Graffiti has proven to be a growing subculture, not only within the hip-hop crowd, but has made it's mark as a form of underground, illegal artwork. Recently, many of my favorite graffiti decorating the bridges, overpasses, and city streets of Atlanta has been painted over, leaving behind a looming and not to mention unentertaining white clouds floating alongside our roadways. One particular piece of work that was prematurely removed from the city walls read, "Life doesn't get any easier," in classic, red graffiti font. Although this piece of artwork did not necessarilly arouse happiness to the hustling and bustling bypassers on Moreland Avenue, it meant something. Or at least it did to me. The artists appeared to be making a statement on what sometimes feels like the downhill battle of life. There was nothing vulgar or distasteful about the artwork and this is why it concerns me that people are more concerned with marking out something which has been displayed in pursuit of art than bothering to worry about the meaning behind it.
Yes, artists such as Vomet (whose tag I am sure you've seen plastered on some billboard, lightpole or condemned building around the city) or the late 'Oh No' (many of his tags have been topped with halo's, courtesy of other artists memorial efforts) have and will continue to illegally make their mark on our city, but why is our society determined for the victimless crime to desist?
Atlanta is littered with taggings (these are the pseudonyms of graffiti artists spray painted anywhere they choose to mark their territory) of artists, many of which are aestetically pleasing to the eye. Amongst themselves, the artists become famous and books have been published on all of the various, established graffiti artists around the world. Thus, why is graffiti such a controversial subculture?
Granted, trainyards, abandoned buildings, and billboards are either public property or privately owned, presumably not by the graffiti artists tagging them. However, can we not just accept graffiti as a form of expression, most often unoffensive, and decorate our city with artwork, rather than poorly painted splotches?
This subculture has sparked a trend in art that has also been featured in ads around Atlanta concerning everyone's favorite cheap beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon. Graffitied billboards display multiple artists interpretation of the famous PBR can, making it difficult to distinguish an ad from a stealthily sprayed spectacle.
An alternative to illegally painting artwork onto a building is entering contests through organizations like Living Walls the City Speaks. Works are chosen to be printed on rice paper which is plastered onto buildings whose owners willingly agree to have them posted. The rice paper is resiliant and the art is displayed to the city as if it had been painted there to last forever.
Graffiti has obviously surpassed the test of time and will continue to be an outlet for many artists to come, but it cannot be ignored that this subculture is gaining more recognition by the general public than years previous. Although this deviant behavior may be frowned upon in the law books and those in opposition will probably continue to paint over many of the pieces painted by anonymous talents, it cannot be ignored that the artform itself has gained credation in popular culture today.
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