Graffiti: an Alternative Communication Media

Claudia Weiss, Anita Mettler

Graffiti: an Alternative Communication Media

• Definition • History• Negative and Positive Aspects• Creative Process• Place > Spots• Public Reception• Themes -> Zeitgeist• Medial Aspects• Conclusion

Definition• „ markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-

painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like” (Online Dictionary)

• „Graffiti ist ein Oberbegriff für viele thematisch und gestalterisch unterschiedliche Erscheinungsformen. Die Gemeinsamkeit besteht darin, dass es sich um visuell wahrnehmbare Elemente handelt, welche ungefragt und meist anonym, von Einzelpersonen oder Gruppen auf fremden oder in öffentlicher Verwaltung befindlichen Oberflächen angebracht werden“ (Siegl 60)

Origin

• Italian „graffiare“ = scratch • used to describe a specific technique of facade

decoration (Sgraffito) (Siegl 11)

Historybelongs to our cultural history : as Northoff says Schrift-

Kultur(en)konstante or ‘ancient as human communication’ (179)

• Before the invention of clay tablets and papyrus• Pompeii: 15,000 wall messages• Victor Hugo->The Hunchback of Notre Dame • WWII– The White Rose Movement– Jewish shops: Star of David – Hafelekar: swastika (Hakenkreuz)

Contemporary History

• colour spray can -> writers• Cultural Phenomenon 70s (NY) • Hip Hop

• graffiti hunter (Siegl 13-14)

Why drawing graffiti?

Why drawing graffiti?

POSITIVE ASPECTS:• to come out from the big cities' anonymity

and isolation– To show they have something to say. They want

the others to know about them/ kind of self expression

– To show their art (prospect of fame and recognition of one's talent)

• to beautify the place

Why drawing graffiti?

NEGATIVE ASPECTS:

• to deface property• Gang related marking territory

Creative Process• scratched and carved

• “Walk of fame”

• Graffiti stencils/pochoirs ≠ unique piece of work

Creative Process

• painted (Wildstyle)I. Tagging (Tag: abbreviation of a signature)II. “throw-ups” (quickly painted pictures/graffiti > a

quickpiece)III. “pieces”

Aim > becoming a respected member of a crew(from ‘toy’ to ‘master’) - innovative style- to be present

Creating competition(overspraying is offensive)

Place > Spots

• Motive : a message to be seen!!

• Legal and illegal places– Legal places for graffiti writers• Südrings and Olympia world • subways: Reichenau, Höttingen Au

Legal Graffitis

Illegal Graffitis

Public Reception • Traditionally negative > vandalism, gangs• Positive changes: – Educative aspect > team-work skills, respect, bring

a job to an end, apprenticeship in a crew– Workshop > Slurry tanker

Zeitgeist: Political Themes

Zeitgeist: Sex, Love, Relationship

Zeitgeist: Artistic Productions

Zeitgeist: Sport

Medial aspects

• alternative media • voice of the average people• independent from the mainstream• horizontal communication ≠ vertical

Conclusion

• Two levels of communication:1.Encoded > for the members of the crew or for

other writers2.For the ‚normal‘ recipient/the passing by person

The goal is the same > wanting to communicate: either with the aim to be understood by few or many OR just for the matter of expressing oneself

Works Cited

• Bezirks Blätter“ Scheiße im und auf dem alten Jauchewagen.“ Stadtblatt Innsbruck vol.33. 16 August 2012. Web. 27 June 2013

• Brauer, Robert. History-Die Anfänge des Hip-Hop: Graffiti. 2010. Web. 27 June 2013

• Christen, Richard S. Hip Hop Learning: Graffiti as an Ecuador of Urban teenagers. Fall 2003. Web. 27 June 2013

• Northoff, Thomas. Graffiti: Die Sprache an den Wänden. Wien: Löcker, 2005.Print.

• Siegl, Norbert. Graffiti Enzyklopädie: Von Kyselak bis HipHop-Jam. Wien: Österreich. Kunst- und Kulturverlag, 2001.Print.

• Online Dictionary – http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/graffiti