Graffiti can be seen as an act of vandalism, the destruction of property, a crime. However, this small group of artists seeks to document graffiti because they view it as a youthful expression. Graffiti as a phenomena is a rebellious act, however it can often produce beautiful works of art. Because it can be considered a crime, the documentation of these works is not common. People "clean up" cities by removing graffiti, restoring plain brick walls to plain brick walls. I believe that graffiti makes certain areas look nicer, or at least certainly more interesting. I don't condone vandalism, and I would be upset if my house were vandalized, but I would eventually like to paint the outside of a building for the world to see my work.
One of my old friends did a documentary on graffiti artists in Newark. It was really interesting and made me view it differently. These types of artists are out to make street art but there is a really thin line between this kind of art and vandalism. It certainly transforms an old building or structure, but most people associate graffiti with gangs and poverty. It will be interesting to see if these artists and photographers can bring graffiti into a more positive light.
ReplyDelete