Graffiti Writing on Literacy Trend
A deeper study on the nature of graffiti would make anyone see that it is something that should not just be reduced as merely a series of random lines and colors written or imprinted on a wall or surface. They should also not be regarded only as something nonsense. They would not be written on the walls for no purpose. Graffiti and tags are a form of art because they both make use of creativity to deliver a message. The role of graffiti writing in the members of different gangs and crews is really very significant because it aids their communication, their expression, and their beliefs.
Although graffiti painting have been regarded as a form of vandalism, it could also be regarded as a reflection of popular literature. The development and continued proliferation of graffiti and tags have a big connection to literacy trends of today. According to Street (1995), literacy “is a social construction of reality embedded in collective practice in specific social situations” (176). Literacy can also be defined as the sense of being educated and having knowledge about the world. Graffiti writing is a significant part of the literacy trend of the young adolescents from the oppressed sectors of the society. But graffiti writing is also an important consideration of possessing education on the streets, an alternative means of learning practice.
The people involved in graffiti writing and tagging, the crews and gangs, are promoters of a unique kind of literature. “There is a considerable literature on graffiti and inscription on different surfaces that draws our attention to the cultural meanings of literacy well beyond questions of skill and decoding” (Street and Lefstein 23). How graffiti becomes a part of popular literature is a reality that should be given attention to. For many adolescents, especially from the marginalized group of the society, graffiti writing and tagging had been a significant part of their way of expression, their way of literature, and their way of life.
Graffiti vs. Tags
In simple terms, graffiti can be “defined simply as unsanctioned writing on public spaces” (Moje 208). They usually contain threats addressed either to rivals gangs or to people who try to steal authority in their territories, but delivered in a creative way. Tags on the other hand are usually simple one liners which contain identification and considered more artistic versions of graffiti which “are not used to claim territory but to advertise” (Moje 210). Tags are usually self-expressive identifications of taggers.
Graffiti and tags are etched and marked on random public of places. Most of the time, these forms of expression are illegally placed so they become seen as contributors to the defacing of different public properties. “Graffiti are inscriptions or drawing written on walls, sidewalks, and the like” (Aguilar 16). The remarkable form of graffiti and tags demand attention from people, not only because they are uniquely placed or publicly exposed, but also because of the curious nature of the images and texts. Graffiti and tags are used without the adequate permission of authorities which result to their unlawfulness, contributing also to the recognition they get from the public.
By simply observing graffiti, the markings on the streets are indecipherable for ordinary people. Gangs have their own set of jargon words and way of writing. In reality, graffiti are “systematically encoded expressions of identity, attempts to make meaning, or statements of resistance to dominant power structures” (Moje 208). Graffiti and tags are tools used by many individuals and groups, mostly adolescents, to communicate a certain message to other people.
Moje noted the distinction between tags and graffiti. “Taggers write for a statement and for artwork and a sign of respect. Graffiti is to mark where you come from like gangs and what they claim as their turf” (211). Graffiti from gangs are territorial in nature while taggers “are not driven by the context of protecting neighborhood space or themselves through the development of a reputation” (Phillips 312). Tagging is not something that needs to be taught formally, rather it something that can be simply picked up. Tags also change and does not remain constant all through out. “Everybody has their own style. Nobody tags the same” (Smith and Whitmore 56).
But despite whatever difference the two have, in essence tags and graffiti come from gangs and crews who make use of them to convey their messages to a bigger audience. Graffiti writing and tagging are also both expressions of one individual who is shaped by the community he belongs to.
Developments on Graffiti and Tagging
The people who are engaged to tagging or are part of gang doing graffiti are usually from the marginalized sectors of the population. They are the people who usually do not have enough educational opportunities or formal schooling does not become integrated to their system. “Art in the form of graffiti originated in the late 1960s, but graffiti in term of public and unsolicited markings has been around for ever” (Tucker par. 4). Historically, experts say that graffiti had already been present in the form of wall paintings on the houses of the earliest people. Some people believe that “it represents man's desire and need for communication, and the history of this type of communication dates back to one of the first communicative acts—drawing” (Tucker par. 4). Over the thousands of years that passed, the need to communicate through by drawing on public places by people, especially those who are unheard in the society, remains a reality.
