‘Graffiti is art crime’, it’s a common answer for the question graffiti is art or design, or anything? It’s a little tricky to call graffiti as art because traditionally, art is perceived as academic concept, in a gallery. However, graffiti was born outside of this system, and it is illegal, in most countries. The controversial issue around graffiti such as its legitimate case may be one of many reasons affecting the perceptibility towards this kind of art.
However, to be a form of art, graffiti doesn’t need to be favored by audience, just like any other kind of art. Perhaps appearing in famous ‘wall’ galleries across the globe, and be critiqued by others famous graffiti artists may treat graffiti well to make it a popular art.
Graffiti is art in the form of spray can. It has all elements of art to be considered such as form, color, composition of such things to create aesthetical presentation on the wall. The matter is its methods of location and presentation are obstacle to create a friendly acceptance from people and government.
In my opinion, graffiti not relates to art or design movement, due to the obstacles that it encounters. But it absolutely contributes much to the transformation of contemporary culture. Firstly, the theory behind graffiti is nothing new or original, in my opinion. It’s still design elements and theories that you can see anywhere before. The most original one is the use of spray-can medium to paint or ‘write’ (according to graffiti artists’ language) on the wall. However, it doesn’t mean they don’t earn much respect from other artists. Writing with spray can requires fast decision-making and skill to control the line, curves of letters.
Another relation to the culture is its effect to the society. Graffiti has moved from purpose of individual identity or group identity to social, political identity in new century. The image of graffiti has strong effect to attract audience attention, and ability to reach the public. So it’s easy to see why it has become media icon on the street.
The most common politic issues is wall politic relating to the illegalness of writing on the wall. It can be seen on the street, train, abandoned building, and gang’s area. Another issue is the trend of graffiti artist, who want to heighten the awareness of contemporary issues like AIDS or drug addiction, and of course has grate impact on adolescents and young adults’ talent and experience, enriching the network and flow of communication in the society. The subculture around graffiti is really a diversity community in which individual is passion, integrated into popular culture to create powerful graffiti images that is able of constructing imagined community.
The point is that in people’s eyes, graffiti is rather than a culture phenomenon than an academic kind of art. In fact, it is street culture, and becomes one of four main elements of the Hip Hop culture (along with master of ceremony, the disc jockey, and break dancing). Graffiti has found the international recognition in 21st century, just as the invasion of hip hop culture.
Taking manga as an example, a symbol of change. Accepting manga as high quality culture, a part of national culture is important to Japanese government. Manga, just like graffiti, was characterized by its resistance to the dominant cultural ideas. However, over time, manga has integrated into part of Japanese culture; use of mange is applied for not only education, but also advertising campaign.
Graffiti is iconography for Western culture, especially American culture due to its diversity races because the place is the root. By integrating into the dominant culture, cooperating with the world in the way that is advantageous to the theory that graffiti used to opposed. That means graffiti wants to become friendlier with the society rather than being a subculture against the community. Although the street culture of art still exists, it’s clear that graffiti has adapted the social needs by facilitating the awareness and exposure in the society by power of graffiti identity and images. And like manga, time will help graffiti becoming a cultural messenger, an iconography representation of the world. 
this presents the little cooperation from society, and the shift of graffiti
artist’ dominance.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Miss_Van_y_Ciou_%28aikijuanma%29.jpg
http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/dec2005/anti_sony_corporate.jpg
http://www.graffiti.org/faq/graffiti-is-part-of-us.html#Graffiti_Goes_Public_International_and_public_participation
No comments:
Post a Comment