Ashlairy Lora, "Graffiti vs. STREET ART

Graffiti VS. STREET ART

The Difference Between the Banning of Graffiti & Celebration of Street Art

By: Ashlairy Lora

ANcient graffiti

What Is Graffiti? Graffiti is a “mark, image or writing scratched into a surface.”

● Graffiti started ages ago in Ancient Rome for political campaigns

● This picture on the right is a well preserved wall in Pompeii, Italy. The city erupted in 79AD and most of the art is still in remarkable condition

● Ancient Romans used graffiti to communicate with each other and even argue at times

● In the Rape of Europa some of the art was lost but when rediscovered

GRAFFITI 1930-1960S

● Graffiti was used by political activists to make statements and by gang members to mark territory

● “Tagging” and the term “Graffiti” but called “writing” by practitioners began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the late 60’s

● “Serial Tagging” became known in the city and popular in the media

● On the left is

Transition to the streets 1970’s

Although Philly and New York are often associated with each other it seems that Graffiti hit the streets of New York naturally.

Shortly after this, Washington Heights which is in Manhattan started giving birth to writers like ‘JULIO 204’ who started tagging in subways and inspiring writers like ‘Taki 183’ ‘Greg 69’ and ‘Phil T Greek’ to tag in their own communities

Washington Heights quickly became a hotspot for a forming subculture. Taki 183 worked on the subway tracks and this is how he had access to the

● Having the most tags in the city, being “all city” was the goal then, and even now. Writers would ride the subway hitting as many cars as possible

Writing started moving from the streets to the subways and individual boroughs began recognizing each other’s efforts resulting in an inner-city competition.

In 1974, Writing hit a plateau and the city was out of money which didn’t give the MTA System the right resources to fight graffiti effectively.

Is graffiti art?

● Popularity on the subway tracks lead to people complaining about the smell of paint, saying graffiti was a “plague that never ends”

● “ a symbol that we have lost control”

● 15, 16 yr olds running the stations with graffiti

● With bombing becoming so popular people were infuriated because they believed it was not art

DURING THE 80’S, WRITING CULTURE DETERIORATED

BECAUSE THE CRACK

COCAINE EPIDEMIC WAS TAKING A TOLL ON THE CITY. The major change was the increase in the mta’s antigraffiti budget Laws restricting the sale of paint to minors and placing spray paint in locked cages making shoplifting the paint more difficult

Many favored areas became inaccessible to visit because of vandal squad wanting to detain every writer they could,

Two cops above are shown riding the subway to ensure no vandalism happens

The end of an era: bombing the subway

Subway carts with tags were eventually sent to the scrap yard and taken out of service immediately.

Taki 183 riding subway cart with tags

What is street art? “Street art is visual art created in public places.”

WHY IS GRAFFITI NOT CONSIDERED STREET ART?

BECAUSE IT IS DONE WITHOUT PERMISSIOn , HARD TO READ and word based.

STREET ART IS CELEBRATED AS “BEAUTIFYING” AND OFTEN ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY

Is this graffiti or art? Is graffiti vandalism?

“What people agree is deviant differs in various s0cieties And subcultures, and it may change over time”

A mural with words and bubbles mimicking graffiti writing styles but being celebrated as street art

Art is perception

Do you think that graffiti is art and should be funded like street murals?

Is what you consider art your perception or the public’s opinion?

IS ART, ALL ART?

Like in the Rape of Europa, at the end, the stolen art was not returned to everyone just like some graffiti writers have to live with their art being buried underneath the city forever.

Relating to the Book Banning Panel discussion this reminded me of how society will always want to control what you see, read, and indulge in.