Peter Greenaway and Graffiti: Difference between pages
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[[Image:Graffiti Panorama rome.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Graffiti on the banks of the [[Tiber river]] in [[Rome]], [[Italy]].]] |
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'''Graffiti''' is a type of deliberately inscribed marking made by [[human]]s on surfaces, both private and public. Graffiti can also refer to website defacements; however, it usually takes the form of publicly painted [[art]], [[drawing]]s or [[language|word]]s. When done without a [[property]] owner's consent it constitutes [[vandalism]]. Graffiti has existed at least since the days of [[ancient history|ancient civilization]]s such as [[Ancient Greece|classical Greece]] and the [[Roman Empire]]. |
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The word "graffiti" expresses the [[English plural|plural]] of "[[graffito]]", although the singular form has become relatively obscure and is largely used in [[art history]] to refer to works of art made by scratching the design on a surface. Another related term is [[sgraffito]], a way of creating a design by scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another one beneath. All of these [[English language|English]] words come from the Italian language, most likely descending from "graffiato", the past participle of "graffiare" (to scratch); ancient graffitists scratched their work into walls before the advent of spray-paint, as in [[mural]]s or [[fresco|frescoes]]. These words derive in their turn from the [[Greek language|Greek]] γραφειν (''graphein''), meaning "to write". [[history|Historian]]s continue to speculate over the vexing question as to where the term "graffiti" first referred to this form of marking. |
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[[Image:Graffiti_on_the_side_of_a_warehouse_in_Athens.jpg|thumb|Graffiti on the side of a warehouse in Athens]] |
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'''Peter Greenaway''' (b. [[April 5]], [[1942]]) is a British [[Film director|filmmaker]] trained as a painter and famous for his movies and exhibitions. |
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==History of graffiti== |
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==Career== |
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===Ancient graffiti=== |
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[[Image:pompeii-graffiti.jpg|frame|left|The ordinary people of the [[Roman Empire]] used the language known as [[Vulgar Latin]] rather than the [[Classical Latin]] of literature, as in this political graffiti at [[Pompeii]]]] |
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Historically, the term ''graffiti'' originally referred to the [[inscription]]s, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient [[sepulchre|sepulcher]]s or ruins, as in the [[Catacombs of Rome]] or at [[Pompeii]]. Usage of the word has evolved to include any decorations (inscribed on any surface) that one can regard as [[vandalism]]; or to cover pictures or writing placed on surfaces, usually external walls and sidewalks, without the permission of an owner. Thus, inscriptions made by the authors of a monument are not classed as graffiti. |
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Greenaway was born in [[Newport]] in [[Wales]] (his mother is Welsh), but grew up in England. The family left Wales when Greenaway was three years old and moved to [[Essex, England]]. At an early age he decided he wanted to be a painter. He developed an interest in European cinema, focusing first on the films of [[Ingmar Bergman|Bergman]], and then on the nouvelle vague film-makers [[Jean-Luc Godard|Godard]], and most especially [[Alain Resnais|Resnais]]. |
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The first known example of "modern style" graffiti survives in the ancient Greek city of [[Ephesus]] (in modern-day [[Turkey]]) and appears to [[advertisement|advertise]] [[prostitution]], according to the tour guides of the city. It stands near the long [[mosaic]] and stone walkway and consists of a handprint, a vaguely heart-like shape, a footprint and a number. This purportedly indicates how many steps one would have to take to find a lover, with the handprint indicating payment. |
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In [[1962]] he started studying at the [[Walthamstow College of Art]], where amongst his fellow students was musician [[Ian Dury]] (who Greenaway would later cast in ''[[The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]''). Greenaway would spend the next three years there, training to be a mural painter, and making his very first film there, ''Death of Sentiment'' an essay of church yard furniture, filmed in four large London cemeteries. In [[1965]] he joined the Central Office of Information (COI), where he remained for the next fifteen years as a film editor and then a director, starting to build up a personal filmography of experimental films, starting with ''Train'', made in 1966, composed of footage of the last steam trains at [[Waterloo station]] (directly behind the COI), edited to a musique concrete track. ''Tree'' made in [[1966]], was a homage to the embattled tree growing in concrete outside the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank in London. In the [[1970s]] Greenaway, becoming more confident and ambitious, made ''[[Vertical Features Remake]]'' and ''[[A Walk Through H]]''. The former is an examination of variations of arithmetical editing structure, and the latter a journey through the various maps of a fictitious country. |
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[[Image:Graffiti politique de Pompei.jpg|frame|right|Ancient [[Pompeii]]an graffiti caricature of a politician.]] |
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A hallmark of many of Greenaway's films is the heavy influence of Renaissance and, in particular Flemish, painting in his scene composition and lighting, with its concomitant contrasts of costume and naturalized nudity, nature and architecture, furniture and person, sexual pleasure and painful death. |
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The [[ancient Rome|Romans]] carved graffiti into their own walls and monuments, and examples of their work also exist in [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]]. The eruption of [[Vesuvius]] preserved graffiti carved on the walls of [[Pompeii]], and they offer us a direct insight into street life: everyday [[Latin]], insults, [[magic (paranormal)|magic]], love declarations, political consigns. In contrast to typical modern graffiti, alphabets and quotations from famous literature (especially the first line of [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]'') have been found scribbled on the walls of Pompeii, either for the pleasure of the writer or to impress, albeit anonymously, the passer-by with one's familiarity with letters and literature. In an ancient variant on the "for a good time..." theme, an inscription gives the address of one Novellia Primigenia of Nuceria, apparently a great beauty and subject of constant enquiry; an illustration of a phallus was accompanied by the text, ''mansueta tene'': "Handle with care." Love was also the object of scorn: |
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Greenaway has often worked with composer [[Michael Nyman]], who is known for his sound tracks for films such as the Draughtsman's Contract, The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover, Prospero's Books. |
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:''Quisquis amat. veniat. Veneri volo frangere costas |
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In 1980 Greenaway delivered ''[[The Falls]]'' – a mammoth, fantastical, absurdist encyclopedia of flight-associated material all relating to 92 victims of the Violent Unknown Event (VUE). The 1980s would see some of Greenaway's best known films, ''[[The Draughtsman's Contract]]'' in 1982, ''[[A Zed & Two Noughts]]'' in 1985, ''[[The Belly of an Architect]]'' in 1987, ''[[Drowning by Numbers]]'' in 1988, and his most successful (in the mainstream) film in 1989, ''[[The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]''. He collaborated with the artist [[Tom Phillips (artist)|Tom Phillips]] (also in 1989) on a [[television]] [[mini-series]] called [[A TV Dante]], dramatizing the first few cantos of [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s [[The Divine Comedy|Inferno]]. The 1990s brought the visually spectacular ''[[Prospero's Books]]'' in 1991, the controversial ''[[The Baby of Mâcon]]'' in 1993, ''[[The_Pillow_Book_(movie)|The Pillow Book]]'' in 1996, and ''[[8½ Women]]'' in 1999. |
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:''fustibus et lumbos debilitare deae. |
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:''Si potest illa mihi tenerum pertundere pectus |
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:'' quit ego non possim caput illae frangere fuste? |
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:''Whoever loves, go to hell. I want to break Venus's ribs |
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Greenaway is working on an ambitious film project, ''[[The Tulse Luper Suitcases]]'', a multimedia extravaganza featuring innovative film techniques. |
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:''with a club and deform her hips. |
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:''If she can break my tender heart |
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:''why can't I hit her over the head? |
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::-''CIL'' IV, 1284. |
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[[Hadrian]]'s Villa at [[Tivoli, Italy|Tivoli]] also has several examples. |
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Greenaway also teaches cinema studies at the [[European Graduate School]] in [[Saas-Fee]], [[Switzerland]], where he conducts Intensive Summer Seminars. In 2002 he received an honorary doctorate from the Media and Communications department. |
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Errors in spelling and grammar in graffiti not only inform us of the degree of literacy of many of the graffiti scrawlers, but they also give clues as to the pronunciation of spoken Latin. Such is the case with ''CIL'' IV, 7838: ''Vettium Firmum / aed''[ilem] ''quactiliar''[ii] [sic] ''rog''[ant]. Here "qu" reflects the common pronunciation of "co". Conversely, ancient graffiti also provide us with evidence of the ability to read and write among classes of people for whom literacy was not requisite and might not otherwise be assumed. For example, the 83 graffiti found at ''CIL'' IV, 4706-85 (a [[peristyle]] which had been undergoing remodeling at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius) were executed not only by the architect Crescens, but also by most of the members of the work crew for whom he served as foreman. The brothel at ''CIL'' VII, 12, 18-20 contains over 120 graffiti, the authors of which included the prostitutes as well as their clients. And finally, the [[gladiator]]ial academy at ''CIL'' IV, 4397 contained graffiti left by the gladiator Celadus Crescens (''Suspirium puellarum Celadus thraex'': "Celadus the Thracier makes the girls sigh.") |
