Graffiti

[Steezie]

I was talking with a couple of guys at my training facility and two of them are graffiti artists. Both of them are REALLY good, they do some really fantastic work and I dont live in the neighborhood so I dont see much of their actual wall work, but one of them showed me his black book and he has some fantastic stuff

What do you think of graffiti as it is in our culture?

Personally I think that there should be efforts made to give people that WANT to do graffiti art a place they can LEGALLY do it or to employ them as artists to decorate a city rather than chasing them and throwing them in jail for painting illegally. I think if you give people that outlet where they can LEGALLY pursue their art, they will do it legally and only the REAL problems will be left for the cops to deal with. They wont be forced to waste their time chasing down 14 year old kids with Magic Markers.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

I was talking with a couple of guys at my training facility and two of them are graffiti artists. Both of them are REALLY good, they do some really fantastic work and I dont live in the neighborhood so I dont see much of their actual wall work, but one of them showed me his black book and he has some fantastic stuff

What do you think of graffiti as it is in our culture?

Personally I think that there should be efforts made to give people that WANT to do graffiti art a place they can LEGALLY do it or to employ them as artists to decorate a city rather than chasing them and throwing them in jail for painting illegally. I think if you give people that outlet where they can LEGALLY pursue their art, they will do it legally and only the REAL problems will be left for the cops to deal with. They wont be forced to waste their time chasing down 14 year old kids with Magic Markers.

As long as they can do it somewhere legally I'm all for it, but too many crappy "artists" and gang members use graffiti to vandalize and decrease the land value in certain areas. I'm not against real artists who are talented doing their art, but hopefully they can do it somewhere legally and without decreasing property/land value.

 

[Washington]

I was talking with a couple of guys at my training facility and two of them are graffiti artists. Both of them are REALLY good, they do some really fantastic work and I dont live in the neighborhood so I dont see much of their actual wall work, but one of them showed me his black book and he has some fantastic stuff

What do you think of graffiti as it is in our culture?

Personally I think that there should be efforts made to give people that WANT to do graffiti art a place they can LEGALLY do it or to employ them as artists to decorate a city rather than chasing them and throwing them in jail for painting illegally. I think if you give people that outlet where they can LEGALLY pursue their art, they will do it legally and only the REAL problems will be left for the cops to deal with. They wont be forced to waste their time chasing down 14 year old kids with Magic Markers.

Isn't the essence of graffiti its illegality?

 

[cantata]

This reminds me of this:

Got to love Banksy

 

[Steezie]

This reminds me of this:

Got to love Banksy

They actually have those in the UK?

 

[cantata]

They actually have those in the UK?

Haha, no, there's a street artist called Banksy who puts those up The wall is usually covered within 24 hours...

However, graffiti artists have been involved in local community programmes in various parts of the UK, commissioned to do murals and so on. Also, there have been protests at attempts to remove some of Banksy's work, most notably this gem from the wall of a sexual health clinic in Bristol.

 

[TheReasoner]

I was talking with a couple of guys at my training facility and two of them are graffiti artists. Both of them are REALLY good, they do some really fantastic work and I dont live in the neighborhood so I dont see much of their actual wall work, but one of them showed me his black book and he has some fantastic stuff

What do you think of graffiti as it is in our culture?

Personally I think that there should be efforts made to give people that WANT to do graffiti art a place they can LEGALLY do it or to employ them as artists to decorate a city rather than chasing them and throwing them in jail for painting illegally. I think if you give people that outlet where they can LEGALLY pursue their art, they will do it legally and only the REAL problems will be left for the cops to deal with. They wont be forced to waste their time chasing down 14 year old kids with Magic Markers.

What I think about it?

I hate it.

There are a few designated area where tagging is legal. But it doesn't seem to work. Teenagers with dog aspirations (in that they feel a need to mark their 'territory', leave a marker somewhere like dogs do) spill out and ruin subway cars, buses, trams, buildings... It's destroying this city, making is significantly uglier. And most of it - in fact pretty close to all of it - is not artsy at all. It's just ugly.


As for the artsy type, I don't mind. Just lay off areas where it isn't legal. I don't want our new opera-house ruined by it for example.

 

[cantata]

Interestingly, it tends to be things which are ugly already which get vandalised. Rather like that experiment where two cars were left in an area where cars get stolen a lot, and it was the beaten-up old wreck that got stolen, not the shiny new car.

People don't have much respect for ugly things. And although I don't think breaking the law is a good idea, I have a certain sympathy.

 

[TheReasoner]

Interestingly, it tends to be things which are ugly already which get vandalised. Rather like that experiment where two cars were left in an area where cars get stolen a lot, and it was the beaten-up old wreck that got stolen, not the shiny new car.

People don't have much respect for ugly things. And although I don't think breaking the law is a good idea, I have a certain sympathy.

Not always. Not far from my work there was put up a new wall. It was not ugly at all, but rather fit the area and surrounding buildings. The next day after it was done, it was tagged on.

It's true that the really nice places are generally not ruined. It's also true that Oslo by and large isn't a pretty city. Parts of it are, but... Regardless, tagging shouldn't be done

 

[Steezie]

Not always. Not far from my work there was put up a new wall. It was not ugly at all, but rather fit the area and surrounding buildings. The next day after it was done, it was tagged on.

It's true that the really nice places are generally not ruined. It's also true that Oslo by and large isn't a pretty city. Parts of it are, but... Regardless, tagging shouldn't be done

Tagging and actual graffiti are two separate things. Tagging is just putting your name up somewhere visible with its location and difficulty showing how skillful you are. Graffiti is generally more artistic

 

[TheReasoner]

Tagging and actual graffiti are two separate things. Tagging is just putting your name up somewhere visible with its location and difficulty showing how skillful you are. Graffiti is generally more artistic

Well, in that case I despise tagging and don't really mind grafitti. Though I don't like Grafitti when it is imposed on me. Under bridges.... Mnneeeeeeh... Maybe. If it's well done. Otherwise, get a tattoo instead.

 

[Athene]

This reminds me of this:

Got to love Banksy

I heart Banksy.

 

[meebs]

I was talking with a couple of guys at my training facility and two of them are graffiti artists. Both of them are REALLY good, they do some really fantastic work and I dont live in the neighborhood so I dont see much of their actual wall work, but one of them showed me his black book and he has some fantastic stuff

What do you think of graffiti as it is in our culture?

Personally I think that there should be efforts made to give people that WANT to do graffiti art a place they can LEGALLY do it or to employ them as artists to decorate a city rather than chasing them and throwing them in jail for painting illegally. I think if you give people that outlet where they can LEGALLY pursue their art, they will do it legally and only the REAL problems will be left for the cops to deal with. They wont be forced to waste their time chasing down 14 year old kids with Magic Markers.

I utterly agree. I see graffiti as a form of art.

The problem is that this is a minority of graffiti artists. There are still the youths who just scribble rubbish on the walls and don't care.

But i agree there should be areas for the artists. Maybe a canvas at workshops at a community center or urban zones (as long as they understand their work will be temporary but of course if they photograph the work then shouldn't be too bad).

Though in general it seems like graffiti is a form of social protest or anarchy or some trying to mark a territory or to gain credibility within a gang.

There are positives and negatives. I'd love to see their talent utilised. I've seen a lad who well, didn't have the best of lives, but he showed me his graffiti. He was pretty good. I'd hope it was utilised somehow.

Saying that they are breaking the law. Some sort of punishment like community service should be mandatory. Then find them an outlet.These people usually have something to say.