Visualizing Dissent: Graffiti As Art

If you haven't thought much about graffiti and its role in public debate, cultural life, and even civic beautification, the current political situation in the United States is making a pretty good case for its value. Public frustration with government is at an all-time high, the U.S. is on the brink of a third concurrent war, and the current administration has controlled the American media better than Reagan, with none of Reagan's finesse. If Reagan's was the Teflon presidency, that of George W. Bush could be remembered by friend and foe alike as the Katamari presidency: ever enlarging, ever strengthening, every potential crisis lending new momentum.
Advertising agency BBDO West recently offered its services pro bono to the city of San Francisco, and chose graffiti cleanup as its Up With People message. For the agency executives it may have seemed like a safe issue. (One of the three advertisements it produced is at left; the others can be viewed here.) But the frustration and anger the agency's outdoor advertising campaign has generated within the graffiti art community has given some of the form's practitioners ("writers") an opportunity to explain their work in both words and images on such websites as the Wooster Collective, which posts photographs of graffiti art from around the world. Graffiti boosters responded to the ad campaign with a series of inspired response images, and the Wooster Collective synthesized the messages of these works by taking the unusual step of responding in writing to BBDO and the mayor's office of San Francisco in a recent text post. The schism the conflict reveals is as transparently class-based as the sick feeling you should be feeling during the current Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner commercials where the happy housewife boasts about how "clean" the servicemen are who come to clean the carpets in her spacious and otherwise spotless home. She isn't cruel so much as pathologically insensitive, and her steam-cleaned existence speaks to a dominant culture that runs roughshod over many in its pursuit of narrowly defined goals.

Ironically, BBDO and the community it took on have much in common. Like billboards, wall advertising, bench advertising, posters, and flyers, graffiti art meets you on the street where you live. Depending on its content, it may be designed to elicit shock, anger, amusement, joy, desire, or introspection. But graffiti art was written or drawn on-site by someone, often displaying great skill with spray paint or imagination in setting an incongruous scene into your environment, and is by its nature illicit; while graffiti styles and techniques may be exportable to the gallery, the civic mural, and even the artist's canvas, many writers would agree with my belief that true graffiti is illegal by definition, and that much of the charm of the exported stylistic qualities are borne of guilt by association. In this view, graffiti is a protest against everything every successful ad agency stands for: the commodification of public space, the standardization of the built environment, and the permission-based, central control of communication in the form of visual display, which dystopians and state planners the world over agree is the most powerful way to communicate with large groups of strangers who are busy doing something else - the definition of a modern city.

The political nature of the act itself takes much of the pressure off of writers to supply politically-charged content; the accusation is implicit in the act, and the resulting image can be purely ornamental and still carry the same weight. For the creator, this protest is often so internalized as to feel like a purely natural expression, without malice or anger. As one writer put it in an interview with Art Crimes:

Many people have the urge to write their names places to commemorate being there. People don't get upset when they hear stories of "Kilroy was Here" or kids scratching in Janet + Joe on a tree. But somehow when writing gets associated with the city, and kids from all races and backgrounds get together to express themselves in some rebellious way right in the face of everyone, it gets associated with evil. Then officials feel the need to go over graffiti with plain flat paint. The thing that they don't understand is that they are expressing themselves just as much as we are when we put our name or crew up. Unfortunately they don't have the creativity that we do.

Taking its name from an Italian term for a method of ornamenting architectural plaster or pottery by etching into it - graffito, "little writing," "little scratching" - the term was adopted to describe the type of graffiti art that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s in American cities, and which still constitutes a major strand of street art. In the words of Ilse Scheepers:

Although the general public criticises graffiti for contributing to the 'ugliness' of an area, graffiti writers as a rule do not write for the public as an audience. They write for themselves, and other writers, engaging in a dialogue with others who they may have never met, who inhabit the same city or visit the same areas.

This is the motivation that most people who have spared a thought for graffiti art can quickly recognize: These people feel cut off from other channels of communication; and, for some, engenders a curiosity about an otherwise "invisible" class of people who surround them. But there is another major strand of the modern graffiti art community which, while undertaking its project in the same spirit, attempts to communicate with its local community about issues of concern using a wide range of techniques and levels of meaning.