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He has also contributed to ''[[Visions of Europe]]'', a collection of short films from different directors around the European Union. His entry for Britain is called ''[[The European Showerbath]]''. |
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However, not only Greeks and Romans produced graffiti: the [[Maya civilization|Mayan]] site of [[Tikal]] in [[Guatemala]], also contains ancient examples. [[Viking]] graffiti survive in [[Rome]] and at [[Newgrange|Newgrange Mound]] in [[Ireland]], and [[Varangian]]s carved their [[Runic alphabet|rune]]s in [[Hagia Sophia]] in [[Constantinople]]. The ancient [[Ireland|Irish]] inscribed stones with an alphabet called [[Ogham]] -- this standard mode of writing may not fall into the category of graffiti. There are also examples in American history, like Signature Rock (a national landmark), along the [[Oregon Trail]]. |
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[[Image:GenteelGrafitti.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Genteel graffiti on a fruit garden wall at [[Delapré Abbey]]]] |
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Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic [[French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1798|campaign of Egypt]] in the 1790s. |
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There are Chinese graffiti on the great wall of China. |
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In early 2005 it was announced that he would be making a film about the Dutch painter [[Rembrandt van Rijn]]. The film, apparently to be released in 2007, is entitled ''[[Nightwatching]]''. |
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Art forms like [[fresco]]es and [[mural]]s involve leaving images and writing on wall surfaces. Like the prehistoric [[cave painting|wall paintings]] created by cave dwellers, they do not comprise graffiti, as the artists generally produce them with the explicit permission (and usually support) of the owner or occupier of the walls. |
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On June 17 2005 Peter Greenaway demonstrated in Amsterdam his first [[VJ]] performance during an art club evening. |
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On music by DJ Serge Dodwell (aka Radar), ‘VJ’ Greenaway used for his set a special VJ system consisting of a large plasma screen with laser controlled touchscreen. Utilizing this system, Greenaway projected the 92 Tulse Luper ‘stories’ on the 12 screens of Club 11 in a multi-screen way and mixed the images 'live'. The result was amazing: Greenaway rocked the crowd in Amsterdam's VJ temple "11", blending his avantgarde cinematographic imagery (taken from the Tulse Luper Suitcases movie) with the heavy movie score remix by DJ Radar. Mastering the giant touch screen the newborn 'realtime image conductor' Greenaway provided a totally new experience to the audience: true Live Cinema. |
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The VJ debut of Peter Greenaway did not go unnoticed. As "real time image conductor" he finally freed himself from classic cinematographic linearity. With his outstanding cinematographic eye and energetic approach Greenaway won the respect of fellow VJs worldwide and hereby set the pace in the toplevel international VJ scene. The succes of this performance made NoTV and Peter Greenaway decide to take the performance to a next level, and bring it to the international audience by starting an official VJ Tour (more info on www.notv.com). |
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===Modern graffiti=== |
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==Films== |
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[[Image:GraffitiArtist.jpg|thumb|left|A graffiti artist at work with spray paint at a graffiti competition in [[Spitalfields]] market [[London]].]] |
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*''[[Death of Sentiment]]'' (1962) |
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[[Image:Graffiti-Bucharest.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A graffiti artist spray painting a wall in [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]]]] |
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*''[[Tree (movie)|Tree]]'' (1966) |
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*''[[Train (movie)|Train]]'' (1966) |
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*''[[Revolution (movie)|Revolution]]'' (1967) |
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*''[[5 Postcards From Capital Cities]]'' (1967) |
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*''[[Intervals (movie)|Intervals]]'' (1969) |
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*''[[Erosion (movie)|Erosion]]'' (1971) |
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*''[[H Is for House]]'' (1973) |
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*''[[Windows (movie)|Windows]]'' (1975) |
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*''[[Water Wrackets]]'' (1975) |
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*''[[Water (movie)|Water]]'' (1975) |
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*''[[Vertical Features Remake]]'' (1976) |
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*''[[Goole by Numbers]]'' (1976) |
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*''[[Dear Phone]]'' (1977) |
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*''[[A Walk Through H: The Reincarnation of an Ornithologist]]'' (1978) |
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*''[[Eddie Kid]]'' (1978) |
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*''[[Cut Above the Rest]]'' (1978) |
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*''[[1-100]]'' (1978) |
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*''[[Zandra Rhodes (movie)|Zandra Rhodes]]'' (1979) |
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*''[[Women Artists (movie)|Women Artists]]'' (1979) |
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*''[[Leeds Castle (movie)|Leeds Castle]]'' (1979) |
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*''[[Lacock Village]]'' (1980) |
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*''[[The Falls]]'' (1980) |
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*''[[Country Diary (movie)|Country Diary]]'' (1980) |
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*''[[Terence Conran (movie)|Terence Conran]]'' (1981) |
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*''[[The Draughtsman's Contract]]'' (1982) |
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*''[[Four American Composers]]'' (1983) |
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*''[[The Coastline]]'' (1983) |
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*''[[Making a Splash]]'' (1984) |
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*''[[A Zed & Two Noughts]]'' (1985) |
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*''[[Inside Rooms: 26 Bathrooms, London & Oxfordshire]]'' (1985) |
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*''[[The Belly of an Architect]]'' (1987) |
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*''[[Drowning by Numbers]]'' (1988) |
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*''[[Fear of Drowning (movie)|Fear of Drowning]]'' (1988) |
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*''[[The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]'' (1989) |
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*''[[Hubert Bals Handshake]]'' (1989) |
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*''[[Prospero's Books]]'' (1991) |
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*''[[Rosa (movie)|Rosa]]'' (1992) |
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*''[[The Baby of Mâcon]]'' (1993) |
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*''[[Stairs 1 Geneva]]'' (1995) |
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*''[[Lumière et compagnie]]'' (1996) |
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*''[[The Pillow Book (movie)|The Pillow Book]]'' (1996) |
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*''[[The Bridge (film)|The Bridge]]'' (1997) |
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*''[[8½ Women]]'' (1999) |
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*''[[The Death of a Composer: Rosa, a Horse Drama]]'' (1999) |
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*''[[The Man in the Bath]]'' (2001) |
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*''[[Cinema16]]'' (2003) |
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*''[[The Tulse Luper Suitcases]]'', Part 1: The Moab Story (2003) |
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*''[[The Tulse Luper Suitcases]]'', Part 3: From Sark to the Finish (2003) |
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*''[[The Tulse Luper Suitcases]]'', Part 2: Vaux to the Sea (2004) |
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*''[[Visions of Europe]]'' (fragment "European Showerbath", 2004) |
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*''[[Nightwatching]]'' (in production, 2007) |
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In the 20th century, especially during [[World War II]], '[[Kilroy was here]]' became a famous graffito, along with ''[[Chad (graffiti)|Mr. Chad]]'', a face with only the eyes and a nose hanging over the wall, saying "What No [scarce commodity]…?" during the time of [[rationing]]. Twentieth century warfare saw the advent of many new [[aviation]] technologies, closely followed by the advent of [[airplane graffiti]], including the [[nose art]] made famous during World War II. |
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==Television== |
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*''Act of God'' (1980) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0080330/ imdb] |
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*''Death in the Seine'' (French TV, 1988) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0094977/ imdb] |
