What is Graffiti?Graffiti art is pictures or writing placed on surfaces, usually outside walls and sidewalks. Illegal graffiti happens when these pictures and writings are done without the permission of the owner. Graffiti writers or taggers are teenagers from many cultures and races who use spray paint, markers, airbrushes and just regular paint make designs or mess up other peoples walls to represent their hood.
Not all graffiti is bad. The real reason why most people do graffiti is because they are trying to express themselves by showing their artistic skill. They also are trying to express their culture through art. However, sometimes peer pressure from friends or even gangs can cause some teens to perform illegal graffiti, and as a result giving the whole art of graffiti a bad rap.
My StoryWhen I first started to get involved with people who were doing graffiti I didn't know what it was., but I liked the way it looked, so I started to get more into it. As a result, most of the people who became my friends in school were graffiti writers.
The more I got involved with doing graffiti, the more I started to meet different kinds of people from different backgrounds ranging from Hispanics and Africans-Americans to Caucasians, who like to do it as well. I began to realize that different kinds of people from different cultures and ages that are involve in writing in graffiti, not just the stereotypical thug portrayed in the media.
The next step of involvement for me was to join a crew of writers, which was made up of a small group of people getting together to do graffiti art on a wall. We would get permission from a parent or owner to create pieces of art, and after a while we would make pieces of art, such as murals around the community. We'd also like to share experiences and techniques on how to do graffiti-- helping each other to develop our skills. And, yes, we even had our own nicknames that we used for representing in the streets, but were not a gang. We were graffiti writers who simply wanted to have a way to express ourselves and our culture. Like many other forms of art expression, graffiti is something that takes practice and time to get better and better every day.
Discrediting the Name of GraffitiA major reason why you see illegal graffiti on public transportation and walls because kids in the hood who are interested in graffiti art don't feel they have a way to express themselves. Other kids just give in to what they see others doing, like writing on walls illegally and begin to do the same.
When the people in my crew and I want to do graffiti we go out and ask the groceries stores and other businesses in the community if they would allow us to do some art pieces or murals with a graffiti theme. Some of the business owners like our ideas and agree, but some others do not because they think they may be contributing to vandalism by saying yes. A lot of times, people do not realize that when we are asking permission to do some real graffiti, we aren't trying to commit vandalism. We don't ask people for money, all that we ask is just a simple legal wall to express to the world how we feel .
Some people who consider themselves as graffiti writers, but write illegally are in actuality haters because they can't create real graffiti.
Real writers can contribute to the community with peaces and murals to make the things look better.
If any one wants to become a real graffiti writer they should:
1. Start by practicing at home and not by messing up someone else's wall. No one would like to get up in the morning to find their wall has been spray painted with stupid stuff.
2. Find inspiration by the big murals or pieces around the community were they live at.
3. Get a legal permit to do it! It's easier than you think and people will respect you and your artwork more for it.
4. Check out these graffiti Web sites for more information:
www.dougweb.com/grlinks.htmlwww.sodobusinessassociation.org/graffiti.netbase.org/instituten.htmgraffiti.netbase.orgmickeys-place-in-the-sun.com/gangs.htmlgraffiti.netbase.org/SKEM.htmtravel.to/graffiti/
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