Street Art vs. Graffiti
Whoever loves, go to hell. I want to break Venus’s ribs
with a club and deform her hips.
If she can break my tender heart
why can’t I hit her over the head?
-CIL IV, 1284.
I’ve written extensively about street art and graffiti, specifically what’s going on in the Missoula scene. These posts have consistently generated the most discussion, which I welcome. Respectful discussion, even when there are disagreements. Not being part of the graff scene, merely being interested in it from an art perspective, I have a different taker on it than the folks doing the tagging and the painting, obviously, but I wanted to offer some observations I’ve been kicking around in my head recently.
Graffiti has been around for as long as there have been things with which to draw and write. Our boy CIL up there show us that graff hasn’t changed much over time in regards to content. But I wouldn’t call him an artist. The original Latin in which CIL wrote about his heartbreak was fraught with misspellings. [citation needed]. This leads me to the question: Is it art if it’s poorly executed and shows the author’s stupidity or lack of education?
A recent commenter made the point, however inarticulately, that it isn’t “real” graff if it isn’t done illegally, and that one of the points of doing graff is the adrenaline rush, that is destructive and illegal, and it’s a fuck you to the establishment. While I don’t doubt that there is a fuck you element, as well as an adrenaline rush I would argue that a mentality like that dismisses out of hand the wildly accepted premise in graff culture that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.
I would argue that there isn’t any good graffiti in Missoula that isn’t either legal or stenciled. Missoula’s too small of a town for a graff artist to spend hours on a piece and not get caught, so a more involved piece by simple logistics has to be done on the California Street bridge. Or it needs to be a stencil that can be worked on a long time at home and then taken out into the night.
Graff that’s done merely to vandalize is usually pretty awful. It’s graff like this that only vindicates what Greyman does. So, graff artists, keep painting, stenciling, tagging. But keep it beautiful, too. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
What say you? How do you define good graff and street art?
Well graffiti is really whatever you want it to be or define .It can be political or make you think.But any of that brand wouldn’t exist today had the artists not seen something else layed down elsewhwere.If you notice, most the political related stuff is really some of the worst looking shit on the street.Usually a generic lettered attempt at creating attention.Unless it actually contains something really witty it wouldnt really get a second look by non graff writers.Something vibrant, colorful and cryptically styled on the other hand seems to generate more discussion and observation by the general public.Ive seen first hand in Missoula what a moniker can establish as far as attention when its creative and done in repitition.You overhear people in a public atmosphere talking,the media writes about it.A writer seems to get more attention when he repeatedly destroys city and public property over and over.
As far as the question of whether or not its art goes,I think its art as long as the attempt at art is there.Some writers have no artistic talent but have the balls to hit up multiple locations over and over.Alot of talented artists are still considered toys because they want to be a graff artist but dont have the balls to put the true work in.
Stencilism isnt really my gig but it gets my attention and respect all day due to the fact that even though that stencil cutout wasnt created at the scene of the crime,it took seriouse stones to pack that thing to a public location with a can of spray and make the obvious gesture of vandalism.And some of those cutouts cant be to easy to conceal.
Sorry,its late and have to work in the morning,I hit this spot back up this weekennd probably.Peace Marc!
[...] had nothing to paint over? Not that there wouldn’t be graffiti, but that it was done without paint? Missoula being the environmentally friendly “green” town that it is should have no [...]
Outstanding blog entry – great flickz. if you are looking for more info on graffiti and street art and stencil tips tricks techniques (and secrets) check out the following: http://tr.im/1w0g
Sweet blog by the way!
Thanks, jzzy. Good stuff
missoula is not to small of a town by any means to do a big piece or be busted too quickly. In the early 90′s there was throwups all over the downtown roofs. There was a huge piece prob, six foot by twenty foot above pita pit, full color, 3d, and fn amazing. you can still see the buff where some asshole went over it. theres actually a lil marker tag thats still there. THere is spots all over this town that are vacant lots, rooftops w no security and a seven foot ladder w a blocking metal plates that hardly a deterrent. Theres no anti graff police stormig the streets, no helicopters looking for kids on the roof of adair jewelers. Its easy to get up in missoula, its just a matter of a serious crew getting together and going out. CSK, well known at the wall, but not on the streets. As of lately the tagging spree in missoula has blown up, and couldn make me more happy. SOme prominent names are as follows, Amok,Emok,Razo, NFH, Astro, Gauks, VIK, DBK (very toyish), Rosko,aces, ONes,(prob up more than anyone else w his bills hes posted. Truth, Task, Bask, E, W, EMK, ANK, ABM, Zoo, Mokone, ONZO, Bird (old school)OBIONE, (billboard kid)Soma(drippy drippy) I could list more but these are just a few ive seen a lot lately. ITs not hard at all to become a well known graff artist cuz its been done before, Dazed ring a bell? its just a matte of getting a solid crew of at LEAST five guys. Two spotters, a scanner always helps, and just extra lookouts while two guys paint throwups or layout some stencil tack. there is a flood of graff coming this summer ladies and gents, look out greyman, you’ll stop before we’ll stop.