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*''A TV Dante'' (mini-series, 1989) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0098428/ imdb] |
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*''M Is for Man, Music, Mozart'' (1991) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0102364/ imdb] |
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*''A Walk Through Prospero's Library'' (1992) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0128835/ imdb] |
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*''Darwin'' (French TV, 1993) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0106672/ imdb] |
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Starting with the large-scale urbanization of many areas in the post-war half of the 20th century, urban [[gang]]s would mark walls and other pieces of public property with the name of their gang (a "tag") in order to mark the gang's territory. Near the end of the 20th century, non-gang-related tagging became more common, practised for its own sake. Graffiti artists would sign their "tags" for the sake of doing so, or to increase their reputation and prestige as a "[[writer]]" or graffiti artist. The first documented cases of illegal markings created with a spray can were created by an artist named "Cornbread" from Philadelphia. The spray can became an important characteristic for the lettering styles which followed. |
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==External Links== |
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* [http://petergreenaway.co.uk/ The Cinematic Endeavours of Peter Greenaway] |
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* [http://www.petergreenaway.com/ Greenaway Fan Site] |
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* [http://www.egs.edu/faculty/petergreenaway.html Peter Greenaway - Professor of Cinema Studies] at the European Graduate School |
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* [http://www.maurofilippone.it/greenaway/ Peter Greenaway Encyclopedia]. |
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*{{imdb name|id=0000425|name=Peter Greenaway}} |
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* [http://homepage.mac.com/dodille/Manuela_Gherghel] "Inside Peter Greenaway’s Kitchen" by Manuela Gherghel (master's thesis in English) |
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* [http://www.hughalderseywilliams.com/journalism/tyranny.htm Peter Greenaway <i>Graphis</i> interview March 2000] |
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* [http://zakka.dk/euroscreenwriters/interviews/peter_greenaway_518.htm Interview with Peter Greenaway on 'Pillow Book'] |
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* [http://zakka.dk/euroscreenwriters/interviews/peter_greenaway_02.htm Interview with Greenaway on 'The Medium is the Message] |
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* [http://cms.notv.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=26 Peter Greenaway first live VJ performance] |
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Taggers sometimes select tags, like [[screenname]]s, to reflect some personal qualities, but often a tag is chosen for how the word sounds when spoken aloud or how the letters sit with each other when written; usually referred to as how the tag "flows". The letters in a word can make doing pieces very difficult if the shapes of the letters don't sit next to each other in a visually pleasing way. Also some tags are humorous plays on common expressions, such as: Page3, 2Shae, 2Cold, In1 and many others. Tags can also contain subtle and often cryptic messages or in some cases the writer's initials or other letters become a part of the tag. The current year is often put up next to tags as well; the bomber Tox, from London, never writes just Tox; it is always Tox03, Tox04, etc. In some cases, "writers" dedicate or create tags or graffiti in memory of a deceased friend, for example, "DIVA Peekrevs R.I.P. JTL '99". Tags are usually between 3 to 5 letters long to make the process of doing them illegally faster, but can be any length at all. |
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[[Category:1942 births|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:Living people|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:Natives of Newport|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:Welsh screenwriters|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:British film directors|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:English screenwriters|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:Experimental filmmakers|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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[[Category:Welsh painters|Greenaway, Peter]] |
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Competition exists between writers as to who can put up the most, or the most visible or artistic tags (see [[Types of graffiti#Graffiti art battles|Graffiti art battle]]). Writers with the most tags, throw ups and pieces up tend to gain more respect among other graffiti artists, although they will also incur a greater risk if caught by authorities. As well as being prolific, writers are also expected to have "style", which means their work is artistic and accomplished, and the combination of the style of the work with the volume of work is what gets graffiti writers kudos from their peers. |
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[[bg:Питър Грийнауей]] |
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[[cy:Peter Greenaway]] |
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In some cases, taggers have achieved such elaborate graffiti (especially those done in memory of a deceased person) on storefront gates that shopkeepers have hesitated to cover them up. In [[the Bronx]] after the death of [[rapping|rapper]] [[Big Pun]], several murals dedicated to his life appeared virtually overnight; similar outpourings occurred after the deaths of [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] and [[Tupac Shakur]]. Princess Di and Mother Theresa were also memorialised this way in NYC. |
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[[de:Peter Greenaway]] |
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[[es:Peter Greenaway]] |
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Other works covering otherwise unadorned fences or walls may likewise become so highly elaborate that property-owners or the government may choose to keep them rather than cleaning them off. "Free walls" or commissioned walls are now a common part of the culture. |
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[[fr:Peter Greenaway]] |
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[[it:Peter Greenaway]] |
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[[Image:Graffitti Panarama.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A large piece found in [[Leeds]],[[U.K.]] covers a wall approximately 25m long.]] |
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[[he:פיטר גרינווי]] |
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[[nl:Peter Greenaway]] |
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Some graffiti has local or regional resonance, such as wall and street sign tagging in [[Southern California]] by gangs such as the [[Bloods]] and the [[Crips]]. The name ''[[Cool "Disco" Dan]]'' (including the quotation marks) occurs commonly in the [[Washington, D.C.]] area. One famous graffito in the [[Washington Metro|DC Metro]] area appeared on the outer loop of the [[Capital Beltway|beltway]] on a railroad bridge near the [[Temple (Mormonism)|Mormon temple]] as seen [http://www.lds.org/multimedia/files//5310_WASHINGTONDC_hr.jpg here]. Its simple scrawl "Surrender Dorothy" summoned visions of the [[Emerald City]] of [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 movie)|Oz]] and has remained on the bridge for nearly 30 years off and on beginning in late 1973. Pressure from the Temple saw it removed, only to reappear. This "[[Wiktionary:giraffiti|giraffiti]]" became so well known among the Mormon community that their newsletters often mentioned it as a specific example demonstrating misunderstanding. (See [http://www.mormonstoday.com/011207/D1WashDCTemple01.shtml "In View of Temple, Graffiti Again Seeks Dorothy's Surrender"] and [http://www.mormonstoday.com/991114/D1WashingtonTemple01.shtml "Landmark to most, temple is sanctuary for area's Mormons"] in ''Mormons Today''.) |
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[[ja:ピーター・グリーナウェイ]] |
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[[pl:Peter Greenaway]] |
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Theories on and the use of graffiti by [[avant-garde]] artists have a history dating back at least to the [[Scandinavian Institute of Comparative Vandalism]] of 1961. |
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[[ru:Гринуэй, Питер]] |
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[[sl:Peter Greenaway]] |
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Most of those who practice graffiti art wish to distance themselves from gang graffiti. Differences in both form and intent exist: graffiti art aims at self-expression and creativity, and may involve highly stylized letterforms drawn with markers, or cryptic and colorful spray paint murals on walls, buildings, and even freight trains. Graffiti artists strive to improve their art, which constantly changes and progresses. Gang graffiti, on the other hand, functions to mark territorial boundaries, and therefore does not transcend a gang's neighborhood; in the eyes of lovers of graffiti-art, it does not presuppose artistic intent. |
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[[fi:Peter Greenaway]] |
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[[sv:Peter Greenaway]] |
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The designs, while chosen to appear distinctive and recognizable, are more likely to be influenced by the speed with which a tagger can execute them (thus minimizing the chance of that tagger being caught). Those who distinguish between [[tagging]] and graffiti generally accept tagging as [[gang]]-motivated or meant as vandalism (illegal) or viewed as too vulgar or controversial to have public value, while they can view graffiti as creative expression, whether charged with political meaning or not. |
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Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of [[public art]]. According to many art researchers, particularly in the [[Netherlands]] and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social [[emancipation]] or in the achievement of a political goal. |
