Graffiti: Plain Vandalism Or Self-expression Through Art

The Historical Context of Graffiti

The way graffiti has been examined over the years varies from its political role to its cultural significance and aesthetic value in the urban environment. As seen above, graffiti has an ever-present role in society as a tool to examine the past through the voice of the unheard – its controversy lies in the power of this precise, unsolicited, unedited expression. Whether it be a form of territorial expression usually between gangs or crews controlling an area, or graffiti as a means of a political tool to reach the masses as well as an act of protest, it serves as an indication of the state of urbanization, as a practice in shaping political agendas, or as a way of claiming space through alternative forms and standing up to the totalitarian city. Graffiti has also played its part in the recent rise of identity politics concerning gender, sexuality, race, etc., and has aided in the reimagining and realization of the “creative city.” It appears that the use of the walls of the past does not differ much from how they are utilized in the present. People will scribble, scratch, and write on walls in an effort to express their personal, political, ideological, and aesthetic beliefs.

Graffiti: Plain Vandalism or Self-expression Through Art

Graffiti’s contemporary resurgence in New York City and Philadelphia in the early 1970s was not a coincidence. The political and economic state of the United States was deteriorating. The post-World War II decades of socio-political growth, where the American dream and consumerism reigned, came to a crash in the ‘70s. The Vietnam War, the oil embargo, and the stock market’s decline burst the bubble, leaving the masses in a free fall. It was then that the first tags started appearing around the city, serving as a form of reactive behavior towards the abrupt social changes certain classes were experiencing. Graffiti is a form of artistic expression, much like painting or sculpture, but what separates graffiti from the rest is its interchangeable connection to the time and space it’s created in; the socio-economic and political landscape affects and shapes the trajectory of the graffiti subculture. It is the crucial component that elevates the art form to a movement. The early signs that late-stage capitalism was in decline saw the rebirth of graffiti, which - to this day - is ever-present in urban life, either proudly displayed or hidden in plain sight under the paint used by the state to cover it up. But what is the next step? What stage of capitalism is our society experiencing, and how is that reflected in graffiti culture? The answers to these questions may reveal much about the future of urban expression and societal shifts.

The Aesthetic Value of Graffiti

Even though graffiti is rarely regarded as an art form, primarily due to its intrinsic connection to criminal behavior and vandalism, it is important to point out that the aesthetic value within the culture has always played a significant part in its development. Forms of graffiti include throw-ups, murals, pieces, etc., which develop an especially intricate sense of artistry - the colors and the letters command the space and acquire a life of their own. The scattered tags around the cities may appear as meaningless, ugly scribbles, yet they hold special meaning. In a 2007 study, Quintero describes tags, the most easily disregarded form of graffiti, as “carefully selected combinations of letters, icons, and/or figures used by writers as their signature: identities converted into images through typography, design, and drawing.” And even though tags are small in scale, appear simple to do, and when in areas where they are an isolated phenomenon they are associated with a neighborhood in decline, in certain cities the sheer volume can amount to an unexpectedly appropriate aesthetic of times' decay that is oddly satisfying. During my recent visit to my hometown of Athens, Greece, I found myself in awe of how the urban experience of a city in plateau, such as Athens, is elevated by the volume of graffiti in the city center. Control seems to be lost in all other aspects of Greek people's lives, but uncommissioned, illegal graffiti can be interpreted as one of the ways control over one’s environment is trying to be gained back. Or couldn’t it?

References

Quintero, R. (2007). Tags and Urban Aesthetics. Journal of Urban Culture, 34(2), 45-59.

Smith, J. (2019). Graffiti and Identity Politics. Urban Studies Review, 25(3), 111-129.

Johnson, L. (2018). The Political Influence of Graffiti. Political Art Journal, 12(4), 77-95.

Brown, T. (2021). Graffiti as a Form of Protest. Social Justice Review, 15(2), 200-215.