Quote from: gasskammer on May 04, 2015, 12:22:20 PM
Yeah, this is good stuff. Been meaning to get this book for years. Sao Paulo graff scene is insane..
How about graffiti in general? Should go without saying that a lot of the graffiti people do is just badly done and placed badly. On the other hand I can appreciate a skilled painter. And I like some stencil stuff a lot for example.
Any thoughts on the subject? Examples of graffiti done exceptionally well or with an interesting subject matter?
Any painters here?
As with any art, I can appreciate if its well done. I prefer the bigger ones which have required more time to do and I abhorr simple name tags littering walls and wc stalls. Honestly, I don't enjoy Banksy style stencil stuff that much. It was funny for a while but in the end it has become bit of a bore, the jokes feel quite samey to me and in general his political/social critique feels quite shallow.
Heres few examples of the kind of graffiti I like quickly culled from reddit.com/r/graffiti:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7723/17140792247_cd254628f0_b.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/610f8aca29ff4ceb22e910e85f0ede10/tumblr_nkqet7yiLE1r6wmavo1_1280.jpg
http://imgur.com/pTExAGC
(http://www.redbull.com/cs/RedBull/RBImages/000/000/760/667/photo610x343/Tox-10.jpg) > "street art" any day
I always liked graffiti. Personally i now appreciate a more simple approach, tags and throwups or few colored pieces but with more skills and refined lines.
There is a saying that a writer is never better than his tag-i find that to be true. It is easy to hide behind multiple colors and lines, but a skillful tag is not that
easy.
Never been into the stencil/street art thing. It seems mostly like a very fixed aesthetics, with some light political comment, cuteness and a bit of absurd humor.
Some stunts by Banksy is ok, but that is more in the league of almost relational aesthetics type of art (to stretch it a bit) more that conventional street art, that to
me is more "Mickey mouse in guantanamo dress".
Some of the heroes from around here;
http://senseslost.com/2009/10/29/fos-crew-claims-second-biggest-graffiti-piece/
http://splitcitymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/tumblr_mu50xwOCXI1r9x2d8o2_500.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6217/6242836760_18be78cea5_m.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6120/6286395110_f62877dd53.jpg
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xaf1/t51.2885-15/s306x306/e15/11123767_1597025000542677_431961454_n.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/5971059853_803f137bd3.jpg
This is maybe the most significant movie from around here, full of live action also (mostly trains/subway..)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taGFsRcw7VA
Quote from: gasskammer on May 05, 2015, 11:01:16 AM
I always liked graffiti. Personally i now appreciate a more simple approach, tags and throwups or few colored pieces but with more skills and refined lines.
There is a saying that a writer is never better than his tag-i find that to be true. It is easy to hide behind multiple colors and lines, but a skillful tag is not that
easy.
Never been into the stencil/street art thing. It seems mostly like a very fixed aesthetics, with some light political comment, cuteness and a bit of absurd humor.
Some stunts by Banksy is ok, but that is more in the league of almost relational aesthetics type of art (to stretch it a bit) more that conventional street art, that to
me is more "Mickey mouse in guantanamo dress".
Yeah, I could imagine that the stencil stuff is probably more interesting to people who don't know shit about actual writing etc. It's easy to digest and looks "nice".
What qualities constitute a great tag?
QuoteWhat qualities constitute a great tag?
Quantity :)
Hell yes!
Also some personal style is good, and confidence!
Hard to find good pictures, but these are good.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5623560472_4eac236bfc_m.jpg
http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8423/7493305648_8ff6e5dd6a_m.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6059007945_22a11070c2_m.jpg
http://www.juxtapoz.com/images_old/stories/AustinMcManus/july.11/20/jux_remio7.png
In my opinion, even "bad" graffiti can spice up a boring wall. Of course it can be somewhat annoying if its a really nice building, or a wall that already has nice decoration, but in general I'd rather have poorly drawn dicks and swastikas on the bus stalls than nothing at all, toilets especially, the more paint the better.
That FOS crew vid is great entertainment. Oslos trains are too clean these days..
(http://36.media.tumblr.com/bac626fb6c0c0037e65b3e0957fa61b0/tumblr_mhw05zGcvR1rnx9tbo1_500.jpg) :D
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/46d7381e4f9300c8a223cc50ea070f7e/tumblr_neant936tQ1sm0f6uo1_540.jpg)
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/b1a0a717d5dcf5f603968112306b8098/tumblr_n8bgsjfFz41sm0f6uo1_1280.jpg)
Quote from: Salamanauhat on May 05, 2015, 12:12:17 PM
What qualities constitute a great tag?
As mentioned above, a tag can really show if the writer "has it".
It being both personality and a "whipping" feel to it, as if it's just about to jump straight off the wall at you.
About the actual painting I appreciate well made colourful big ones as well, but simple chrome with black outlines is probably my favorite recipe. This one by swedish writer Slice. Nothing special on paper, I'm sure, but here in the subway it's just perfect.
(http://www.graffiticreator.net/img/gallery/artists/d/dissey/dissey%20%2820%29.jpg)
For those skilled in swedish tongue I can warmly recommend the book Blått Stål (Blue Steel), covering the birth and evolution of graffiti on the subway trains in Sweden. Well, more photos than text, so maybe anyone could appreciate it, who knows. https://shop.dokument.org/bocker/graffiti-street-art/9789163737206/ (https://shop.dokument.org/bocker/graffiti-street-art/9789163737206/)
http://notjimjoe.tumblr.com/
Quote from: Salamanauhat on May 04, 2015, 02:21:03 PM
Quote from: gasskammer on May 04, 2015, 12:22:20 PM
Yeah, this is good stuff. Been meaning to get this book for years. Sao Paulo graff scene is insane..