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The murals of Belfast and of Los Angeles [http://rpmurals.home.att.net/] offer another example of official recognition. In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically and/or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus of addressing cleavages in the long run. |
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Many artists involved with Graffiti also are concerned with a similar activity: Stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colours using spray-paint. In the UK, [[Banksy]] is the most recognisable icon for this cultural artistic movement; keeping his identity secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork can be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs. A number of exhibitions have also taken place since 2000. |
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Computer generated "tags" of usernames are now increasingly popular on forums, one notable site being [[Gaia Online]]. |
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==Legality== |
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Graffiti is subject to different societal pressures from popularly-recognized art forms, since graffiti appears on walls, freeways, buildings, trains or any accessible surfaces that are not owned by the person who applies the graffiti. This means that graffiti forms incorporate elements rarely seen elsewhere. Spray paint and broad permanent markers are commonly used, and the organizational structure of the art is sometimes influenced by the need to apply the art quickly before it is noticed by authorities. |
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[[Image:Graffitti-face.jpg|thumb|Character created by graffiti artist]] |
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In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffiti artists. Some have suggested that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or [[trespassing]]. Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. |
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While some perceive graffiti as a method of reclaiming public space, many others regard it as an unwanted nuisance, or as expensive [[vandalism]] requiring repair of the vandalized property. One can view graffiti as a '[[quality of life]]' issue, and many people suggest that the presence of graffiti contributes to a general sense of squalor and a heightened fear of [[crime]]. Advocates of the "[[Fixing Broken Windows|broken window theory]]" believe that this sense of decay encourages further vandalism and promotes an environment leading to offenses that are more serious. Former [[New York City]] mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]]'s subscription to the broken window theory promoted an aggressive anti-graffiti campaign in New York. However, throughout the world, authorities often, though not always, treat graffiti as a minor nuisance crime, though with widely varying penalties. |
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Chicago's mayor, [[Richard M. Daley]] created the '[[Graffiti Blasters]]' to eliminate graffiti and gang-related vandalism. The bureau promises absolutely free cleanup within 24 hours of a phone call. The bureau uses paints (common to the city's 'color scheme') and baking-soda based solvents to erase all varieties of graffiti. [http://www.kcb.org/kcb_cleanups.html] |
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In 1984, the [[Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network]] (PAGN) was created to combat the city's growing concerns about gang-related graffiti. PAGN led to the creation of the [[Mural Arts Program]], which replaced often hit spots with elaborate, commissioned murals that were protected by a city ordinance, increasing fines and penalties for anyone caught defacing a mural. |
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Community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti. In [[France]], the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] youth group ''[[Éclaireurs de France]]'' took their graffiti-scrubbing into the [[Meyrieres Cave]] near the French village of [[Bruniquel]] in [[Tarn-et-Garonne]], where they carefully erased the ancient paintings from the walls, earning them the 1992 [[Ig Nobel Prize]] in [[archaeology]].[http://www.improb.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig1992] |
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Graffiti made the news in 1993, over an incident in [[Singapore]] involving several expensive cars found spray-painted. The police arrested a student from [[Singapore American School]], [[Michael P. Fay]], questioned him and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty for vandalizing the car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the [[1966 Singapore Vandalism Act]], originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in [[Prison|jail]], a fine of 3,500 [[Singaporean dollars]] ([[United States dollar|US $]]2,233 or 1,450 [[British pounds]]), and a [[caning]]. ''[[The New York Times]]'' ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for [[pardon|clemency]], Fay's caning took place in Singapore on [[May 5]], [[1994]]. (Fay originally received a sentence of six lashes of the cane, but the then [[President of Singapore]] [[Ong Teng Cheong]] finally agreed to reduce his caning-sentence to four lashes.) |
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In 1995 Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York set up the [[Anti-Graffiti Task Force]], a multi-agency initiative to combat the perceived problem of graffiti vandals in New York City. This began a crackdown in "quality of life crimes" throughout the city, and one of the largest anti-graffiti campaigns in U.S. history. That same year Title 10-117 of the New York Administrative Code banned the sale of aerosol spray-paint cans to children under 18. The law also requires that merchants who sell spray-paint must lock it in a case or display cans behind a counter, out of reach of potential shoplifters. Violations of the city's anti-graffiti law carry fines of $350 per count. Both [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nograffiti/html/legislation.html the full text of the law] and an [http://www.zephyrgraffiti.com/zephyrwrt/crackdwn.html opposing viewpoint] written by famous NYC graffiti artist [[Zephyr (graffiti artist)|Zephyr]] appear online. |
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[[Image:Pboro Graf.JPG|frame|Graffiti in [[Peterborough]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]]] |
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The [[Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003]] became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. |
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In August 2004, the [[Keep Britain Tidy]] campaign issued a [http://www.encams.org/campaigns/main2.asp?pageid=34 press release] calling for [[zero tolerance]] of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" [[fine]]s to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to teenagers. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in [[music video]]s, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed 'cool' or 'edgy' image. To back the campaign, 123 British [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s (including [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]]) signed a charter which stated: ''Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem.'' |
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The city of [[Albuquerque]], [[New Mexico]] has had an aggressive anti-graffiti program since the mid-1990s. The city regarded its heavily-tagged [[arroyo (creek)|arroyo]]s, bridges and sound barrier walls as an eyesore. Reports emerged of taggers suffering injury and death attempting to tag their gang's area or while spray painting graffiti on the bridges. Each park and arroyo now has a sign posted that gives the telephone number to the Albuquerque ''Tagger's Hotline'', and a website exists where citizens can report taggers or graffiti online. Most stores in the metro area will not even sell spray paint without seeing an ID, and some have gone so far as to lock the spray paint away. Punishments include fines, community service and jail. |
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On January 1, 2006, in New York City, legislation created by Councilmember [[Peter Vallone, Jr.]] attempted to make it illegal for a person under the age of 21 to possess spray-paint or permanent markers. The law prompted outrage by fashion and media mogul [[Marc Ecko]] who sued Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] and Councilmember Vallone on behalf of art students and legitimate graffiti artists. On May 1, 2006, Judge George B. Daniels granted the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the recent amendments to the anti-graffiti legislation, effectively prohibiting (on May 4) the New York City Police Department from enforcing the restrictions. [http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/05/marc_ccko_helps_graffiti_artists_beat_nyc_in_court_preps_2nd/] |
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==Terminology== |
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A number of words and phrases have come to describe different styles and aspects of graffiti. Like all slang and colloquialisms, the phrases vary in different cities and countries. The following terminology comes primarily from the United States. |
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;tag |
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:A stylized signature; the terms ''tagger'' and ''writer'' refer to a person who "tags". A tag can be distinguished from a piece by its relative simplicity. Tags are usually comprised of a single color that contrasts sharply with its background. Tag can also be used as a verb which means "to sign". Writers often tag their pieces following the tradition of signing masterpieces. A less common type of tag is a "dust tag", done in dust by writers wishing to practice. |
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;throw-up |
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:A throw-up or "throwie" sits between a "tag" and a "piece" in terms of complexity and time investment. It generally consists of an outline (like black) and one layer of fill-color (like silver). Easy-to-paint bubble-shapes often form the letters. A throw-up is designed for quick execution, to avoid attracting attention to the writer. Throw-ups are often utilized by writers who wish to achieve a large number of tags while competing with rival artists. |
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;piece |