In the 1960s to 1980s, graffiti continued to become prominently present, especially in New York City. This coincided with the introduction of subway cars in the city. Issues on the defacing of these public properties signified a negative mark with graffiti artists and taggers. The process of creating graffiti and tags have evolved over the years. The difference is reflected on the materials used, on the style, and on the purpose of these graffiti artists. Creating graffiti and tags have become faster and easier with the innovations introduced by the developments of the world. “Felt tip pens are used inside and on small areas, aerosol spray cans are used outside and on large areas” (Blume 137). The limitations of graffiti writing have been reduced, making the delivery of message easier for the artists to create more innovative forms of graffiti.
The purpose on why graffiti and tags are done is different for anyone. “For some it is to get back at a world that has long oppressed them and to rebel against the society they consider so corrupt and unjust” while “for others it is purely for the pleasure of creation, for the art form” (Tucker par. 57). Most of the members of gangs and crews come from the population deprived of having a stand in the society. Their writings become their voice and their attempt to reclaim their place. Because of these facts, it is not hard to imagine why creating graffiti and tags have become an important means of communication, especially for people who have become more attached to the streets than on any educational institution.
“Like all literacy conventions in a community, tags have certain features that help readers construct meaning” (Smith and Whitmore 54). Tags and graffiti art have evolved together with time, developing a more solid reason for their usage and proliferation. They have become like open essays published on a wall that tells a story about the writer and what the writers stand for.
The evolution of graffiti writing can be attributed to a lot of factors. A number of circumstances in history can be attributed to what molded the linguistic or artistic characteristics of graffiti and tags. “For example, with hip-hop, the content of graffiti is subsumed by its own artistic elaboration—one can hardly read the names of hip-hop writers for all the arrows, colors, and cryptic styles” (Phillips 39). This is just one of the many other events of the society where graffiti are interwoven with. The character of graffiti writing is shaped with other factors of popular culture, contributing to its influential impact to the society.
Role in Literature
Graffiti and tags have important significance to the literature of their time because they reflect the kind of literacy trend that develop in their communities. The population that is mostly engaged in these practices range in the ages of teenage years to young adults. As graffiti and tags become the most effective means of promoting an artistic side or delivering a particular message of the group, their value as literature for the gangs and crews become more pronounced. “Adolescents engage in purposeful literate practices that express commonly held values, using culturally recognized forms” (Aguilar 3). Sensible graffiti art and tags prove that lack of quality education do not necessarily translate to ignorance. In fact, graffiti and tags “integrate alphabetic and iconic representational forms in systematic ways” (Moje 209). The graffiti art can have important messages or convey deeper realities of life, and their packaging as something written on public and unauthorized places may be the important factor for their point to be heard.
“In underground colloquialism, graffiti artists are called writers” (Tadai 11). A common graffiti usually contain an identification of its author. It can be a codename or a nickname plus the location or street name of the perpetrator. Like a form of literature, this serves as the author's identification or the by line of the story. This shows how graffiti artists and taggers, even if they are regarded promoters of vandalism, are actually writers in their own sense.
Also, one graffiti artist writes for his whole gang or crew for they are representatives of each other. They may not promote the traditional methods of storytelling, but they adhere to the purpose of literature to deliver a story. “Graffiti writers translate their inherited world in fragments, often wherever fresh architectural mediums become accessible, aiming to reach no one and everyone in particular” (Tadai 10). This purpose make the graffiti and tags more reaching and influential to popular literature. Nowadays graffiti are not restricted to the streets because art galleries usually pick the theme more often already. After all, the idea of graffiti is fresh and unusual. But the real graffiti, the one made out of loyalty to particular groups and gangs, are able to maintain their essential nature.
Gang graffiti are usually addressed to their rival gangs, telling them to keep out of their territories and stay out of their business. The story gang rivalry is reflected on the graffiti posted by the one group. This kind of event reflect the society we have today, which is not very different from the history especially during the years when conquering countries and protecting territories are still important businesses of the world. The simple attempt of one gang to protect their territorial grounds may not be written in history books, but the graffiti they create make it a temporarily written account posted on the wall for the public to see.
