Beyond the Wall
Following is an excerpt from an article by The Michigan Daily's Whitney Pow. It discusses the question of graffiti as a true art form. I found it a fresh take on examining this urban art movement. Instead of just motoring into talk of vandalism we need to look at the commentary, the statement and the drive behind these moving images.
Granted, scralled "tags" can begin to become unsightly to some. But, behind the majority of what you see on a wall or train or bridge abatement, there is truly meaning. Graffiti gives those without a voice, without a platform, an opportunity to comment and express themselves.
Graffiti walks a fine line in underground art
"Let's admire a wall for a moment. It's made of red brick, and it's about 18 feet tall. It runs about a quarter of a city block, around 88 feet. It keeps a building up, and it keeps the rain out.
In short, it's a good wall.
But it's boring and, let's face it, pretty unsightly. According to a graffiti artist, though, it's about 1,584 square feet of unused canvas.
"I just have this desire to put graffiti on banks, and I don't know why," said an LSA sophomore and graffiti artist who agreed to be identified only by her initials, S.H.R, because her work is illegal. "I think it's mostly because they have these big blank walls outside of them. Most of the buildings are pretty ugly as they are, so I wouldn't care about putting paint on them," she said.
And even though the artists view these paintings as art, graffiti carries different connotations and conjures stereotypical images of kids with spray paint covering street signs with drunken, low-brow homages to sweethearts. But, while some graffiti may be treated as such, it's much more than juvenilia. There's a whole culture of craftsmanship beneath layers of aerosol paint, an entire art form that needs to be unearthed with a discerning eye."
To read this article in full please visit the Michigan Daily website.