This fact can be attested to by the presence, in cities like San Francisco where graffiti is common, of illegally-painted murals executed with 30 cans of spray paint, dozens of oil paint sticks or markers loaded with artist-mixed inks, which have themselves been "defaced" by simple spray-paint or Sharpie tags. This visual conflict is tangible evidence of not only the competitive and performative nature of graffiti art but also a sign of competing communities at work who do not share a common goal. While simple tagging has its own argument to make as a system of meaning - if there is significance to the statement "Claudius Was Here" etched in a Roman monument, that meaning is only enhanced when the historical context is our own and the message is coded to prevent our understanding it - it is the latter type of expressive, engaging, and challenging street art that primarily interests me.

The anger expressed by the members of the Wooster Collective is largely a product of BBDO and the city of San Francisco's refusal to acknowledge the sociological significance of the former type of graffiti or the intrinsic value of the latter as an art form. And their argument has merit. In a city with a median income of $60,000 and a median home value of $750,000, in a nation where protest can be consigned to fenced "free speech zones" and where a programmer just testified to helping write code at the request of the Speaker of the Florida House that would use electronic voting machines to throw an election, those with alternative opinions have ample opportunity to feel like an outsider. (The best of several response images to the advertisement above is shown at left.) Why, they wonder, can Coke, Wells Fargo, the IRS or the Army inject themselves so easily into our public space, while artists and activists with a variety of critiques must stand on the sidelines or be accused of creating "visual pollution"?

Power has shifted towards dissent with the explosion of the Internet; the most concrete example of this is that through the Wooster Collective, The Streets Are Saying Things, and other websites, graffiti writers and artists who produce illicit public works can communicate better than ever before. Graffiti writers, producing their work under cover of darkness, once yearned for walls that had visibility but wouldn't be quickly painted over, to maximize locals' exposure to their work before it was removed; now they can write anywhere, take a photograph, and communicate their message with a worldwide audience. Illicit artists made the boldest statements possible in hopes of capturing the attention of a TV news crew to help publicize their work before authorities removed it, or created works so subtle they were rarely noticed; now a photograph of the finished project not only grants them the same exposure, but the work can even be designed with the photograph as the end goal. With the virtual space of the Internet rapidly eclipsing all other forms of visual communication, illicit art now finds itself with the same access to shape-shifting public stage that advertisers enjoyed almost exclusively in the last century.

Style, Technique, and Cultural Piracy: Never Bite the Hand that Feeds

Graffiti Becomes Art, and Raises its Own Standards

Many graffiti artists ("writers") lament that graffiti is dying, that the old values of originality and respect which kept it moving have been lost. This is not true. Its problems have simply evolved with the medium. Graffiti has become larger, and suffers from what might be called "cultural growing pains." In the early days, graffitists had to cope with scores of people asking "but is it art?" Nowadays, a glance through any collection of modern graffiti - such as Art Crimes - will establish certain graffiti as art to all but the most conservative observer. Much of his has to do with a worldwide boom in legally sanctioned spaces for graffiti art in the last ten years.

While some people do not consider any illegal graffiti to be art, few can argue with legally sanctioned work. Graffiti artists have pushed the spray can's technical possibilities to the point where they parallel those of the paintbrush. With its creative possibilities limitless, graffiti now has much more important questions to answer. What, specific to graffiti, makes a good piece? Beyond that, what responsibility does the artist have to the culture, and how does that tie in with making good work?

A Background for Determining "Good" Graffiti Paintings

To answer these questions effectively, it is best to put yourself in the painter's position. Why do you take the trouble to paint? Why put the rest of your life in second place to an art form and its perfection? The most obvious answer to this question is that humans need to express themselves. For these purposes, however, that's not a good enough answer. Painters, dancers, authors, and photographers all express themselves. "I need to express myself" explains away all the arts, graphic or otherwise, but doesn't address graffiti specifically.

People paint graffiti because it is a means of expressing themselves and establishing themselves well outside of the norm. As an artistic work, even when created legally, any graffiti will have a certain renegade edge which has been bolstered by years of illegal work. In creating these public art works, graffiti writers experience a level of risk and adventure, artistic and otherwise, that anyone outside our circles would have great difficulty comprehending. It is also one hell of a lot of fun. But this hardly scratches the surface of what graffiti is to any moderately serious graffiti writer.

