People are often divided when it comes to graffiti. Is it art? Is it vandalism? Should it be more heavily penalized or more encouraged? Is any form of writing on the wall to be given any meaning above its original? Whilst smarter people than myself discuss these topics and aim to find answers, the rest of us can simply chuckle at the silliness of it all.
The Facebook group “It’s Graffiti, But Why?” has united over 66k members who love sharing and laughing at the silliest and most random graffiti finds. Ever since September 2015, it’s become a hub for those who appreciate the absurdity of life, as well as its fragility. But enough of fancy wordy talk, let’s get into some more interesting bits about graffiti as a whole.
As stated by the Eden Gallery, graffiti is a form of visual communication created in public places. It’s usually illegally produced and often involves the unauthorized marking of public or private spaces by individuals or groups. It bears an uncanny resemblance to ancient inscriptions and cave drawings, telling a story of present-day life.
Regardless of that fact, the art form has been very much criticized by the public as a whole, with it only recently beginning its journey to being recognized as actual art. As stated by Jonathan Jones, the vast majority of graffiti is ugly, stupid and vaguely threatening, with only a tiny portion of it all being witty or creative. “It is boring and expresses a generalized contempt for community, kindness, and the weak,” he says. But one should probably look at why people graffiti in the first place.
Modern graffiti started in the 1960s in New York City and Philadelphia, with one of the very first graffiti writers being Taki 183, who one day found himself bored. Walking around the streets, he was met with a small piece of writing that spelled out Julio 204. Taki got inspired and started to write his name everywhere. Others got inspired and wanted to try it too, and suddenly the city of New York was covered in names and addresses.
Nikita Krakhofer explains that it became a sort of game and challenge. The way to become better at this game was to write in a better way than the others, which is how different styles emerged. Needless to say, it was highly illegal and dangerous. It could land you in prison, make you pay a hefty fine, or you could simply die due to the risk involved in being on the train tracks, in the subway, or at other dangerous spots. But that didn’t seem to deter people.
There are certain aspects of creating graffiti that give one a rush unlike that of simply drawing or painting. It gives one a sense of freedom to create anything and everything without limits for space. It also brings a sense of rebellion against the system, society, and any norms that may be critical of their message.
Furthermore, it can lead to fame and notoriety on a global scale. As long as one is incredibly good at what they do, or incredibly stupid to attempt to tag the most dangerous locations. But, similar to mountaineering, graffiti artists want to ‘climb’ them all—collect all the street spots, subways, cars, etc.
Regardless of all these reasons, the one that may unite every single graffiti artist is the craving to leave one’s mark on the world. To express oneself and to be recognized for existing. Being known for something as illegal as vandalizing property, no matter how beautiful or artistic the ensuing graffiti is, makes the effort worth it for these graffitists.
Besides, if we look at some absurdist philosophy, we may realize that we’re looking far too deep into this as is. Absurdism refers to the complex human tendency to find meaning and inherent value in life and the inability to do so in a purposeless existence within an irrational universe. Having the ability to be conscious of the absurd and responding to it allows individuals to achieve a greater extent of their freedom, and thus, we land back here to these examples of graffiti.
At the end of the day, graffiti is a language of modern-day society. Whilst the actual scribble or genital silhouette may not have any artistic value, it speaks volumes about current-day issues, some of which still revolve around the fact that we’re an inconsequential part of the universe with limited lifespans, trying to satisfy our craving for life eternal.
Or it means absolutely nothing and just acts as a means for temporary happiness for the artist and for the beholder. Although that building may not stick around forever, the memories and paint may do so longer than the people who put them there in the first place, and that’s all that matters.
As you continue scrolling through the list, make sure you’re upvoting your favorites and leaving comments below, and I shall see you all in the next one!