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:(From [[masterpiece]]) A large graffiti painting, often incorporating [[Perspective (graphical)|3-D]] effects, arrows, and many colors and color-transitions, as well as various other effects. A piece requires more time to paint than a throw-up. If placed in a difficult location and well executed it will earn the writer more respect. Piece can also be used as a verb that means: "to write". [[Super kool 223]] is often credited as the inventor of piecing. |
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[[Image:Fotografie141.jpg|thumb|200px|Graffiti on a wall.]] |
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;sticky |
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:A sticker (often taken from a post office) with the writer's tag on it. A sticker can be deployed more quickly than other forms of graffiti, making it a favorite in especially public places like newspaper dispensers. |
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[[Image:Graffiti.jpg|thumb|200px|A "tagged" construction scaffolding.]] |
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;bomb |
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:To ''bomb'' or ''hit'' is to paint many surfaces in an area. Bombers often choose throw-ups or tags over complex pieces, as they can be executed more quickly. |
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;crew |
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:A group of writers or graffiti-artists. Some crews are members of gangs, or are associated with gangs for art materials or protection during the process of creation, but many crews are unaffiliated with gangs. |
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;up |
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:Writers become ''up'' when their work becomes widespread and well-known. Although a writer can "get up" in a city by painting only tags (or throw-ups), a writer may earn more respect from skillfully executed pieces or a well-rounded repertoire of styles than from sheer number of tags. |
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;slash |
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:To put a line through, or tag over, another's graffiti. This is considered a deep insult. It is also known as "capping", "marking", "buffing", and "[[dissing]]". |
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[[Image:Berlin Wall.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Graffiti on the Berlin Wall]] |
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;back to back |
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:Graffiti that covers a wall from end to end, as seen on some parts of the West-Berlin side of the [[Berlin Wall]]. Similarly, trains sometimes receive ''end to end'' painting when a carriage has been painted along its entire length. This is often abbreviated to ''e2e''. End to ends used to be called ''window-downs'' but this is an older expression that is falling from popularity. |
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;top-to-bottom |
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:Pieces on trains that cover the whole height of the car. A top-to-bottom, end-to-end production is called a ''whole-car''. A production with several writers might cover a ''whole-train'', which means the entire side of the train has been covered. |
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;burner |
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:Typically a large, elaborate piece, more elaborate than a normal piece. The piece could be said to be "burning" out of the wall or train-side. Burners often originate legally, because of the time and effort put into them, but the great early writers of [[New York]] also did burners illegally on trains. |
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;insides |
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:Tags or bombs done inside trains, trams, or buses. In 1970s New York, there was as much graffiti inside the subway trains as outside, and the same is true of some cities today (like Rome, Italy and Melbourne, Australia). While very common, insides are often less artistic and seldom documented. |
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;going over |
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:To "go over" a piece of graffiti simply means to paint on top of it. While most writers respect one another's artwork, if a writer intentionally and disrespectfully paints on top of another's work, it is akin to a graffiti [[declaration of war]]. However (due partially to the limited amount of desirable wall-space) graffiti writers maintain a heirarchy of sorts; a tag can legitimately be covered by a throw-up, and a throw-up by a piece, and this is commonly done without incident. If a piece has previously been slashed (or "dissed"), it is also acceptable for another writer to go over it. To violate these guidelines or to simply paint lower-quality graffiti on top of a higher-quality artist's work will quickly characterize a writer as an annoynce, or "toy." |
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;toy |
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:An inexperienced or unskilled writer. Graffiti writers usually use this as a derogatory term for new writers in the scene. A writer considered a "toy" is especially targeted for slashing or going over. |
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;king |
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:The opposite of "toys," kings are writers especially respected among other writers, sometimes separated into "inside" and "outside" kings. To be a king of the inside means you have most tags inside trains (to "own the inside"), and to "own the outside" means having most pieces on the train surface. One should note that there are kings of ''style'' among a variety of other categories and the term is regionally subjective. Self-declared kings will often incorporate crowns into their pieces; a commonly used element of style. |
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;buff |
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:To remove spraypainted graffiti with chemicals and other instruments, or to paint over it with a flat color. |
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[[Image:TAF rooftop.jpg|thumb|125px|right|TAF rooftop, Phoenix Arizona]] |
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;heavens |
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:Pieces that are painted in hard-to-reach places such as [[roof|rooftop]]s, thus making them hard to remove. Such pieces (also commonly known as ''giraffiti''), by the nature of the spot, often pose dangerous challenges to execute, but may increase an artist's notoriety. |
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;nick |
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:To steal another artist's ideas or lettering schemes. Seasoned artists will often complain about toys that nick their work. The word originated as British and Commonwealth slang for "steal". In New York, the word "bite" was originally used in this context. |
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;etch |
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:The use of acid solutions intended for creating [[frosted glass]], such as Etch Bath, to write on windows. |
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;paintEATER |
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:Surfaces coated with a certain chemical that makes them difficult to spraypaint. |
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;scribe |
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:Also called "scratchitti," a technique that involves making purposely hard-to-remove graffiti by scratching or [[etching]] a tag into an object, generally using a [[key (lock)|key]] or another sharp object such as a [[knife]], stone, ceramic drill bit, or [[diamond]] tipped [[Dremel]] bit. The [[Mohs scale of mineral hardness]] determines which stones or other objects will scratch what surfaces. |
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;black book |
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:A graffiti artist's sketchbook. Often used to sketch out and plan potential graffiti, and to collect tags from other writers. |
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== Documentaries and films on graffiti== |
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*''[[Style Wars]]'' is an early documentary on hip hop culture, made by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant, made in New York City in the early 1980 for [[PBS]]. |
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*''[[Quality of Life]]'' (Theatrical release [[October 12]] [[2005]] in America): an award-winning and authentic graffiti drama shot in the Mission District of San Francisco, Directed by at-risk youth social worker Benjamin Morgan, starring Lane Garrison and Brian Burnam (a former graffiti writer who co-wrote the screenplay with Morgan). Limited theatrical release in 2005 and 2006 in San Francisco, New York, LA and a handful other cities. ([http://www.qualityoflife-themovie.com/ website]) |
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*''[[Bomb the System]]'' (Theatrical release [[May 27]] [[2005]] in America / [[3 September]] [[2005]] in Japan): a narrative feature about a crew of graffiti writers in modern day New York City. Shot entirely on the streets of New York starring [[Mark Webber]] as BLEST, a young artist struggling for fame and featuring [[BONZ Malone]], [[SEMZ]], TATS crew, [[LEE Quinones]], [[Tracy 168]], [[GANO]], and artwork from KR, SERF/MINT, PER, T-KID, STEM YNN, KYRO VGL and many many others. [[Bomb the System]] was scored by independent hip hop producer [[El P]] aka [[El Producto]], his first such attempt at composing for film and directed by 23 year old NYU film school grad [[Adam Bhala Lough]]. The film screened at 23 festivals on 3 continents and was nominated for an [[IFP Independent Spirit Award]] for Best First Feature in 2003. Palm Pictures released the film and subsequent DVD in 2005 to mixed reviews by t |
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*''[[NEXT, a Primer on Urban Painting]]'' - 2005 documentary. ([http://www.nextthemovie.com/ nextthemovie.com], [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0495164/ imdb]) |
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*''[[Bomb It!, Global Graffiti & Street Art Documentary]] - (in production)'' ([http://www.bombit-themovie.com/ bombit-themovie.com]) |
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*''[[GRAFFITITV]]'' - online graffiti TV featuring graffiti clips from around the world updated every day . ([http://www.graffitiTV.net/ graffitiTV.net]) |
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==See also== |