Graffiti and tags take literacy outside its formal setting. This has been the evolution of what literature could be. “Graffiti writers combine elements of language and art to create variable impacts in a variety of circumstances” (Phillips 39). Although the markings on the walls may be coded and hard to decipher, they are still capable of reflecting what is timely and possible. The graffiti and tags become important temporary documents which can be resupplied again, as long as graffiti writers continue to impart the nature of their communities.
Graffiti and tags have established themselves as literate practices “used to claim a space and a voice in dominant society and to express oneself or one's group identity to others who share that identity” (Moje 209). What graffiti artists and tagging crews cannot express to the world because of the limitations of their status in the society, they deliver in their own terms through writing it publicly. Graffiti and tags have become their way of “writing themselves to the world” (Moje 211). They serve not only as tools of communication and learning, but also as avenues for expression and sharing of personal opinions. Having a voice, an outlet to speak up and protect their group is one of the aims of every gangs and crews. The usual themes of graffiti are that they serve as advertisements of one's community, reaffirmation of the pride and loyalty as being a part of the group, and protective defenses for their own safety.
An expression of Popular Culture
The significance of tags and graffiti in the society is usually given less attention. Maybe its because these acts are most of the time regarded as nuisances in the society. Making graffiti and tags on walls of public places is indeed illegal and prohibited by the law because they disrupt the supposed image of the community. But tags and graffiti “serve as tools for transforming thought and experience in the lives of marginalized youth” (Moje 211). Graffiti and tags give adolescents more freedom to write and think however they want. In nourishing talent and interest in the art, especially in literature, the importance of freedom for creative thinking is very important. It tests just how far does the artistry, imagination, and opinion of a person can go. Graffiti can be considered tools for educating and encouraging interest in art and literature.
Tags and graffiti also reflect what is popular and the current concern of everyone. Trends are usually derived from what is prominent and always seen and heard. Promotion and selling of ideas to the public is a lucrative business today. “Graffiti writers, on the other hand, put up their own advertisements only for the cost of the paint they use and the risk they take” (Phillips 31).
Because graffiti and tags have a very tried and tested effective way of attracting attention, they are also very influential in dictating what would be the trend of the time. People engage on painting the streets also get their ideas and issues from the streets. As many studies about graffiti gangs prove, the orientation of life that the members of these gangs comes also from where they stay most of the time. They usually just build on this and place it in their creations. They advertise themselves and their ideas effectively.
Modern art had embraced the nature of graffiti art. Many forms of graffiti are not limited to the streets anymore. It can be compared to how hip-hop had influenced graffiti writing, the modernities and different treatment of graffiti may also contribute immensely again to what would be the culture of the future. As we can see today, graffiti are becoming more and more artistic in nature and more accepted by the people. Today's graffiti had already been significantly important to the popular literature. It can be assumed in the future that graffiti would continue to evolve, innovate, and influence while still maintaining its role in the streets.
The proliferation and developments of graffiti writing are very evident in today's time. These graffiti artists who have evolved into speakers and influential contributors to popular literature. Graffiti writing have innovated along with the passing of time and yet it maintained its original purpose in the streets, which is to promote and protect the loyalty to one's community. Although the art of graffiti have moved on and penetrated other venues, the continued occurrence of graffiti painting in the streets solidify the original purpose of the project.
Graffiti writing is one of the literary practices of the adolescents who are part of gangs and crews. This form of literature is one of the most important learning experience for every child growing up in the marginalized population. This kind of education which is learned firsthand on the streets has a lot of unique qualities that makes it something that should be given attention to. Graffiti writing had influenced what could be adopted and recommended for the future of the educational system. It has also helped shaped what would be the image of popular literature today.
Graffiti writing had promoted a new kind of literacy, one that can be learned from the streets. The popularity of graffiti and tags as a form of artistic expression helped liberate oppressed individuals to have a chance to voice out their opinions and let their art be recognized as a potential literacy practice. Although, the negative implications of gangs and crews will continue to remain. The issues related to their violent behaviors and activities would continue to haunt them as the society would take a long time understanding the freedom for marginalized individuals. Also, this controversial form of art will continue to still be regarded as vandalism in the future because the most popular canvas of graffiti will remain to be properties that should not be ruined. And lastly, conservative educators would take a long time to accept that graffiti writing has an impact to literacy trends. But for graffiti writing, with its continuous growth and evolution, to emerge the way it is now, it will also continue to be a reflection of popular culture and contribute consistently on the nature of literacy.
