The Benefits to Youth About the True Forms of Graffiti Versus Tagging
posted on 3 March 2011 | posted in
Arts and Entertainment
Graffiti is a loaded topic because many feel strongly about it when they view it as vandalism of private property. However this is a shallow view of a lively, valid artform with it's own history and meanings beyond what is apparent to those who take it as a surface phenomenon. Many youths are attracted to graffiti art as a means of expression because of it's anti-authoritarian roots e.g. look at Banksy art. Their entry point is often tagging - writing a street name, often with a permanent marker on whatever they can. This is pervasive in urban environments and is what gives 'real' graffiti a bad rap as it requires little to no skill, is unplanned and attracts poor publicity which drags true graffiti down with it in the viewpoint of the wider graffiti 'Real' graffiti is planned, takes time and is visually elaborate, often with a message - maybe only decipherable to other graffiti artists or their fans - but nonetheless is considered and founded on the ideal of creativity not being limited to commercial or art world imperatives but can exist free from constraints in the public environment as a form of expression. Having worked with youth at risk in an urban environment I can see both sides of the coin but truly believe that if youth are encouraged towards the correct execution of true graffiti it empowers them an allows them an anchorstone which can lead to positive changes in their realities.
Further Research: city-data.com | wnd.com
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