People start the practise of graffiti because in doing so they are different. However, if and when they decide to commit seriously to graffiti as more than a teenage weekend diversion, they will realize that they are hardly alone in doing so. There are thousands of very dedicated graffiti writers worldwide. Being the local graffiti writer may create yourself a "rebellious artist" image around your way, but in the global graffiti culture, that "cool" is standard issue. There's nothing special about being a graffiti writer in a room full of graffiti writers! How, then, can one truly maintain the true original attractions of graffiti; to be different, and to be yourself?

The answer lies in a comprehension of style, the one key word to any understanding of graffiti. Though there exist many verbose definitions of style, the best I've heard is simply that a good graffiti writer has one all their own. To those outside the culture, this is unfortunately not very useful. In an effort to promote better understanding of the artform both inside and outside the culture, a better breakdown is needed.

Style, the Point of it All

For most of its participants, graffiti is at least in part a quest for identity. Psychologically, this is rather obvious, for the act of leaving one's mark has been associated with self-affirmation since the dawn of time. However, since there are currently so many people out there doing it, each participant strives to have something special about the way they write their name in order to stand out.

The great challenge of graffiti is to create a design framework for the letters in one's name which is so personally tailored that it allows for the expression of attitudes, opinions, emotions, and soul. Since the set of letters in the name that one paints do not change, the way they are painted is what conveys meaning. For instance, I will always paint an S, an O, an N, an I, and a K, in that order, but in each painting I have different messages which I hope to convey. In order for any personal meaning to show through in my paintings, I must paint them with a style that is every bit as personal. If I paint in a way that is truly my own, I will have a voice that is truly my own. With a voice that is entirely personal, I can convey messages which are every bit as personal without losing any of their meaning.

Style alone will not impart serious meaning upon a graffiti piece, but it is the only tool with which meaning can be effectively conveyed via lettering. Style is how one presents one's ideas. It is the way one creates, the framework and the foundation for all of one's work. Beyond that, it is the one true voice that exists within each of us, the voice that has so often been buried by years of acting like other people. The framework of style is the framework of yourself. Style, loosely, is the artistic equivalent of enlightenment. It means fully knowing one's self.

Once one's style is firmly established, letters develop for the graffiti writer in a way that is meaningful: the design and shape of the letters means something beyond looking pretty, all the arrows and connections used have a purpose, and play a role in the piece besides simply saying "look at this!!" With a strong personal style, one can experiment and learn new methods of painting without rendering the work trivial.

Technique vs. Style

At this point it is important to clarify the difference between technique and style. Technique is a means, not an end. It is the hammers and saws with which one builds the house - not the house itself. Technique allows one such freedoms as to blend colors cleanly, to draw letters that work in terms of classical perspective, or to outline without dripping. One of the potential drawbacks of technique is that it enables one to exactly replicate the work of others if one so desires.

Technique is something which can be taught, but style is something which must be discovered within one's self. Technique is universal, style is personal. Because technique and style are separate to some extent,this often creates confusion as to which to learn first. Technique is undoubtedly easier to learn, and will be developed naturally if one paints a great deal and constantly tries new ways of painting.

Many graffiti writers make the mistake of learning technique first, in order to make their pieces pretty, and think that style can somehow wait until they have the means to express it in a way that is technically pretty. This is a grave mistake. The first thing any writer must do is develop their own style, for without it they will create shallow artwork, regardless of how technically advanced it is.

Of course, everyone copies style at the beginning, and that's okay. There are "basics" to learn in graffiti, just like any other art form. Many great graffiti writers got their start by basing their work on the style of their local heroes, but then, initial lessons learned, they moved on to establish their own. It is indeed a beautiful sight to see individual writers make leaps and bounds as they develop their own voice and build on the work of their elders. However, what is infuriating is when graffiti writers young or old think that their success can be achieved by creating a collage of other writers' styles. These people only fool the ignorant. A classic trick of the style-less writer is to pick one of their favorite graffiti heroes and shape into their own name the letters that their hero has worked so tirelessly to perfect in an individual style. This is degrading on many levels. It degrades the copier for obvious reasons. It degrades the copied as well. Copying someone else's style objectifies them and renders them artistic commodities who have lost control of their work. This is not something which any true artist would want for their heros.

The Debt of Culture

Each and every graffiti writer has been given the tremendous gift of a substantial culture and art form which has allowed for their expression and the ability to say things previously unsayable. That's one hell of a debt to carry, but each writer can do something about repaying it. The best way to repay the culture is to contribute something individual and unique back to it.

