It's vandalism in it's best form...graffiti art.
Graffiti is many things. It’s an artistic expression wrapped in vandalism of property, wrapped in a refreshing escape from an often cold and mundane urban environment. It’s a showcase of talent and testiment to a free spirit. Lot of people have very polarized views on graffiti’s merits with some who love this independent expression of visual art while some simply see a scrawl of a criminals intent.
I have to say that I have personally had a long standing connection with graffiti art. I find the talent of creations I have stumbled upon in various back alleys to often impress me….sometimes very highly.
Lady of Kensington Market - Murals...Graffiti's big brother
Toronto is one of the many urban places where graffiti and back alley murals range wide and far. Above this exceptionally created wall art decorates one of the back brick facades of a store in Kensington Market. More mural that flat out graffiti, it is art in an open public place and was likely a commisioned work rather than a guerilla undertaking. Either way it is a wonderful surprise to come across works like these as they are truely a honest work of art simply for it’s sake alone.
Psycho Pumpkins and Knives - back alleyway graffiti in the jungle
Another alley, another artwork, this time complete with stylized lettering which is a common hallmark found complimenting or sometimes “being” the graffiti in and of itself. Often graffiti artists seem to relish in elaborate and unique lettering and tags in their artworks. Even the most basic form of graffiti known as the “tag” is usually some form of highly stylized script that flashes the artists name, affiliation to a group or acronym of some sort.
Tagging is probably the most common graffiti to be found in the wild
Vehicles are game too for the tagger carrying a marker or spray can.
Under a Bridge - a common hideout for graffiti like this large size tag.
White paint marker strikes this time on this tag.
Message to the People
Sometimes graffiti is also less about an art form than it is a public forum for passive aggressive types who have something to say about their view of the world. Often it is a voice of displeasure in some form decrying against perceived injustices like this message found marked onto a life buoy station. Seeing messages like this doesn’t change your opinion necessarily but it reminds you to validate your opinions intermittently. When considering this particular message, I wondered if the author intended any implied symbolism of a life buoy station being the placard for a message about neglected youth or was it merely a coincidental accident.
It’s often that these miniature social commentaries are tucked away just within view of the regular public, to almost act as a sub-concious barometer of societal state. When one breaks away from their own existence long enough to start to notice these little messages you begin to consider how many people voice themselves in the form of graffiti.
There are lots of examples of these hidden all over, you just start to notice them when you think about it.
Messages like this are found all over the urban landscape.
An existential message found inside a covered walkway
Wether you like graffiti or not it’s hard to deny that there is something more to it than just vandalism of property. Often it’s offensive, questionable, ugly or just plain rude, but when you start to think about why the graffiti is there in the first place it’s more about an art form mixed with rebellious social commentary, who’s intent is often to generate a reaction.
Often graffiti is just for the sake of rebellion.
Finally I’ll leave you with a quick video. Like I mentioned earlier I’m often delighted when I stumble upon graffiti where ever I find it. The video below shows a impressionistic view of one alley in Toronto that was home to some very skilled artists works. Hopefully you’ll come across some graffiti in your day to day that will make you pause for a while and consider it’s existence.
All photographs, artwork, written word and video is copyright Sound Pro Studios, April 2012. No unauthorized copying allowed.
