On Graffiti as Printed Canvas Art

09.06.09 |

Ask anyone their view on graffiti, and you’ll receive views right across the board : some people see it as vandalism, others a subtle artform. On the “good press” side, gifted creatives such as Banksy have made walls a place to put a political point across, utilising stencils to produce tricky artworks loaded with a nuanced political point. This kind of graffiti was certain to become fashionable with both the public and the likes of The Guardian pressroom : pleasing to the eye, and the intellect. This form of graffiti is even acquired as printed canvas art, and placed on the walls of suburban homes and office reception areas.

Nevertheless, when it comes to your down and dirty graffiti - the gangbanger, the tagger, the street urchin - this is just seen as vandalism, an offence perpetrated by the untalented. But is graffiti only art? To many individuals, it’s not just an artform, but a means to put your stamp on territory, or even a rejection of society altogether : anti-art, anti-social, anti-establishment.

Spraying has forever been a covert pursuit, although the effects are very much public. The targeted audience is often unknown. Is it for a rival crew? A communication to a single person? To the public at large? Maybe it’s simply uncalled-for and out of nothing else to do.

Whatever the reasons, there appears to be some kind of enduring need to spray graffiti on walls. Some cities have conceded that graffiti isn’t a short-term craze, so they’ve designated zones where graffiti is permitted - usually derelict areas, but now and again more civic zones like boarding that surrounds inner city buildings under construction.