Graffiti Art and the Message it Sends to the world
So what happens when some teenage numbskull sprays "ILOVEGRaFFItti” down the side of your garage and makes the GRaFFItti part all swirly?
Something that looks like a giant pair of wobbly woman's knockers attached on a board - pretty bloody mess? Don’t throw a tantrum. Or find him and descend on him with kicks and blows for ruining you’re otherwise perfectly looking wall? You have yourself to blame. After all, you encouraged him to think Graffiti is the epitome of youthful self-expression.
So welcome to the world of Graffiti art. And feel at home.
You see Graffiti art is celebrated by only two types of people:
- Those who live in gorgeous, Graffiti -free apartments with a gated security but completely support this artistic way of expression.
- And, those who don't mind living in an area that looks like a perfect crime scene Helen Mirren would want to camp in Prime Suspect.
Now you know.
But the question is what Graffiti is? In layman’s terms, the term refers to spray painting or writing of words and letterforms for whatever purposes whether legally or illegally.
The fine art of vandalism?
Graffiti is still a new world to some people. When people talk about Graffiti , the most frequent thought that comes into your mind is that of petty vandals.
According to the New York Transit Authority (NYTA), quite a large number of subway trains had some form of Graffiti in them. In fact, the Graffiti menace was so terrible that the city officials had to think of a way to recover the city form the nocturnal artists. So they had to launch a no B.S campaign aimed at cleaning up the city.
Today, there still some highly tagged neighborhoods in the US that have been overrun by criminal and where street Graffiti is their social code of self-expression.
So, when a friend screams Graffiti , you might be thinking about helplessly troublesome group of hippie teenagers who spray paint with funny messages and artwork on the streets.
That’s okay. Because, may be ‘your sense of art’ (is there anything like that) is not so contemporary.
But, despite how the art sounds much of a bother than something worth relishing, it has existed since prehistoric times. Today, Graffiti art has given us great insight into more recent cultures and civilizations.
So what message does Graffiti art send to the world?
Thing is, Graffiti can be controversial. A lot of people still don’t understand it. But, if put in a clever use, it can also be used as a medium for voices of protest, social change, or expressions of community desire.
Although it’s a form of art not new to our species, its most recent iteration could be considered a new form of contemporary art. Besides, our planet is becoming more ethically aware and culturally intimate. That means this new controversy will be addressed.
And, if we address it with open minds and through minds, postmodern lens, it might as well be embraced as more legal form of art.
But the bottom line is: hate them or love them, the art of Graffiti and its practitioners are not going anywhere any time soon.