Graffiti
is seen as either a mess, simply unsightly scribbles on the walls of
the city or to others, an amazing concept, a pièce
de résistance. But is it really vandalism? Should we blame a
generation for expressing their feelings or should we embrace it;
whether it conveys an angry or a positive message?
Agreed, some
artwork is morbid and sometimes even disturbing, for instance when on
the wall or your local shop the haphazard words 'death is near'
scream at you, it may seem farfetched and often a little pointless.
Except not all of it is this juvenile, a lot of it has taken time and
thought. In urban environments, street art can often give the public
something to contemplate, and potentially something they can relate
to.
To produce a lot
of the graffiti found in city centres, a stencil has to be drawn and
cut out first. This is usually if an image is being rendered rather
than just the words 'Fresh' or 'Cool'. Spray paint is also the most
tempremental material to use on the planet. The street artists only
get one chance to paint their canvas (since it's the walls of a city
it doesn't rub off so well), yet there are rarely mistakes make in
this type of art. It's a fearless way of expressing yourself, put out
there for everyone to see.
Graffiti is
accessible for all classes and ages, a rebellion against art being
made only for big shots who can afford it in their homes. As a
student you aren't likely to be able to afford the latest auction of
the last painting Van Gogh ever created, so graffiti will have to do.
There's no back breaking admission prices either. It's also most
likely to have been done by someone the same age as you. Maybe
they're crazy, maybe they love dogs, or perhaps they hate their mum
and needed to write it on that streetlamp. Either way, its going to
be there every time you walk past it, so you might as well get used
to it.
Another thing to
consider is how they manage to get onto the bridges on the motorway.
Graffiti often covers all corners of underground walkways, surely the
artists must be half spider monkey to reach the places they do? They
must be determined in order to dangle over a busy street just to be
bothered to write their name or possibly 'School's Out' upside down.
Whether you are
a fan of street art or aren't really fazed by it, it's someone elses
personal thoughts and feelings which they wanted to express, which
they're probably proud of. If it looks cool then that's half the
battle and it might make a good cover photo for your Facebook page.
Search 'Street Art Anarchy' on Facebook and Instagram for updates
about new contemporary street art all over the world. Street art
could help you design your tattoo you've wanted for so long. Oh, and
if you're not familiar with Banksy's work, you need to look at it.
Now.
-Emz
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