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*[[List of graffiti artists]] |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.the-rage.co.uk/graffitiart.htm Examples of Graffiti Art] |
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*[http://www.graffiti.org Art Crimes] The first website to feature Graffiti. |
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*[http://www.allgraffiti.com ALLgraffiti] International community of graffiti writers and crews. |
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*[http://www.bombingscience.com Bombing Science] Thousands of graffiti pictures from around the world. |
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*[http://www.capitalsthlm.com/en_index.html Capital Stockholm] - Graffiti from the Swedish capital |
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* [http://www.godisart.com Godisart.com] - a repository of info on graffiti & street art. |
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*[http://www.vfunk.com/703.html Graffiti Directory] Graffiti resource Including Banksy, Seen, Shepard Fairey. |
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*[http://www.otherthings.com/grafarc/flash/view.htm Graffiti archaeology] Time lapse graffiti archaeology collage. |
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*[http://lap.umd.edu/graffiti Graffiti as Interface Objects] The Laboratory for Automation Psychology and Decision Processes [[LAPDP]] |
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*[http://www.grafikwarfare.co.uk Grafik Warfare] Brighton based Street Art collective updated regularly. |
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*[http://www.hiphopgraphics.net Hiphop Graphics] A Street Art webite updated daily with new artwork. |
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*[http://www.insanefame.com Insane Fame] NYC New York City Graffiti street bombing with many photos and resources. |
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*[http://www.innercitywalls.com InnerCityWalls.com] Thousands of graffiti pictures and street art work. |
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*[http://www.nacht-aktiv.org Nacht-Aktiv.org] Pictures from Northgermany |
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*[http://www.wildstylers.com/wstr/index.php Wildstylers & TazReport] Urban arts media, daily updates with photos, news, interviews, reviews. |
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*{{flickr|Graffiti}} |
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*[http://www.vapourz.com Vapourz Graffiti Gallery] UK website containing images from around the world. |
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*[http://writers.org.ua Graffiti Gallery] Graffiti Gallery. |
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{{hiphop}} |
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Revision as of 22:32, 12 May 2006
This article has an unclear citation style. |
Graffiti is a type of deliberately inscribed marking made by humans on surfaces, both private and public. Graffiti can also refer to website defacements; however, it usually takes the form of publicly painted art, drawings or words. When done without a property owner's consent it constitutes vandalism. Graffiti has existed at least since the days of ancient civilizations such as classical Greece and the Roman Empire. The word "graffiti" expresses the plural of "graffito", although the singular form has become relatively obscure and is largely used in art history to refer to works of art made by scratching the design on a surface. Another related term is sgraffito, a way of creating a design by scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another one beneath. All of these English words come from the Italian language, most likely descending from "graffiato", the past participle of "graffiare" (to scratch); ancient graffitists scratched their work into walls before the advent of spray-paint, as in murals or frescoes. These words derive in their turn from the Greek γραφειν (graphein), meaning "to write". Historians continue to speculate over the vexing question as to where the term "graffiti" first referred to this form of marking.
History of graffiti
Ancient graffiti
Historically, the term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Usage of the word has evolved to include any decorations (inscribed on any surface) that one can regard as vandalism; or to cover pictures or writing placed on surfaces, usually external walls and sidewalks, without the permission of an owner. Thus, inscriptions made by the authors of a monument are not classed as graffiti.
The first known example of "modern style" graffiti survives in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) and appears to advertise prostitution, according to the tour guides of the city. It stands near the long mosaic and stone walkway and consists of a handprint, a vaguely heart-like shape, a footprint and a number. This purportedly indicates how many steps one would have to take to find a lover, with the handprint indicating payment.
The Romans carved graffiti into their own walls and monuments, and examples of their work also exist in Egypt. The eruption of Vesuvius preserved graffiti carved on the walls of Pompeii, and they offer us a direct insight into street life: everyday Latin, insults, magic, love declarations, political consigns. In contrast to typical modern graffiti, alphabets and quotations from famous literature (especially the first line of Virgil's Aeneid) have been found scribbled on the walls of Pompeii, either for the pleasure of the writer or to impress, albeit anonymously, the passer-by with one's familiarity with letters and literature. In an ancient variant on the "for a good time..." theme, an inscription gives the address of one Novellia Primigenia of Nuceria, apparently a great beauty and subject of constant enquiry; an illustration of a phallus was accompanied by the text, mansueta tene: "Handle with care." Love was also the object of scorn:
- Quisquis amat. veniat. Veneri volo frangere costas
- fustibus et lumbos debilitare deae.
- Si potest illa mihi tenerum pertundere pectus
- quit ego non possim caput illae frangere fuste?
- Whoever loves, go to hell. I want to break Venus's ribs
- with a club and deform her hips.
- If she can break my tender heart
- why can't I hit her over the head?
- -CIL IV, 1284.
Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli also has several examples.
Errors in spelling and grammar in graffiti not only inform us of the degree of literacy of many of the graffiti scrawlers, but they also give clues as to the pronunciation of spoken Latin. Such is the case with CIL IV, 7838: Vettium Firmum / aed[ilem] quactiliar[ii] [sic] rog[ant]. Here "qu" reflects the common pronunciation of "co". Conversely, ancient graffiti also provide us with evidence of the ability to read and write among classes of people for whom literacy was not requisite and might not otherwise be assumed. For example, the 83 graffiti found at CIL IV, 4706-85 (a peristyle which had been undergoing remodeling at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius) were executed not only by the architect Crescens, but also by most of the members of the work crew for whom he served as foreman. The brothel at CIL VII, 12, 18-20 contains over 120 graffiti, the authors of which included the prostitutes as well as their clients. And finally, the gladiatorial academy at CIL IV, 4397 contained graffiti left by the gladiator Celadus Crescens (Suspirium puellarum Celadus thraex: "Celadus the Thracier makes the girls sigh.") However, not only Greeks and Romans produced graffiti: the Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala, also contains ancient examples. Viking graffiti survive in Rome and at Newgrange Mound in Ireland, and Varangians carved their runes in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The ancient Irish inscribed stones with an alphabet called Ogham -- this standard mode of writing may not fall into the category of graffiti. There are also examples in American history, like Signature Rock (a national landmark), along the Oregon Trail.
Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s.
There are Chinese graffiti on the great wall of China.
Art forms like frescoes and murals involve leaving images and writing on wall surfaces. Like the prehistoric wall paintings created by cave dwellers, they do not comprise graffiti, as the artists generally produce them with the explicit permission (and usually support) of the owner or occupier of the walls.
Modern graffiti
In the 20th century, especially during World War II, 'Kilroy was here' became a famous graffito, along with Mr. Chad, a face with only the eyes and a nose hanging over the wall, saying "What No [scarce commodity]…?" during the time of rationing. Twentieth century warfare saw the advent of many new aviation technologies, closely followed by the advent of airplane graffiti, including the nose art made famous during World War II.
Starting with the large-scale urbanization of many areas in the post-war half of the 20th century, urban gangs would mark walls and other pieces of public property with the name of their gang (a "tag") in order to mark the gang's territory. Near the end of the 20th century, non-gang-related tagging became more common, practised for its own sake. Graffiti artists would sign their "tags" for the sake of doing so, or to increase their reputation and prestige as a "writer" or graffiti artist. The first documented cases of illegal markings created with a spray can were created by an artist named "Cornbread" from Philadelphia. The spray can became an important characteristic for the lettering styles which followed.
Taggers sometimes select tags, like screennames, to reflect some personal qualities, but often a tag is chosen for how the word sounds when spoken aloud or how the letters sit with each other when written; usually referred to as how the tag "flows". The letters in a word can make doing pieces very difficult if the shapes of the letters don't sit next to each other in a visually pleasing way. Also some tags are humorous plays on common expressions, such as: Page3, 2Shae, 2Cold, In1 and many others. Tags can also contain subtle and often cryptic messages or in some cases the writer's initials or other letters become a part of the tag. The current year is often put up next to tags as well; the bomber Tox, from London, never writes just Tox; it is always Tox03, Tox04, etc. In some cases, "writers" dedicate or create tags or graffiti in memory of a deceased friend, for example, "DIVA Peekrevs R.I.P. JTL '99". Tags are usually between 3 to 5 letters long to make the process of doing them illegally faster, but can be any length at all.
