Street Art vs Tagging Graffiti
When I was the president of Cartoonists Northwest, I was responsible for setting up the speakers every month. I wasn’t prepared for a bit of backlash about asking Starheadboy (Dave Bloomfield) to give a presentation.
Pup in a nest Bolted up on a post by Starheadboy https://www.facebook.com/starheadboy
To be fair, it wasn’t a strong backlash, there were just a few people who talked about being on committees that get rid of graffiti and some subtle complaints about it. I was surprised but I don’t think I really should have been. I don’t like tagging either but most people don’t know what the difference is.
An example of the different types of tagging. Some do have more elaborate lettering that is beautiful.
Tagging is when people or gangs write their initials, signs or symbols on the wall to claim the area or to just try and get someone to notice.
Graffiti is the overall umbrella of tagging and the art of wheat pasting, stickers and painting in public areas. Most artists that paint pictures, murals, wheat paste paintings, chalk paint, etc. call themselves “Street Artists” instead of graffiti artists but I’m sure that will go in a cycle too. Not to digress too much but graffiti is ancient and has been performed in pyramids by the ancient tourists and Roman times as well.
I grew up in a gang filled area and the people I knew that did the tagging had nowhere else to turn since they were in gangs or kicked out of their home either physically or figuratively. To me tagging is representative of a community where the people are not feeling honored, not listened to or let’s face it, abused. When the murals, paintings and graphics come out from the street artists, they are trying to either get themselves known without elitist galleries, have fun with their friends or just spread their art as a gift. I know some people don’t think of the art as a gift, but you don’t have to love it and it will go away soon…just like advertising and posters.
When I went to Chicago for a visit, I missed the graffiti we usually see around Seattle. Everything looked so sterile. I’m not sure what is different from slick advertisements and artists expressing themselves on the backs of signs. My guess is we’re just so used to seeing advertisements. Even the advertisements that try and look like graffiti are in a neat rectangle so your mind can ignore it. 
So maybe that’s the secret…just make everything in a neat rectangle so we can decide to look at it or not…just like at the museums? 😀 Just wondering out loud.
PS Not condoning doing any damage to homes or businesses. Most artists are respectful and besides, the next mural could be a Banksy on your ugly wall!
Also, the presentation by Starheadboy went over unbelievably well. 95% of the people who went adored him which included the original people who weren’t that excited.
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I like — I love coming across beautiful colors, images, shapes. Here’s where I have an issue or at least I’m trying to figure out tagging. While I look at the words in a formal sense I see amazing lines– calligraphy and language. I am reminded of petragliphs and hieroglyphs. But it feels more like someone is spitting on my surroundings. Really, the rock on a footpath in the park, the trees. No meaning comes across(even on the light post), no message– it is kind of like mold cause there is more and more of it. I’m an artist and as I write this I’m wondering if I’m old, stupid, don’t get the joke or a geek. What is the psychology behind it besides look at me, I was here and I don’t really give a shit about anyone. It is a mark– kind of like a dog peeing on tree– “my tree”. I’m trying to decipher my own disdain… I don’t really mind scribbles on the bathroom wall– I let my students draw all over their tables. Tagging pisses me off. Someone– enlighten me.
I understand completely where you are coming from. I honestly believe that it is just what we are used to seeing.
At first, because I wasn’t used to it, I thought the stickers on the backs of signs were awkward and messy looking. Then I started to recognize certain pieces I really liked or I understood what they were saying and agreed with it. That is when I really loved the stickers and started to look for them.
Isn’t the tagging kind of the same thing except we’ll probably never know what they mean? They’re hard to read and usually are just a signature or location stamp. We all search for meaning in art, consciously or subconsciously, and it’s hard for me to find any meaning in signatures. That might be another reason why we are so willing to accept constant, visual advertising since we understand the intention behind it? It’s all a great discussion and to me, your openness about the whole concept is what we all can aspire to, whether we agree with the concept or not.
Thank you so much for posting and I apologize for not answering sooner…I think I have a settings issue somewhere. 😉