Bio.
2. Mother A month later, I was flying over ... s billboards; graffiti scrawled on ... and a captivating smile that gradually ... We are free now. He is gone ... it, compressing my cry deep into my ...
http://www.bazhe.com/story1.html |
10. competition
... with him, and a graffiti sprayer down by ... love. You want to cry, look down. RenÈe ... then a long time later she came out with ... palms to the sky. Now I see but cannot ... with the slow smile of a lifetimeís ...
http://www.iotapoetry.co.uk/competition.htm |
11. Death quotes and epitaphs
... enemy, Death." ó Graffiti on a wall of ... be somebody. I see now that I should have ... will sooner or later have to find time ... at a wedding and cry at a funeral ? It ... a man can do is smile back." ó Marcus ...
http://www.gdargaud.net/Humor/QuotesDeath.html |
12. FTW 4
... the other made me smile. Love to you. Bill ... children will be fine now" and there followed a ... I was much comforted later on finding these words ... I never heard her cry again that evening or ...
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/hojoy/mag4/mag4.html |
13. ESPN.com - NFL/PLAYOFFS05 - Bettis returns to city where it all started
... upon spotting the graffiti. "That's my house ... to be a neighborhood. Now, it's just a 'hood." A ... can do is smile, laugh and cry. No. 36's ... His mother, who later became a certified ...
http://sports.espn.go.com ...news/story?id=2310876 |
14. Lucky White Girl
... artists tend to be. I laugh and cry easily, especially when I am ... until I can use my laptop again (now hopefully sometime next week ... 0) Friday, June 09, 2006 Graffiti There is a grafiti (haha, "a ...
http://barbhowe.typepad.com/ |
15. this is my life..
... dance while angels smile Drunk on shadows ... dark fades away I cry Like God cries the ... albuma "Physical Graffiti" iz 1975. grupa ... minister who is now her manager) and ... backup dancers. Later, she began ...
http://acid000burn.blog.hr/ |
16. TheMusicNeverStopped.net: August 2005 Archives
... SC Wed Oct 19 Graffiti Beach ... a Pen No Woman, No Cry *Masters of ... music never stops Now, I'm no music ... notes a small smile crept across my ... aether. Ten years later he's being ...
http://www.themusicnevers ...es/2005/08/index.html |
17. Dracil's BlogJournal
... Almost a decade later, Alfredo Casero ... Generations overdue now we got to prove ... for this nation and cry for salvation for ... day they made me smile. we too are like ... OP - Porno Graffiti - Melissa MP3 ...
http://www.tabulas.com/~dracil/category/394.html |
18. mug-mug
... told me not to cry. But now that Im ... that interest me. Later. Comments (199 ... around my baby smile. The years worn ... life is beginning now, and Alhamdulillah ... Pinks Haunted Graffiti Jules Lost His ...
http://www.mug-mug.com/ |
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