Rave_Grip

Graffitti used to be an art, used by people to either show their emotions, prove their creativity, and yeah you get the idea ^_^
It wasn't supposed to be gangsterous and all. They just took it that way, and now you'll find different types of graffitti, which I can't remember ^^;

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Lotski

Let's see, i think that depends.. Maybe in your place,
there are only few who's making graffiti on walls.
If you go to other places especially in
third world countries, graffiti is everywhere!!
Kids & Gangs are making the walls or the place like an EVIL place!

In that case, they really should restrict kids to buy
spray paints, show ID's and all..
I agree to the City Officials for that.

If you really want to make an art, do it in a competition or
you make it as a collection to show it off to everyone ..
In that way, you can call it your WORK of ART.

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Abu Dhabi

my idea of art is, an expression of your heart. Something you feel. Something that is next to blood in your body.

Consequently, i think ALL tagging can be considered art. Down to scrowling down names or slurs. If there is heart in it, then it's art. Even the need for "survival" comes from the heart, and can be considered art.

However, i don't agree with or endorse it. If it cause the hurt and pain and sadness to the comon people, if it defaces public property; then the city has the right to take it down. Regulating spray paint, will make it harder to get, but will not solve te problem. The problem is with gangs themselves....

So, yes take it down... however, i consider it art.

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atomik_sprout

Totally untrue! Just because all YOU can see is word and insignias doesn't mean that it's not art. Mind you, there is a HUGE difference between bombs and pieces. You're probably thinking about a bomb. A bomber goes around just spraypainting plain text (although it looks a bit flashy), and a person who pieces is actually doing something artistic. Alot of gang graffiti is just bombs. I do a little bit of both: Bomb and Piece.

Yes! You CAN get grants for spray-painting! I worked for a group called Juxtaposition Arts (Peach_Follows, you know who I'm talkin' about). They collect grants, and building owners will pay them to spray-paint murals on their walls. I got paid $1500 just for spray-painting on a grocery store. Now, I do more illegal spray-painting than legal, but I'm no vandal. Vandalism is defined as destruction of public property. I don't destroy shit... I make it pretty! LOL.

I know plenty of people I went to school with that NEEDED spray-paint for their art! Graffiti is an art-form after all, and sometimes that's all one knows, or that's all one grew up around. And there are plenty of kids under 18 who use spray-paint for purely artistic purposes! Limited few, my rear. Juxtaposition Arts recruits about 15-20 new kids a year to teach about spray-painting (as well as other art mediums).

I think that people who hate on graffiti have a very bias and uneducated view on the art-form.

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Peach_follows

Um. I have to dissagree with this. But maybe only partially, because maybe you're referring to CRAP graffiti, in which case... you'd be right. But for the most part, Graffiti is a tremendously valued form of art. Even in the most esteemed of atisitc communities.
Its valued in the sense that it is part of an urban CULTURE! And there is plenty of good graffiti! People who dont understand what goes into graffiti may just shrug it off. But If you know what its all I about you learn to QUICKLY respect it. And I know plenty of people who are connoisseurs of GOOD graffiti.

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atomik_sprout

I totally agree with Peach on this one. You can't make a statement on a subject that you only have little knowledge of. Graffiti is a HIGHLY respected form of art. Hell, Sega gave graffiti mad props with Jet Grind Radio and Jet Set Radio Future (JSRF). It's a part of my culture! It's what I was raised around. Anime and graffiti.

You can't have really have a valid opinion on graffiti, when all you see is a few crappy bombs/tags. There are a massive amount of "toys" that will come around and think that they are graffiti artists, and will just paint their crap where ever they feel like it; like houses, for example. I typically don't deface too many buildings--unless they're abandoned--I usually hit up trains, bridges and highways. Places where I know I'll get noticed.

But you can't compare some toy to an actual graffiti artist. I wish some of the guys from ISK--a local tag crew--or DHS (My crew) would read this forum thread. They'd be able to provide a much better insight on this topic. Even Peyton and Roger from Juxta could give you guys a much better view on this art form.

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Kiki69

Wow...
i stand by some graffiti but this is just ridiculous. i see graffitit as a way to express yourself. it's art if you ask me. a wall is the urban artists canvas...yea i am way into taking pixs of tagging from different cities and the things i see are beautiful walls that were poured out by someone's soul...deeep huh?

RayMe

Well both..it depends actually... ^^ but i consider it as errmm vandalisme if it is on buildings which is not theirs.. if it's inside their own house then it's art...

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gigi2005

Ye but there are other ways to express yourself, almost evrywhere are thing of people how want to express themselfs.
There are lots of thing that are seen as a way to express oneself it can be done true billbaords or architectur, cars, gardens, websites etc.
A good exemple of expresions on AO are avatars and signatures, a signature is a expresion of the one how made it.
When i look at some of yours signatures i can clearly see that there wend a lot af time in making them and the results are amezing.

!The White Wolf

Yeah, it is sad to think that kids can be doing so much more with their lives. They could be out learning how to play a violin, or working on their soccer skills. Don't get me wrong, there are soo many kids out there with talent.. but it's a shame that they show it through vandalism.

Shodokan

Well it depends on the taggers really. Some tags are made by gangs and it's just vandalism not art. There was this great big tag behind this Korean Grocery store. It looked more like a mural to most people but you could still tell that it was someone's tag. It was so good looking that the owners kept it there and never removed it. But when the store had new owners they painted over it. My father and I were upset that they removed such a beautiful picture but o' well.

One of the things I like to do is watch a train go by and look at all the different tags. It's actually pretty neat.

Heres a great tag by someone. Don't know which city it's in though.

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