Competition exists between writers as to who can put up the most, or the most visible or artistic tags (see Graffiti art battle). Writers with the most tags, throw ups and pieces up tend to gain more respect among other graffiti artists, although they will also incur a greater risk if caught by authorities. As well as being prolific, writers are also expected to have "style", which means their work is artistic and accomplished, and the combination of the style of the work with the volume of work is what gets graffiti writers kudos from their peers.
In some cases, taggers have achieved such elaborate graffiti (especially those done in memory of a deceased person) on storefront gates that shopkeepers have hesitated to cover them up. In the Bronx after the death of rapper Big Pun, several murals dedicated to his life appeared virtually overnight; similar outpourings occurred after the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Princess Di and Mother Theresa were also memorialised this way in NYC.
Other works covering otherwise unadorned fences or walls may likewise become so highly elaborate that property-owners or the government may choose to keep them rather than cleaning them off. "Free walls" or commissioned walls are now a common part of the culture.
Some graffiti has local or regional resonance, such as wall and street sign tagging in Southern California by gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips. The name Cool "Disco" Dan (including the quotation marks) occurs commonly in the Washington, D.C. area. One famous graffito in the DC Metro area appeared on the outer loop of the beltway on a railroad bridge near the Mormon temple as seen here. Its simple scrawl "Surrender Dorothy" summoned visions of the Emerald City of Oz and has remained on the bridge for nearly 30 years off and on beginning in late 1973. Pressure from the Temple saw it removed, only to reappear. This "giraffiti" became so well known among the Mormon community that their newsletters often mentioned it as a specific example demonstrating misunderstanding. (See "In View of Temple, Graffiti Again Seeks Dorothy's Surrender" and "Landmark to most, temple is sanctuary for area's Mormons" in Mormons Today.)
Theories on and the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Scandinavian Institute of Comparative Vandalism of 1961.
Most of those who practice graffiti art wish to distance themselves from gang graffiti. Differences in both form and intent exist: graffiti art aims at self-expression and creativity, and may involve highly stylized letterforms drawn with markers, or cryptic and colorful spray paint murals on walls, buildings, and even freight trains. Graffiti artists strive to improve their art, which constantly changes and progresses. Gang graffiti, on the other hand, functions to mark territorial boundaries, and therefore does not transcend a gang's neighborhood; in the eyes of lovers of graffiti-art, it does not presuppose artistic intent.
The designs, while chosen to appear distinctive and recognizable, are more likely to be influenced by the speed with which a tagger can execute them (thus minimizing the chance of that tagger being caught). Those who distinguish between tagging and graffiti generally accept tagging as gang-motivated or meant as vandalism (illegal) or viewed as too vulgar or controversial to have public value, while they can view graffiti as creative expression, whether charged with political meaning or not.
Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or in the achievement of a political goal.
The murals of Belfast and of Los Angeles [1] offer another example of official recognition. In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically and/or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus of addressing cleavages in the long run.
Many artists involved with Graffiti also are concerned with a similar activity: Stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colours using spray-paint. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognisable icon for this cultural artistic movement; keeping his identity secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork can be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs. A number of exhibitions have also taken place since 2000.
Computer generated "tags" of usernames are now increasingly popular on forums, one notable site being Gaia Online.
Legality
Graffiti is subject to different societal pressures from popularly-recognized art forms, since graffiti appears on walls, freeways, buildings, trains or any accessible surfaces that are not owned by the person who applies the graffiti. This means that graffiti forms incorporate elements rarely seen elsewhere. Spray paint and broad permanent markers are commonly used, and the organizational structure of the art is sometimes influenced by the need to apply the art quickly before it is noticed by authorities.
In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffiti artists. Some have suggested that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing. Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere.
While some perceive graffiti as a method of reclaiming public space, many others regard it as an unwanted nuisance, or as expensive vandalism requiring repair of the vandalized property. One can view graffiti as a 'quality of life' issue, and many people suggest that the presence of graffiti contributes to a general sense of squalor and a heightened fear of crime. Advocates of the "broken window theory" believe that this sense of decay encourages further vandalism and promotes an environment leading to offenses that are more serious. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's subscription to the broken window theory promoted an aggressive anti-graffiti campaign in New York. However, throughout the world, authorities often, though not always, treat graffiti as a minor nuisance crime, though with widely varying penalties.
Chicago's mayor, Richard M. Daley created the 'Graffiti Blasters' to eliminate graffiti and gang-related vandalism. The bureau promises absolutely free cleanup within 24 hours of a phone call. The bureau uses paints (common to the city's 'color scheme') and baking-soda based solvents to erase all varieties of graffiti. [2]
In 1984, the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network (PAGN) was created to combat the city's growing concerns about gang-related graffiti. PAGN led to the creation of the Mural Arts Program, which replaced often hit spots with elaborate, commissioned murals that were protected by a city ordinance, increasing fines and penalties for anyone caught defacing a mural.
Community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti. In France, the Protestant youth group Éclaireurs de France took their graffiti-scrubbing into the Meyrieres Cave near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, where they carefully erased the ancient paintings from the walls, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archaeology.[3]
Graffiti made the news in 1993, over an incident in Singapore involving several expensive cars found spray-painted. The police arrested a student from Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty for vandalizing the car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Singapore Vandalism Act, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of 3,500 Singaporean dollars (US $2,233 or 1,450 British pounds), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on May 5, 1994. (Fay originally received a sentence of six lashes of the cane, but the then President of Singapore Ong Teng Cheong finally agreed to reduce his caning-sentence to four lashes.)
In 1995 Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York set up the Anti-Graffiti Task Force, a multi-agency initiative to combat the perceived problem of graffiti vandals in New York City. This began a crackdown in "quality of life crimes" throughout the city, and one of the largest anti-graffiti campaigns in U.S. history. That same year Title 10-117 of the New York Administrative Code banned the sale of aerosol spray-paint cans to children under 18. The law also requires that merchants who sell spray-paint must lock it in a case or display cans behind a counter, out of reach of potential shoplifters. Violations of the city's anti-graffiti law carry fines of $350 per count. Both the full text of the law and an opposing viewpoint written by famous NYC graffiti artist Zephyr appear online.
The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation.
In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to teenagers. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed 'cool' or 'edgy' image. To back the campaign, 123 British MPs (including Prime Minister Tony Blair) signed a charter which stated: Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem.
The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico has had an aggressive anti-graffiti program since the mid-1990s. The city regarded its heavily-tagged arroyos, bridges and sound barrier walls as an eyesore. Reports emerged of taggers suffering injury and death attempting to tag their gang's area or while spray painting graffiti on the bridges. Each park and arroyo now has a sign posted that gives the telephone number to the Albuquerque Tagger's Hotline, and a website exists where citizens can report taggers or graffiti online. Most stores in the metro area will not even sell spray paint without seeing an ID, and some have gone so far as to lock the spray paint away. Punishments include fines, community service and jail.
On January 1, 2006, in New York City, legislation created by Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr. attempted to make it illegal for a person under the age of 21 to possess spray-paint or permanent markers. The law prompted outrage by fashion and media mogul Marc Ecko who sued Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Councilmember Vallone on behalf of art students and legitimate graffiti artists. On May 1, 2006, Judge George B. Daniels granted the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the recent amendments to the anti-graffiti legislation, effectively prohibiting (on May 4) the New York City Police Department from enforcing the restrictions. [4]
Terminology
A number of words and phrases have come to describe different styles and aspects of graffiti. Like all slang and colloquialisms, the phrases vary in different cities and countries. The following terminology comes primarily from the United States.
- tag
- A stylized signature; the terms tagger and writer refer to a person who "tags". A tag can be distinguished from a piece by its relative simplicity. Tags are usually comprised of a single color that contrasts sharply with its background. Tag can also be used as a verb which means "to sign". Writers often tag their pieces following the tradition of signing masterpieces. A less common type of tag is a "dust tag", done in dust by writers wishing to practice.