How about graffiti in general? Should go without saying that a lot of the graffiti people do is just badly done and placed badly. On the other hand I can appreciate a skilled painter. And I like some stencil stuff a lot for example.
Any thoughts on the subject? Examples of graffiti done exceptionally well or with an interesting subject matter?
Any painters here?
Yes I have been participating in the graffiti writing lifestyle for many years and have a lot of specific critiques and tastes nowadays. I have gravitated almost entirely away from the 'artistic' developments towards the most primitive practices. I don't have any interest in figurative stuff, just written text only.
Yeah, now I know this threads here will have to post a few notes on my favorite underground publications and DIY graffiti books that came out over the years.
Should go without saying that a lot of the graffiti people do is just badly done and placed badly.
[/quote]
Haha, this is certainly true. A lot of graffiti is done by kids that are still in that copycat mentality. They try to visually recreate what they see. Fixated on the visual and pics they have seen online. I think only after years that people develop. The best and most interesting graffiti writers are really guys in their 30's who have a lot of experience and developed tastes.
But i'm in my 30's so that might explain my viewpoint!!!
Seems to be normal that after one gets older, the more simple approach is more appreciated. I am too in the thirties and simple but effective works best now. Skills is best shown with minimal timeframe and less color etc..
What is somehow interesting is the difference in how it is handled from country to country. Here it is very strict. You can get serious time in jail if caught when they have evidence you have been active a while, and you get beat up and locked up for sure for one tag on the street if caught right there. Also the general public is very hostile towards writers, if a "citizen" sees you he will try to make you stop by force mostly. This results in many fights of course..This is Scandinavia, but further down Europe seems to be a bit more easy, but its been some years since last time, im retired.
Out here in Oakland its a writers haven.
Most citizens don't want to get involved as many of the writers are not so kind. I'm constantly watching people duke it out on the walls (going over one another, dissing each other, and ultimately fighting at some point).
It really feels that the "criminal" aspect of it all is magnified out here. People don't play for fun, they play for keeps.
Meanwhile the cops are too busy with other issues to really focus on it.
Surprised that no one has mentioned Jon from Slogun. He used to write Porn and Porn Lordz. Jeffery from Jinx Records was telling me about a time when he watched Jon use a scribe (used for writing on windows) and wrote out PORN across the four doors that served as an entrance to a school.
Wish there was an easier way for me to post photos, there's a lot of great work out here.
Quote from: HONOR_IS_KING! on May 21, 2015, 07:45:45 PM
Out here in Oakland its a writers haven.
Most citizens don't want to get involved as many of the writers are not so kind. I'm constantly watching people duke it out on the walls (going over one another, dissing each other, and ultimately fighting at some point).
It really feels that the "criminal" aspect of it all is magnified out here. People don't play for fun, they play for keeps.
Its a lot ths here as well, lots of people getting involved because the "badass" aspect. Thise applies to mostly younger kids of course, older writers take it a bit more easy or becomes full time gangsters,hah.
Anyway, mostly i do hate when graffiti enters gallery space, because its so connected with the streets, the whole "undercover/guerilla" aspect disappear and aesthetics often becomes cheap street art. However i think this swede here has done some cool stuff. Not all his films are on youtube, but i think dvd copies should be obtainable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP5uUqz4SHk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJfb5jyIlKQ
This seems like an ad for molotow, but i like his more conventional style also!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oTTunVVBw
For you, TS;
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6064/6159613588_6e251eef39.jpg)
Lets pull this back up with link to a channel I greatly enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmosPj8Mj5e-PznCLYVdQMw
Great footage and great interviews. Whats not to like?
Didn't expected that topic here really, i'm surprised
I read the previous posts here and i'm glad that someone really apreciates raw bombing on walls or steel, it came a little lower when graffiti came to the galleries.
As a graffiti bomber/writer i can say i came from the school where stencils are lame, it's all about the skills so i was really smiling seeing tox tag or steel from all crew.
But yeah, graffiti lifestyle can be quite rough sometimes, but it also gives you unforgetable memories and you meet a lot of good people. Also, some bombers made up to the level of gangstas, watching movies from russia when someone tried to interrupt when doing a wholecar and got beaten up, also racking the cans, dealing, sometimes it feels like you live like a rat.
Detroit has had a very strong graffiti scene for quite a while. They are attempting to crack down again. This time by targeting small businesses owners by fining them for not covering up tags. A bit ridiculous since the city makes no effort to clean up there own buildings and certainly don't fine themselves. The solution is far worse looking than any graffiti, they've simply started just painting entire walls gray (well, from the street to three or four feet below the roofline) all in some effort to make suburban fucks and useless tourist feel safe in our so called "renaissance" city.
I am personally not a great fan of tagging, when I was younger I appreciated it (and somes certainly do it very well and have great wildstyles or very humorous tags) but I just view it as such an ego trip, the idea of writing your name everywhere, blah it doesn't seem to have much individuality or originalality left in it. I much prefer rough shit, crude jokes and graff that borders on near vandalism. my favorite shit is where they rolled over tags with all different kinds of paint, ends up just being blocks of muted colors, like some trash king version of a barnet newman, I saw if your going to tag don't write a name just take a bucket on paint and throw it at a wall.
Personal favorites of me currently are:
The Dutch graffiti scene of the 70's, especially Dr. Ratt
Graffiti of the 70's from American Cities, including modern day gang graffiti, I could care less what it means. I just like how crude it is.
Peter Ernst Effie from the German Student Movement who would paint surrealistic images around Berlin leaving his business card, when a company wouldn't contact him with money for damages he'd simply send them back a bill for the same amount. Unfortunately English info of him is lacking, he died trying to escape a mental hospital.
Bathroom graffiti everywhere. Though it to is starting to be all stickers and "tags".