To some it is destructive, ugly, and detrimental to society; to others it is the most artistic and creatively beautiful expression that one could possibly compose. Regardless of how one chooses to perceive it, graffiti can be found in nearly every city across the United States. Encyclopedia Britannica defines graffiti as a “form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of a public space by an individual or group” (Decker). Peaking in the 1970s and 80s, graffiti has refused to die and continues to be an indispensible aspect of urban environments. Due to the fact that graffiti has lasted so long in an environment where so many are working to terminate it, there are obviously many factors that have led to its survival. As graffiti has been prevalent in metropolitan areas for decades, it is undeniable that graffiti has come to have a lasting effect on urban culture through its vivid and valuable communication among peers.
Graffiti by Banksy:
One of the most predominant uses of graffiti in metropolitan society has proven to be territorial markings. One method of tagging is that of marking gang territory. These gang-related markings are strongly space specific, as street gangs focus on occupying a permanent area. Gangs sometimes even adopt the street names in the location they wish to occupy as their own; further supporting the idea of gangs as place specific. The overall objective of gangs using graffiti is to display power by showing how vast their territory is and how many tags they have accumulated in the area. Due to this style of behavior, gang-related graffiti is generally seen in vast quantities in a compact area. Seldom will a particular gang have tags or throw ups scattered throughout a city.
Although some may think that a tool used by gangs may be negatively affecting society, graffiti has many other applications. Graffiti is widely used to identify ethnic neighborhoods and it provides artists in urban settings a way to express themselves to their surrounding peers. The issue that some have with graffiti is that they are unable to recognize the benefits that the art provides. Croteau and Hoynes explain this idea when they write “Understanding or ‘decoding’ these messages requires knowledge of the conventions of the medium and the workings of the culture” (275). The vast majority of city officials have extremely limited knowledge and experience with graffiti, other than that they don’t understand what the lettering reads. In the end however, it doesn’t matter how strong the stance against this medium becomes; the writing on the wall can never be washed away, no matter who or what stands in its way.
*Decker, Scott H., and Glen Curry. "graffiti." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia
Britannica Online. 25 Apr. 2009
Cameron,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your argument that Graffiti acts as a medium in society. The "artwork" defines cities economic and social status (poorer cities with gang violence vs. wealthy areas). It'd be interesting to see graffiti on a rural farm--I wonder if it would have the same message as in a urban city. In addition, it serves as a status symbol for gangs. We see graffiti on top of the tallest buildings and wonder how it got there. There was a recent article in the NY Times about how gangs haze their incoming members by targeting tough spots to do graffiti, and have them dangerously defy the odds and try to spray the spot. If they do, they're in. If they don't, they're out. Numerous people have gotten hurt or even died from this type of "graffiti hazing". Overall, completely agree with you that graffiti, or "artwork" serves as a medium in society.
xoxo,
MM
Cam what an outstanding choice of something that acts as a medium. The artwork is definitely a great way to express one self as well as to serve as a way to share a message. It is something that has been going on for a long time and i think will not stop for years to come. Grafitti definitely represents as a medium in today's society.
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