Graffiti: An Introduction from an Art History Perspective

Graffiti: An Introduction

Having property vandalized by others is always problematic. The influx of graffiti appearing around town lately encouraged me to revisit a topic I studied during undergraduate and graduate studies from various perspectives. 

The purpose of this three part series is multidimentional: help understand graffiti and its evolution from vandalism into mainstream art; its recalibration into eco-friendly adaptations by progressive artists; and propsals for containing and accepting it. With optimism, the series will help illuminate the cultural capital while simultaneously suggesting alternative solutions so it can be embraced by a community often defined by its creativity. 

Graffiti it is derived from the Italian word graffiato which means to scratch, or scribble. Historically, it was considered an art form, not vandalism. In the context of this essay and the subculture of the art form there is a distinction between vandal and street artist.

I should disclose that I am a supporter of street art. However, I am not a fan of erratic vandalism with no purpose or message other than scribing poorly crafted words across a wall with a magic marker.

For example, opening my blinds to see SNAKEPISS first thing in the morning last week did not amuse me with its lack of creativity and obnoxiousness. Of all the people who would have appreciated an exciting piece of temporary street art to wake up to, they picked the wrong place to waste their paint. My first thought was “That’s all you have for me? That’s a shame.”  [Images 1,2]

Tagging a garbage dumpster is definitely not the work of a creative because an street artist would not methodically associate their work with garbage unless it was at 5Pointz in Queens where no more wall space exists. [Images 3,4]

The difference between vandal is street artist is the street artist is usually driven by a socio-cultural message they are trying to express visually. Vandals are being destructive and have no purpose or poignant message – there is no union between message and medium. SNAKEPISS is not an important message for society to read and/or contemplate. I have no idea what the bathroom habits of snakes are, nor have I ever had the desire to research the topic.

Image five is graffiti in Palermo, Sicily. The political message hidden in one word is important and thought provoking because of the historically tumultous Italian government. It also reiterates the struggle within mainland Italy and the island resting at the southern tip which has endured centuries of warring factions trying to gain control of it. 

The symbolism embedded in each tag, which is the artist’s nom de plume or signature they will continue to use during their career, can be challenging to decipher by the untrained eye. The repetition of seeing it is usually what the artist is striving for which is why the same tag will be seen in several places. The more unusual the place a tag can be seen such as the side of a high rise, a rooftop, a highway overpass, the top of a grain tower, the more credibility the artist obtains in their circle.

Contemporary artist Jean Michel Basquiat’s early work can be traced back to the burgeoning graffiti scene in New York City in the 1970’s. Using the tag SAMO, he started his artistic expression through graffiti in Brooklyn and then gravitated to the Lower East Side. After an article in the Village Voice revealed his identity he poignantly wrote SAMO IS DEAD and SAMO NO MO on walls in SoHo and changed the direction of his artistic style and started to work on canvases. [Image 6]

Using Basquiat’s work to set the stage for how graffiti would impact the art world, graffiti artists began to develope into refined creatives who personified political statements, reflections of urban life, memorials for community members who passed away and satire toward the world of conformity into their work. [Image 7,8]

Lady Pink was one of the first female street artists in NYC and always weaves the word PINK into her work which makes it easy to identify. Starting as a graffiti artist to express her grief of a boyfriend being deported to Puerto Rico by tagging subway cars, she has matured exquistedly over her 30 year career and her work currently hangs preeminent cultural institutions like the Whitney, The Met and the Brooklyn Museum. [Image 9]

The recognition of graffiti from vandalistic scribbles to a highly stylized art form is important because it is a medium that continues to evolve with no definitive end in sight. Photography is another artistic medium that is exists in a continued state of evolution. Street art also hinges delicately on a sense of impermanence because each work will eventually destroyed, painted over by other artists and/or authority, or the building it resides on with be demolished like 5Pointz which is slated for demolition to make room for new development.

Even though the medium is now widely accepted as contemporary art, most street artists cling to their privacy as fiercely as Basquiat because it is still illegal regardless of how beautiful the work is. One of the most notorious street artists to keep his identity veiled is Banksy. Based in the UK, his work has appeared around the world making his mobility another important quality of the work. [Images 10, 11]

His messages are thought provoking and hard to debunk intellectually. Banksy’s first (and only film) Exit through the Gift Shop debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010 and can offer insight about the nuances of street art and the privacy issues that cloak it. Banksy has challenged Warhol's belief of everyone having 15 minutes of fame by stating "In the future, everyone will seek out 15 minutes of anonyminity."

Images of the work may be available, but photographers have formed a unique alliance with street artists and rarely reveal the actual address for fear of damage to the work. Often considered criminal acts rebellion against society, street art is visually compelling because of its vibrant depiction of daily life, current events and cultural messages interpreted by the younger generation. It can also be considered a renewable community resource, albeit a resource that may not appeal to the masses or to property owners.

Graffiti is a cat-and-mouse chase between scribe and authority which immediately creates a binary tension between artist and viewer. They write fast and move on faster while authority is usually days or weeks behind them giving the public that much more time to observe the work. Banksy captialized on this component of street art in one of his pieces. [Image 13]

As with all art that came before street art, the creative must have a destructive element in their work before something new can emerge. Salvadore Dali dismantled reality and reconstructed it into surrealism. Pablo Picasso dismantled the human form and reconstructed it into cubism. Billy Lawless challenged political involvement in the creative process and its unrestrained decision to destroy artwork. He promptly got himself and his Green Lightening sculpture tossed out of Buffalo, NY back in the 1980's but he helped change civil liberty rights for artists.

I’m not denying there is a destructive quality inherent in street art and I’m not condoning that people vandalize property belonging to others. I’m suggesting that vandals increase their creativity and raise the bar to artist. If you have something to express, do it the best way you can and in a way that will give you creative leverage and longevity.

The next two essays demonstrate eco-friendly allternatives and recommendations of how to amalgamate street artist with community, while reducing the negative connotations it has created and legal problems vandals are challenged with. ■