Graffiti
Lesson Overview
Many of us may consider graffiti as a relatively modern invention and most evident in an urban environment (for example, in alleyways, as is evident in quite a few neighbourhoods in Toronto). On the contrary, however, graffiti, as both a socially-sanctioned practice and an activity associated with political commentaries and vandalism, has had a long history—evident, for example, in ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire.
After discussing the historical origins of graffiti, we will also examine the pictorial and textual natures of the message of graffiti. To put this another way, we will be interested in graffiti as an image and as a language. As a form of self-expression, graffiti is a fundamentally public activity—though, as we will see, much of it had to be done necessarily in secret, as it was both dangerous and illegal. The reasons and motives for the long history of graffiti will become evident once particular examples are examined and analyzed.
No different than the phenomena of tattooing (a subject soon to be of interest to us as well), modern graffiti has proliferated to such an extent that some graffiti practitioners—including Banksy—are not only world famous, but their work now attracts international buyers. Related to this form of self-expression, we will also discuss the importance of individuals as graffiti artists and the groups that, together, developed the modern expression in the urban centers of the United States—in particular, New York City.’
Graffiti in Antiquity
The word graffiti comes from the Italian graffiato, “scratched,” as well as the Greek graphein, “to write.” From its beginnings, then, graffiti was considered a form of both visual and linguistic communication. If we choose but three examples of early graffiti—Egypt, Italy, and Greece—we can explore how people in antiquity practiced this scratching into hard surfaces, though with very different purposes and motives.
Ancient Egypt
Egyptian hieroglyphics—from the root words hiero, “sacred,” and glypho “engraved”—were socially sanctioned, officially approved, and promoted by a priestly class whose motivation was to adorn large temple precincts with messages related to the Pharaoh and the Egyptian gods. A large artisan class of engravers were trained with the task of decorating temple walls, columns, and interiors with elaborate stories of life in the world and the after-life. These carvings were largely sculpted in relief. Words, in addition to images, were especially important because the alphabet had been invented by the gods.
The Roman Empire
In the Ancient Roman Empire, in particular, the walls of the city of Pompeii which was completely covered in lava and ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and thereby preserved for millennia—the graffiti surviving from the Roman Empire is completely different than the hieroglyphics of Egypt. In Pompeii, the graffiti is individual, satirical and for the most part irreverent; it ridicules and criticizes the emperor, it belittles people in power, and mocks others who were overly religious. These carvings were public statements intended to undermine the status quo. For the first time, graffiti took on a social and political motive indicative of an expression of critique, though it could also be comical. Graffiti in Pompeii is also sexually explicit and bawdy. In some cases, graffiti was used for advertisement, placed on the front of shops and emporiums.
Ancient Greece
Epigraphy refers to the study of inscriptions. In the case of ancient Greece, graffiti was carved into walls, so by discussing these engravings, we act as epigraphers. In one remarkable example in particular, an entire wall was inscribed with the philosophy of Epicurus. The individual who commissioned the work was Diogenes of Oenoanda, a benefactor who used a wall to promote a message—one that included being free from superstition, committed to reason, and pursuing the ideals of freedom. The inscription was philosophical insofar as it was a comprehensive statement on the study of nature, the therapeutic care of human beings, and thinking about the gods in a different way than was common at the time. For example, Epicureans (followers of Epicurus) did not belie
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Turning now to the twentieth century, one of the most intriguing individuals associated with graffiti—as well as other art forms, such as photography—was Gyula Halazs, who called himself Brassaï. Brassaï became associated with an intellectual movement in 1930s Paris. Known primarily as a photographer, he was drawn to forms of art not typically recognized or officially given any status. In a sense, he had similarities with the early impressionist painters who were not shown in exhibitions—the so-called Salons—and who had to become independent.