- throw-up
- A throw-up or "throwie" sits between a "tag" and a "piece" in terms of complexity and time investment. It generally consists of an outline (like black) and one layer of fill-color (like silver). Easy-to-paint bubble-shapes often form the letters. A throw-up is designed for quick execution, to avoid attracting attention to the writer. Throw-ups are often utilized by writers who wish to achieve a large number of tags while competing with rival artists.
- piece
- (From masterpiece) A large graffiti painting, often incorporating 3-D effects, arrows, and many colors and color-transitions, as well as various other effects. A piece requires more time to paint than a throw-up. If placed in a difficult location and well executed it will earn the writer more respect. Piece can also be used as a verb that means: "to write". Super kool 223 is often credited as the inventor of piecing.
- sticky
- A sticker (often taken from a post office) with the writer's tag on it. A sticker can be deployed more quickly than other forms of graffiti, making it a favorite in especially public places like newspaper dispensers.
- bomb
- To bomb or hit is to paint many surfaces in an area. Bombers often choose throw-ups or tags over complex pieces, as they can be executed more quickly.
- crew
- A group of writers or graffiti-artists. Some crews are members of gangs, or are associated with gangs for art materials or protection during the process of creation, but many crews are unaffiliated with gangs.
- up
- Writers become up when their work becomes widespread and well-known. Although a writer can "get up" in a city by painting only tags (or throw-ups), a writer may earn more respect from skillfully executed pieces or a well-rounded repertoire of styles than from sheer number of tags.
- slash
- To put a line through, or tag over, another's graffiti. This is considered a deep insult. It is also known as "capping", "marking", "buffing", and "dissing".
- back to back
- Graffiti that covers a wall from end to end, as seen on some parts of the West-Berlin side of the Berlin Wall. Similarly, trains sometimes receive end to end painting when a carriage has been painted along its entire length. This is often abbreviated to e2e. End to ends used to be called window-downs but this is an older expression that is falling from popularity.
- top-to-bottom
- Pieces on trains that cover the whole height of the car. A top-to-bottom, end-to-end production is called a whole-car. A production with several writers might cover a whole-train, which means the entire side of the train has been covered.
- burner
- Typically a large, elaborate piece, more elaborate than a normal piece. The piece could be said to be "burning" out of the wall or train-side. Burners often originate legally, because of the time and effort put into them, but the great early writers of New York also did burners illegally on trains.
- insides
- Tags or bombs done inside trains, trams, or buses. In 1970s New York, there was as much graffiti inside the subway trains as outside, and the same is true of some cities today (like Rome, Italy and Melbourne, Australia). While very common, insides are often less artistic and seldom documented.
- going over
- To "go over" a piece of graffiti simply means to paint on top of it. While most writers respect one another's artwork, if a writer intentionally and disrespectfully paints on top of another's work, it is akin to a graffiti declaration of war. However (due partially to the limited amount of desirable wall-space) graffiti writers maintain a heirarchy of sorts; a tag can legitimately be covered by a throw-up, and a throw-up by a piece, and this is commonly done without incident. If a piece has previously been slashed (or "dissed"), it is also acceptable for another writer to go over it. To violate these guidelines or to simply paint lower-quality graffiti on top of a higher-quality artist's work will quickly characterize a writer as an annoynce, or "toy."
- toy
- An inexperienced or unskilled writer. Graffiti writers usually use this as a derogatory term for new writers in the scene. A writer considered a "toy" is especially targeted for slashing or going over.
- king
- The opposite of "toys," kings are writers especially respected among other writers, sometimes separated into "inside" and "outside" kings. To be a king of the inside means you have most tags inside trains (to "own the inside"), and to "own the outside" means having most pieces on the train surface. One should note that there are kings of style among a variety of other categories and the term is regionally subjective. Self-declared kings will often incorporate crowns into their pieces; a commonly used element of style.
- buff
- To remove spraypainted graffiti with chemicals and other instruments, or to paint over it with a flat color.
- heavens
- Pieces that are painted in hard-to-reach places such as rooftops, thus making them hard to remove. Such pieces (also commonly known as giraffiti), by the nature of the spot, often pose dangerous challenges to execute, but may increase an artist's notoriety.
- nick
- To steal another artist's ideas or lettering schemes. Seasoned artists will often complain about toys that nick their work. The word originated as British and Commonwealth slang for "steal". In New York, the word "bite" was originally used in this context.
- etch
- The use of acid solutions intended for creating frosted glass, such as Etch Bath, to write on windows.
- paintEATER
- Surfaces coated with a certain chemical that makes them difficult to spraypaint.
- scribe
- Also called "scratchitti," a technique that involves making purposely hard-to-remove graffiti by scratching or etching a tag into an object, generally using a key or another sharp object such as a knife, stone, ceramic drill bit, or diamond tipped Dremel bit. The Mohs scale of mineral hardness determines which stones or other objects will scratch what surfaces.
- black book
- A graffiti artist's sketchbook. Often used to sketch out and plan potential graffiti, and to collect tags from other writers.
Documentaries and films on graffiti
- Style Wars is an early documentary on hip hop culture, made by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant, made in New York City in the early 1980 for PBS.
- Quality of Life (Theatrical release October 12 2005 in America): an award-winning and authentic graffiti drama shot in the Mission District of San Francisco, Directed by at-risk youth social worker Benjamin Morgan, starring Lane Garrison and Brian Burnam (a former graffiti writer who co-wrote the screenplay with Morgan). Limited theatrical release in 2005 and 2006 in San Francisco, New York, LA and a handful other cities. (website)
- Bomb the System (Theatrical release May 27 2005 in America / 3 September 2005 in Japan): a narrative feature about a crew of graffiti writers in modern day New York City. Shot entirely on the streets of New York starring Mark Webber as BLEST, a young artist struggling for fame and featuring BONZ Malone, SEMZ, TATS crew, LEE Quinones, Tracy 168, GANO, and artwork from KR, SERF/MINT, PER, T-KID, STEM YNN, KYRO VGL and many many others. Bomb the System was scored by independent hip hop producer El P aka El Producto, his first such attempt at composing for film and directed by 23 year old NYU film school grad Adam Bhala Lough. The film screened at 23 festivals on 3 continents and was nominated for an IFP Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in 2003. Palm Pictures released the film and subsequent DVD in 2005 to mixed reviews by t
- NEXT, a Primer on Urban Painting - 2005 documentary. (nextthemovie.com, imdb)
- Bomb It!, Global Graffiti & Street Art Documentary - (in production) (bombit-themovie.com)
- GRAFFITITV - online graffiti TV featuring graffiti clips from around the world updated every day . (graffitiTV.net)
See also
External links
- Examples of Graffiti Art
- Art Crimes The first website to feature Graffiti.
- ALLgraffiti International community of graffiti writers and crews.
- Bombing Science Thousands of graffiti pictures from around the world.
- Capital Stockholm - Graffiti from the Swedish capital
- Godisart.com - a repository of info on graffiti & street art.
- Graffiti Directory Graffiti resource Including Banksy, Seen, Shepard Fairey.
- Graffiti archaeology Time lapse graffiti archaeology collage.
- Graffiti as Interface Objects The Laboratory for Automation Psychology and Decision Processes LAPDP
- Grafik Warfare Brighton based Street Art collective updated regularly.
- Hiphop Graphics A Street Art webite updated daily with new artwork.
- Insane Fame NYC New York City Graffiti street bombing with many photos and resources.
- InnerCityWalls.com Thousands of graffiti pictures and street art work.
- Nacht-Aktiv.org Pictures from Northgermany
- Wildstylers & TazReport Urban arts media, daily updates with photos, news, interviews, reviews.
- Graffiti on Flickr
- Vapourz Graffiti Gallery UK website containing images from around the world.
- Graffiti Gallery Graffiti Gallery.