Home› General Chat
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options

Graffiti - antisocial or art?

C FunkC Funk Deactivated Posts: 163 Helping Hand
in General Chat
Hey everyone :wave:

I'm currently writing an article for TheSite.org about the laws around graffiti and was wondering what your thoughts on the topic were.

Does anyone here do any street graffiti? - If so how did you start and where do you do it?

Do you know the laws around graffitiing, like where you can and can't do it?

Have you ever got into trouble for doing it?

Is all graffiti art?

It'd be really good to hear some of your stories about graffiti!!!

:thumb:

Comments

  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    unsolicited graffiti is vandalism in my eyes.

    i think the actual graffiti is pretty tho and definately art in my eyes, if only they could do it in places they were allowed
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Antisocial?!

    Whaaaaaaat! Have you seen Banksy?

    The man's a genius. I've never done any apart from writing my name on a bus shelter over 10 years ago when I was at school. :razz:

    There's a really good book called Subway Art by some bloke I can't remember. He photographed all these trains in NYC for about 30 years I think and then moved onto around the world and delved into why it's done, but I think he touches on London graffiti too.

    Worth investing if you want to be dazzled by pretty, intricate and clever graffiti. Plus you might dazzle the team at Le Site if you want to finito your article. :)

    Sorry I didn't touch much on whatever you asked, but I think what I mentioned might be good to fill up sections of your article. G'luck!
  • Options
    C FunkC Funk Deactivated Posts: 163 Helping Hand
    Yeah i've seen that book before, really really good!!!

    There's quite a lot of different graffiti styles on the streets which can either be seen as antisocial or art. For example, would anyone consider tagging as art or do you think it makes areas look intimidating.
  • Options
    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    I like artistic graffiti - not tags or simple stuff or stencils.

    Something that takes time and effort and looks pretty. Not a tag saying "fatz yo" or a stencil 5 second job.

    Make it artistic, effort must be put in. Like huge graffiti covering a wall.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teh_Gerbil wrote: »
    I like artistic graffiti - not tags or simple stuff or stencils.

    Something that takes time and effort and looks pretty. Not a tag saying "fatz yo" or a stencil 5 second job.

    Make it artistic, effort must be put in. Like huge graffiti covering a wall.

    same.

    Im not against it just because its unsolicited. Im against it if its just tags and names and looks shit.

    Some of it can be beautiful and/or thought provoking urban art and has just as right to be there as anything else that we dont get a say in either.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thing is. With Graffiti, you can't just have the 'beautiful' peices. Graffiti isn't just about that. Its about gettin up. Everywhere and anywhere. Its an element of hiphop.

    I used to have a lot of friends in the scene, ones who got into a lot of trouble because of it, but I can guarantee none of them regret it. IMO you need to check:

    1. Wildstyle (movie)
    2. seenworld.com
    3. All Zonk and Fume stuff (london scene)
    4. Banksy

    That lot will be a good start.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DC85 wrote: »
    Its an element of hiphop.

    Yesyesyesyes! I love Parisian graffiti.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitostreet/sets/72057594055783921/

    Mainly because of Fafi, mind you. :blush:

    http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=fafi&w=48524006%40N00
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    1983 wrote: »
    Yesyesyesyes! I love Parisian graffiti.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitostreet/sets/72057594055783921/

    Mainly because of Fafi, mind you. :blush:

    http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=fafi&w=48524006%40N00

    Fafi :heart:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    love it, think it adds loads of character to a city and makes it look a lot more .. 'alive' .. instead of boring old grey buildings

    used to do a bit when i was younger but i was never really any good at art, purely for the adrenaline buzz, been out with some of the bigger artists in my city a few times and its amazing watching how some of its put together, some people have a real talent!
  • Options
    JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    koe_182 wrote: »
    unsolicited graffiti is vandalism in my eyes.

    i think the actual graffiti is pretty tho and definately art in my eyes, if only they could do it in places they were allowed

    I'd pretty much go with that.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think graffiti is vandalism. However I think the painting style can be art, i.e. spray cans, but it should be endorsed in areas. Recently near us there was a murial on some chipboard surrounding a building site. Was really nice, was showing like kids, old people from all different backgrounds and races together all happy, with funky background colours. Don't know if it was endorsed or not. If it wasn't says something about the kids (from braunstone, look it up, basically used to be worst area of leicestershire) who are seen as white racist thugs who are doing this, painting kids and adults / oaps from all different cultures together. Probably was set up though :p

    'Tagging' where they just spray their initial is shite.
  • Options
    JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    i think graffiti is vandalism.

    I dont know how you've got the balls to say that after this: http://vbulletin.thesite.org/showpost.php?p=2070799&postcount=1!!!
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I was in Granada, Spain, the graffiti - tagging graffiti- was absolutely awful. It just made me feel like the whole city was a bunch of wasters with nothing to do, just scrawl black on all the walls- including the ancient buildings from like the 1400s n stuff.

    however, then there was one artist who did some...and his truly was amazing. such a pity that i only saw it on one wall. I also heard of a parking lot being covered with artistic graffiti on all walls...will see if i can find it...

    but ofc, that's Spain, not England, so it might not be relevant.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    All depends, when it's done right it's amazing and I don't see how anyone can criticise it. Messy and shitty taggings everywhere are shite, not to say I haven't been guilty of it before though. :angel:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I like Shimz at the moment http://www.flickr.com/photos/tattyseasidetown/197978159/in/photostream/
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It can be both antisocial and art; they're not mutually exclusive.

    Done in the right place, and with the right permission, graffiti is wonderful, it really brightens up the place. Done in the wrong place, and without permission, and I think th scrotes who do it should have their hands chopped off.

    Tagging is the thing that really makes my piss boil though!
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it does takes real talent and i see it as art but i think it should be done in certain zoned places....i dont like it scattered all over citys.....and i don't like taggin
Sign In or Register to comment.