How To Spot A Writer...

Graffiti: The Art Of Words

For most people the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear or see the word “Graffiti” is vandalism. They think of profane words and racial slurs scribbled in bathroom stalls and illegible names painted in downtown back-alleys. This is the unfortunate truth. Graffiti is not an ugly word. It is not considered a “Swear Word”, nor do we refer to it as the “G-Word”. As a technical definition, Graffiti is as follows: graffiti pl. (from Italian graffiare, "to scratch")
1. A scribbling on an ancient wall, as in Pompeii
2. A drawing or writing scratched on a wall or other surface
In fact, Graffiti isn’t actually Graffiti. It is Writing. “Graffiti” is the social term that was developed in the 1970’s for the culture. For years, it was referred to simply as “Writing”, and the people who took part in such acts were known as “Writers” (They still are today).
It wasn’t until much later that news articles surfaced, referring to their writing as "graffiti," and that the terminology latched itself onto the movement as the social name for it, as well as stigmatizing it into an abominable controversy.

In cities across North America, civic authorities detest graffiti and pour billions into Anti-Graffiti measures. On a quiet morning two months ago, New York’s Mayor Bloomberg took his paint roller and press corps to Williamsburg, a burgeoning node on the graffiti-writers' map that is now a target for intensified policing, punishment, and cleanup. "Even with limited resources, we are not going to walk away from the needs of this city," he said. "Graffiti poses a direct threat to the quality of life of all New Yorkers. It's not just an eyesore. It is an invitation to criminals and a message to citizens that we don't care."
The public eye sees graffiti as a plague, as shown by the above passage and the numerous businesses by the name of “Graffiti-Be-Gone” and the like. These businesses are created to paint over or “Buff” the unwanted forms of graffiti. Many of these businesses employ graffiti writers who have no problems ridding their city of the type of graffiti that gives the medium a bad name. These are the writers that are interested in the artistic aspect of graffiti. They originally started writing for the thrill induced by the idea of participating in an illegal activity, or to get their tag or “Blaze” name known. However, most popular writers are interested in the style and expressions used in graffiti. Much of the modern graffiti is written mainly for the sole purpose of getting the writer’s art seen. Some cities have even gone as far as putting up “Legal Walls”, or designated Graffiti Zones where writers can go out at any time of day and create pieces of art, provided they are not offensive, without being penalized. Many times, when construction sites are cordoned off with large plywood boards, local graffiti writers are invited to paint large “pieces”, short for Masterpiece, on the boards to make it visually pleasing. Many people see boards such as this, or see the same artwork done for galleries and enjoy it. They are amazed that such intricate works were created with a few cans of spray paint. It is unfortunate that their appreciation for the medium does not extend to those writers who cannot afford or do not have enough publicity to have their pieces placed in legitimate galleries. It is also disheartening that society encourages the well known writers to continue their escapades, yet it turns on writers who want nothing more than to practice and become as well known as others. Most people claim graffiti is vandalism, but when they see a legal piece of “Wildstyle” or a set of 3D bubble letters in an advertisement for a company they know, it is perfectly all right. It appears that the crime is not the art, but the area in which it is placed. It is a shame, because alleyways and parking lots would be much more pleasant to walk down if the colourful graffiti was left there, instead of being painted over with black and grey spots that are uglier than the graffiti ever could be.
The majority of graffiti is gang-related and leads to violent criminal activity. Anyone who knows anything about art, or has ever lived in a Canadian city knows that this is possibly the dumbest and most ill informed statement one could make. Yet in the mid nineties, this was the message being spread through the local media by police. The only people who stepped up to rebuke this claim were the masked graffiti writers. It was a case of the friendly local anchorman vs. the veiled vandal – there was no question who the public was going to believe. While gangs are known to mark their territory using spray paint, it is difficult to call it graffiti, and even harder to call it artistic. Once again, it generally involves the gang’s name on a fence; it takes no artistic talent or skill to write a name with a can of spray paint. It does, however, take practice, planning and a steady hand to create an enormous and immaculate mural that stretches the length of the side of a building.
Trains are another side of graffiti that are ignored by most. It is argued that modern graffiti has its roots in the New York Subway movement from the 1970’s. Once the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) began using a corrosive solvent to clean all the paint off the subway trains writers began painting intercontinental freight trains. If you drive past any train yard you will see numerous rail cars with graffiti on them. They range from simple monotone outlines to multicolour “burners”. Trains provide more of a challenge for writers in that it is rarely possible to drive up to a train yard, walk in, and illegally paint or “Bomb” a train with impunity. Therefore, trains are much more interesting for thrill-seekers and writers who want to get their pieces seen across the country. It also makes the trains at least a little more interesting for train spotters. Given the minimum maintenance standards of modern railroads many train cars and even some engines are so faded and rusted that they could benefit from a fresh coat of paint. So in a sense, writers are helping rail companies. However, once again the public is biased on this aspect of it. People see a train with graffiti on it, and they don’t give it a second thought. Yet when they see graffiti in a back alley or on the back of an industrial warehouse it’s automatically gang related and must be painted over or buffed immediately.
The bottom line is that graffiti is a combination of illicit activity as well as a pure and standalone art form. The true writer gets a thrill out of the action that goes directly against the law, but also is able to paint his or her piece and feel proud of it at the end of the night.