Like other radical thinkers at the time, Brassaï was drawn to what was then called “primitive” art, art that expressed itself in forms different than what was accepted and admired. In addition to art admired from places not usually associated with an aesthetic sense, there was a growing appreciation for children’s art as well as the art of psychiatric patients. He was also the first photographer to portray the graffiti in Paris that was etched into walls. All forms of art that were not bourgeois (that is, dictated and enjoyed by the upper classes) were shown for their value and interest.
Brassaï was, above all, committed to “the bastard art of the streets of ill repute” (Lewishon, 2008, p. 29). Brassaï remains a significant historical figure since, as a photographer, he also documented the history of graffiti in Paris and its relationship to other art forms.
Visual Literacy Builder
Guy DeBord and the Situationists
The history of graffiti in France also coincides with a political movement that focused on the role of advertising in a consumer society—the Situationists. Founded in part by theorist and filmmaker Guy DeBord, the Situationists organized themselves to provide a commentary on their immediate society, provide a critique of its economic function, and expose the mechanisms of the media and advertising. They defined themselves as responsible for “disruption of a system of thought” and they effectively organized such demonstrations as “Buy Nothing Day.”
Upon its publication, Détournement, A User’s Guide (1956), a collaborative effort intended to be a commentary on the relationship between capitalism and media culture, opened up a sustained critique of society. The French word détournement cannot be easily translated; depending on context, it can mean re-routing, hijacking, or jamming. However, the word aptly captures what the Situationists aimed to accomplish. Détournement takes advertising, for example, and attempts to make it deviate from its original message. It hijacks the ad so it does not achieve its intended goal. It jams the message by diverting, changing, and blocking it. One English word that approximates détournement is “subvertising,” a combination of subverting (undermining) and advertising. There are many examples, including the two featured in the following Visual Literacy Builder exercise.
Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution
In the Introduction to Cedar Lewisohn’s book, he asks us a question concerning the status of graffiti: should it ultimately be called “street art?” Instead of answering this question, Lewisohn simply tells us, “before you make up your mind, you have to look.” Again, consistent with our ongoing development of our visual literacy and appreciation of the image as a whole—whatever the context—Lewisohn asks us to suspend our judgment until we become more exposed to the innumerable examples of graffiti.
The modern history of graffiti can also be traced as an urban phenomenon; it was initially seen on walls and indicated gang membership, affiliation, and the claim of a neighbourhood, or “turf.” This trend was evident in 1950’s New York City. Graffiti, however, was almost always in a state of evolution, as its history clearly shows.
After the 1950s, graffiti transitioned from a platform for gang signs to one of individual expression. Yet, graffiti remained unofficial, unsanctioned, and in fact illegal. Individuals who were called taggers created a sense of themselves as they identified with their own individual tag—a marker that allowed the individual to state his presence by way of nothing more than letters and a unique, personal design. A tag was a signature, a way of saying “I am somebody.” Taggers also created images as well as “personalized alphabets,” so that certain letters became associated with certain individuals. Others had a different purpose. They wanted to mess up a wall, destroy and deface private property. They called such practices “bombing” and they saw themselves as “vandals.”
Go Deeper
When we talk about graffiti as art, we are identifying that it (sometimes at least) can have artistic merit, but this claim is a fraught one, as there are distinctions to be made between private and public graffiti, and street art versus vandalism. Read the article titled “Graffiti art vs. public art” from the Queen’s University Journal, which discusses the tensions between these different forms of self-expression. As you read, reflect on the following questions:
What is the difference between public graffiti and private graffiti?
What is the distinction between street art and vandalism, and what is the relationship between them?