Again, this comes back to style. Aside from the personal gains one attains from developing one's own voice, if writers do the work it takes to create a style that is truly unique and personal, they have begun to repay the culture which sustains them. Individuality is hard, lonely work - and to the writers out there who may be reading this: if you have not gone to the trouble of developing your own style and are content to make pretty pictures that feed off of the work of so many others, consider yourself a cultural leech. You have no business in this vital art form if you do nothing to keep it vital.

However, there have been many who have said "fuck convention, I'd rather be original than good." Through hard work, these writers have developed personal artistic voices with which they can say anything, and have given their work substance which will last throughout the ages. These people are those who have truly given back to their culture. These graffiti writers, whether famed in our circles or not, have truly earned the respects to which we all aspire.

How to Make Graffiti Art

First off, I must give credit where it’s due – Michelle Ward, and her beautiful, spray painted patterns as well as her small tips and tricks – they’ve helped a lot.

I never really considered spray paint and its uses until seeing stenciled images pop-up in art-blog-land. Now, this versatile paint’s uses seem painfully obvious, uses going far beyond that of re-used garage sale signs and colorful rail car masterpieces.

Yes – for me, graffiti, or street art, IS art. On Venice Beach, you’ll be hard pressed to find a palm tree that hasn’t been covered seven feet high with colorful art or the city’s gray cover-all paint. There are even large, concrete slabs set up FOR the artists, who bring along milk crates of colors and spend the day creating.

There’s beauty to the chaos, to thick lines of paint layered by skilled hands. Street art isn’t easy – you can’t just pick up a can and become Van Gogh. Many plan out their designs on paper or even the computer, taking to the street only when they’ve mastered the design with paper and pen. But the preparation doesn’t end there. You need to learn how to hold the can in order to get the lines and coverage you need.

While I will never attempt anything as complicated as street art, there’s something to be learned from those that do. A lot of graffiti comes from experimentation – here are some things I’ve learned from my own little play beside the garage.

\\SUPPLIES:

• While satin paint sounds cool, it doesn’t cover as well on paper, and, when combined with regular (or smooth, depending on the brand), looks faded. Try a can on the surface you’re going to be using before buying the entire store.
  
  
• You can find awesome stencils at art supply stores for cheap. Also, look for wall-décor ones; they’re more expensive but larger and resemble wallpaper.
  
  
• Some papers soak up the paint while others, like wallpaper, don’t. If you want the mixed effect, you want to use a smoother, treated surface, as it takes longer to dry. Plastic, wallpaper – those sorts of things.
  
  
• Masking tape is your friend. Get lots – the wider, the better.
  

\\TECHNIQUE:

• Lay down a base color. This will make things a little less boring as well as prime the surface. Think of it as putting down gesso before painting.
  
  
• Layers! After covering your surface with one stencil, go back and do it again with another in a different color. Don’t stick to a grid – graffiti is about chaos, not uniformity.
  
  
• If you lay down a second coat before the first dries, the colors will blend. This applies when spraying stencils as well.
  
  
• When you’re done with a stencil, instead of cleaning it off with a rag, lay it down on your surface and do a mono-print to add dimension.

\\LAYERING:

• When you’re finished with the spray-paint, let it dry outside overnight, as the fumes aren’t nice to noses and heads. This also gives you some time away from the project, something I believe is key to every piece, be it in your journal or on a canvas.
  
• Once dry, pull out your gel pens, paint markers, even your acrylics. Draw shapes, faces, swirls, doodles, whatever comes to mind.
  
  
• Write words all over the surface. Use different colors, tip widths, etc. Write small. BIG. Wide. Narrow.
  
  
• Cover the entire surface into a chaotic mess.
  
  
• Spray some more paint over this if you’d like. Or, if you hate it, just start over!

Remember, you can spray on anything! Plastic, cardboard, fabric, glass…anything you want! I usually spray on 30x22 poster board or 11x17 sheets of manila folder paper. This way, I can make it even more random by cutting the paper apart and using it as a collage element in all sorts of mixed-media collage. Use it to matt a photo, to add embellishment, to give a background dimension. To see some examples of how I’ve used graffiti art in collage, check out the first issue of Page by Page.