|
|
|
© Marie Hollands / ukhh.com 2003
article 0037 added
16.09.03 words Marie Hollands technical:
QED
What do people think graffiti is about?
&
chatting to the artists
The social framework of graffiti is a complex one and any outsider who sees graffiti as simply a sign of a bad area or neighbourhood has lots to learn about the stemming systems within society. Vandalism is merely the phrase coined to denounce unwanted people or activities. It is part of ideology, not a correct term.
Graffiti has attracted both artists and moral entrepreneurs. The former sought to entice graffiti writers to paint on canvasses to be sold in galleries; the latter used graffiti as a sign of urban disorder and argued for its suppression as a first step in reasserting law and order against unrestrained youth and assertive members of minority groups
(Crimes of Style: Urban graffiti and the politics of criminality).
Axel Thiel, a leading graffiti researcher, argues that it is 'normality' that names writers as 'vandals and dangerous terrorists' which he states is nonsense if you have 'enough discriminating capacities' to compare what writers do to what terrorists may do. In Theil's writings of
The Psychological (Unconscious) Structure of Writers he points out that we may see writers as highly sensible and socially motivated part of populace that can be able to be speakers for a whole cohort. They can help to express certain information, which to youth at least is important. Expression after all is something crucial to living. In terms of aspects of the unconscious of writers, their motives are not always visible, there seems to be a huge force, which is addictive, 'I just can't stop it!' They take risks, make thorough preparation, and do it in spite of it's dangers and often illegal - it's mans natural drive to express - you cannot not communicate. Repression of graffiti, by law and authorities is often useless and costly.
A strategy of 'counter-insurgency' works by 'ideological manipulation', dividing the artists from the vandals, thus turning them against each other and disorientating them.
It is no coincidence that wherever an impression of urban decay is desired (film sets, news broadcasts), graffiti is often found in the background. It has become an international symbol to most of pollution and destruction. There are many parts of society that it seems to affect. The financial cost is easiest to define. US municipalities estimate spending $15 billion per year removing graffiti. They also suggest that neighbourhood impact and youth cultural impact are two aspects that entail greater costs. The National Urban Institute (US) identify five neighbourhood issues: intimidation of residents, scaring of customers, discouragement of tourism, invitation to other vandals and attracting crime in general. As for the youth cultural impact they suggest that the subculture advocates anti-social values such as lawlessness and disrespect.
The British Transport Police (BTP) claims that there are only about two hundred serious graffiti 'vandals' in the country, and that 75% of graffiti 'vandals' re-offend. A cross-party investigation for the London assembly showed that the graffiti committee estimates that the annual cost of cleaning and lost investment in the capital alone is £100 million a year. The report also states that the London underground claims it will cost approximately £10 million per year to replace windows etched with graffiti (an act labelled 'Dutch' graffiti) as well as the yearly £2.5 million to clean other types of graffiti. Magistrates can impose fines of up to £5,000 and sentences of up to a year for criminal damage, but the committee was told that courts and enforcement agencies did not regard graffiti as a serious offence. The BTP have admitted that a few years ago they considered graffiti 'vandals' to be from deprived backgrounds or single-parent families, but they have evidence now to prove their stereo-typical views to be false, they have realised that it attracts many types of people and can even be a way of life for some. However, on researching this it seems that the American public, and perhaps not just the American public are ill informed about general aspects of the graffiti subculture. Most graffiti comes from Hip-hop (90% approximately) and is not gang related.
Just as dirt becomes dirty according to it's context, graffiti's displacement to art galleries changes it's meaning. When appropriated and commodified by the art world, the graffiti changes to art
(Tim Cresswell, Meaning of cultural landscapes).
In any field of practice, experienced people are the best to tell it how it is, I have spoken to several accomplished graffiti writers and interviewed them.
DOZE ( An American graffiti artist who's name can be seen in the credits
of
Wildstyle the movie.)
Marie: So what is your work about, is it graf or street art?
DOZE: Well it's evolving out of graf, I'm more fusionist if you like.
Marie: And how long have you been doing this?
DOZE: Since 1974, I started hitting the trains in N.Y in '76.
Marie: How do you think the scene has changed since then?
DOZE: Its limited medium wise, it's not just spray paint, and it's definitely progressed since bubble writing. In New York traditional graf has slidden, I mean it's still the Mecca, still underground, but graf is big everywhere now - Brazil, France - everywhere. There are two types of graf, there's the muralist scenic type and the traditional - still wildstyle, still walls - that's underground, and more political and anti-establishment, I do a culmination of things and styles - techno symbolism and stuff.
Marie: What would you say to people who only see graf as vandalism?
DOZE: It's only illegal because it's not paid for. I mean I see billboards as vandalism, they're an eyesore.
Dave Denis from X-DREEM, was exhibiting with DOZE and many other graffitists in an exhibition called STREETWISE in London's Apart gallery 2002 when I caught up with him.
Dave: Can I just say I'm not a graf artist, I'm a street artist.
Marie: So what do you consider to be the difference between the two?
Dave: They're both communication you know, both are street art but graf is more an identity, of being a name.
Marie: What's the importance of getting into galleries?
Dave: It's a lot to do with money, and galleries wanting something new - you have the
possibility of making a career if you get into galleries.
Marie: Where's graf/street art at now?
Dave: It's more of an aesthetic. We're all from cities (at this exhibition) and have done
work for Adidas, Nike... but streets is where it started.
Marie: What's the culture of street art?
Dave: Tactical guerrilla warfare, it's not one big happy family; there's extreme rivalry of crews.
Marie: What's the difference between over and underground art?
Dave: Underground is controlled and limited, over is more public, more a business.
SHE ONE (started in 1984)
SHE ONE: I don't see a difference between over and underground art. I work on walls and canvas, all surfaces - it's all me though. The thing that doesn't change is my style or application. Graf is a society of individuals held together by a common tool - a spray can, a metropolitan tool, and it's base is a stylised handwriting.
- Marie Hollands BA
Related Links:
