(GIVE-UP)- The Graffiti Artist

Introduction

The word Graffiti simply means--words or drawings scratched, scribbled or painted on a wall. The word originates from the Greek word "graphein" (to write) and the word "grafitti" itself is plural of the Italian word "graffito." Graffiti markings have been around since the beginning of time, remnant of early graffiti can be seen in caves all over the world. It represents a human desire and need for communication, and in some cases the simple display of existence. (Dennant: 196)

If you noticed a lack of Give Up wheat-paste posters around town earlier this year, it's because the Give Up guy/gal had gone fishin'. Well, actually he (or she) was taking a vacation in the Pacific Northwest, collecting inspiration for his (or her) latest works. His (or her) return prompted plenty of eerie treasures picturing trees, spooky figures in the forest and woodland creatures. His (or her) change of pace was appreciated, because the only thing worse than looking at the same wall day after day is looking at the same kind of poster on that wall day after day.

Graffiti is art. Aesthetic criteria and motives behind the artist's work far outweigh arguments on legality or unconventional presentation. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze and interpret graffiti's social significance as well as its intentional and unintentional goals. To understand this better, this paper also presents a history of the community that surrounds the art form and analysis of important characteristics of the culture.

History

Without a better understanding of why artists turn to graffiti, it is not surprising that the average person's image of a graffiti artist is far from accurate. A majority of people tend to associate graffiti with vandalism. They think most graffiti artists are hoodlums or gang-bangers with nothing better to do with their time. As this paper will show, vandalism and graffiti derive from very different motives and environments. Though there is sometimes a fine line between the two, this is what gives graffiti a more organic feel. (Bushnell: 154)

Currently, approximately one-half of graffiti artists come from white middle- and upper-class homes, especially concentrated in suburban areas. Though the art form was once originally relegated to low-income urban youth, the explosion of hip-hop style in the 1990's brought graffiti to an entirely new range of artistic and creative people. Kids from the suburbs seem to connect with the same message that inner-city kids are trying to communicate. They are using it to show a rejection of values and morals that are being pressured on them by their environment. They feel it is the only way to disrupt the sterilized, uniform isonomy of a planned suburban community and break free from its culture of materialism and consumption.

Graffiti is the act of inscribing or drawing on walls for the purpose of communicating a message to the general public. The term comes from the Greek term "Graphein," which means 'to write.' Graffiti has been around since men first started drawing pictures in caves. However, the focus ...