The 1970’s is arguably the era when graffiti exploded as a practice. One favourite “canvas” was subway cars. In New York City, every single subway car in the late 1970’s was covered inside and out with graffiti. The work was often done while the subway cars were moving. Later, when individuals began doing much larger work, it had to be done in train yards at night. It was dangerous. Many were arrested; some were killed. But as some of them explain, the adrenaline rush of doing graffiti in the middle of the night and in a dangerous situation was too good to pass up. Their names and identities are well-known. They include, to mention a few, Lee, Taki 183, Eva 62 and Barbara 62.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1960-1988
Among the most famous of the graffiti artists were Jean-Michel Basquiat and his early collaborator Al Diaz, who together comprised the duo called SAMO. Part of what made SAMO unique was their use of particular messages known as epigrams. Similar to the epigraphs of ancient Greece, epigrams conveyed a message, which, in SAMO’s case, was overtly social and political. For instance, SAMO referred to “SAMO shit” as well as “Sambo,” with racial overtones of slavery, racism, and inequality. Words like “Sambo” referred to African Americans, and therefore all of the racial tension that was prevalent at this time in U.S. history.
With such epigrams as “SAMO as an end to mind wash religion, nowhere politics and bogus philosophy,” the duo were conveying a message that was much more deliberate than traditional tagging. The letters were not drawn in a particularly unique way, because very stylized letters, such as those used by taggers, could at times be almost illegible. SAMO’s writing was clear and meant to be read by everyone.
One difference between Basquiat and other, more traditional graffiti artists was his desire to attract the attention of gallery owners. In the early 1980’s, the art establishment (that is, the institutional profession involved in the art world, such as museums, galleries and curators) did not take street artists into consideration. However, by 1982, Basquiat had become so well-known and accepted by the art world that his paintings were being shown in many galleries around the world. Despite his early urban messages, Basquiat ultimately had less interest in graffiti than in being recognized as an artist. He achieved fame and notoriety. In a few short years, and despite the fame and legitimacy he had hoped for, Basquiat was dead. However, he had paved the way for graffiti to be viewed as legitimate art.
A short historical survey of the world of graffiti would not be complete without mentioning perhaps the most famous contemporary graffiti artist in the world: Banksy. He has both admirers and detractors, most especially because he has been an expert in self-promotion and drawing attention to his work and himself. For a long time, he was anonymous. No one but a small group of his associates knew his name or what he looked like. The anonymity, of course, did not hurt him. Curiosity grew, most especially when his spontaneous work was advertised on social media and consequently drew a lot of attention.
Summary
Graffiti has been practiced since antiquity—as evident in the archaeological ruins of Egypt, Greece, and Italy. Both socially sanctioned and public messages inscribed on walls, as well as illegal and individual modes of expression, have been identified. In this lesson, we have discussed variations of graffiti that include hieroglyphics, epigraphs, and subversive messages intended as a political critique. In the twentieth century, forms of graffiti were catalogued by the photographer Brassaï and were considered to be related to non-traditional art then becoming prominent, including “primitive” art, the drawings of children, and the art of psychiatric patients. In the 1950’s, American graffiti signaled gang identity and their relationship to certain neighbourhoods. By the 1970’s, individuals began to use graffiti as a form of individual self-expression in many urban centres, but most prominently New York City. By painting a wall, they were making a statement about public property. Painted on the sides (and the interior) of subway trains, the work of graffiti artists was sure to be viewed by as many people as possible and always outside the traditional home of artists—galleries and museums. With the advent of individuals like Jean-Michel Basquiat in the early 1980’s as well as the contemporary Banksy, graffiti become legitimate and popular, accepted by the mainstream art world and, therefore, lucrative. Graffiti has now become a global phenomenon and its styles can be seen in such different artists as Miss Van and Blu.
Comprehension Check
Hieroglyphics: Sacred engravings found on temples and tombs of ancient Egypt
Epigraphy: The study of inscriptions, such as ancient Greek writing discovered on monuments
Graffiato: From the Italian “scratched,” one of the two root-words of the word graffiti.
Graphein: From the Greek “to write,” one of the two root-words of the word graffiti.
Détournement: A “deviation” from an original message used to criticize media and consumer culture
Tagging: An individual sign or marker used to identity an individual and his or her graffiti style
Epigrams: A short message associated with graffiti designs
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