Although graffiti painting have been regarded as a form of vandalism, it could also be regarded as a reflection of popular literature. The development and continued proliferation of graffiti and tags have a big connection to literacy trends of today. According to Street (1995), literacy “is a social construction of reality embedded in collective practice in specific social situations” (176). Literacy can also be defined as the sense of being educated and having knowledge about the world. Graffiti writing is a significant part of the literacy trend of the young adolescents from the oppressed sectors of the society. But graffiti writing is also an important consideration of possessing education on the streets, an alternative means of learning practice.
The people involved in graffiti writing and tagging, the crews and gangs, are promoters of a unique kind of literature. “There is a considerable literature on graffiti and inscription on different surfaces that draws our attention to the cultural meanings of literacy well beyond questions of skill and decoding” (Street and Lefstein 23). How graffiti becomes a part of popular literature is a reality that should be given attention to. For many adolescents, especially from the marginalized group of the society, graffiti writing and tagging had been a significant part of their way of expression, their way of literature, and their way of life.
Graffiti vs. Tags
In simple terms, graffiti can be “defined simply as unsanctioned writing on public spaces” (Moje 208). They usually contain threats addressed either to rivals gangs or to people who try to steal authority in their territories, but delivered in a creative way. Tags on the other hand are usually simple one liners which contain identification and considered more artistic versions of graffiti which “are not used to claim territory but to advertise” (Moje 210). Tags are usually self-expressive identifications of taggers.
Graffiti and tags are etched and marked on random public of places. Most of the time, these forms of expression are illegally placed so they become seen as contributors to the defacing of different public properties. “Graffiti are inscriptions or drawing written on walls, sidewalks, and the like” (Aguilar 16). The remarkable form of graffiti and tags demand attention from people, not only because they are uniquely placed or publicly exposed, but also because of the curious nature of the images and texts. Graffiti and tags are used without the adequate permission of authorities which result to their unlawfulness, contributing also to the recognition they get from the public.
By simply observing graffiti, the markings on the streets are indecipherable for ordinary people. Gangs have their own set of jargon words and way of writing. In reality, graffiti are “systematically encoded expressions of identity, attempts to make meaning, or statements of resistance to dominant power structures” (Moje 208). Graffiti and tags are tools used by many individuals and groups, mostly adolescents, to communicate a certain message to other people.
Moje noted the distinction between tags and graffiti. “Taggers write for a statement and for artwork and a sign of respect. Graffiti is to mark where you come from like gangs and what they claim as their turf” (211). Graffiti from gangs are territorial in nature while taggers “are not driven by the context of protecting neighborhood space or themselves through the development of a reputation” (Phillips 312). Tagging is not something that needs to be taught formally, rather it something that can be simply picked up. Tags also change and does not remain constant all through out. “Everybody has their own style. Nobody tags the same” (Smith and Whitmore 56).
But despite whatever difference the two have, in essence tags and graffiti come from gangs and crews who make use of them to convey their messages to a bigger audience. Graffiti writing and tagging are also both expressions of one individual who is shaped by the community he belongs to.
Developments on Graffiti and Tagging
The people who are engaged to tagging or are part of gang doing graffiti are usually from the marginalized sectors of the population. They are the people who usually do not have enough educational opportunities or formal schooling does not become integrated to their system. “Art in the form of graffiti originated in the late 1960s, but graffiti in term of public and unsolicited markings has been around for ever” (Tucker par. 4). Historically, experts say that graffiti had already been present in the form of wall paintings on the houses of the earliest people. Some people believe that “it represents man's desire and need for communication, and the history of this type of communication dates back to one of the first communicative acts—drawing” (Tucker par. 4). Over the thousands of years that passed, the need to communicate through by drawing on public places by people, especially those who are unheard in the society, remains a reality.
In the 1960s to 1980s, graffiti continued to become prominently present, especially in New York City. This coincided with the introduction of subway cars in the city. Issues on the defacing of these public properties signified a negative mark with graffiti artists and taggers. The process of creating graffiti and tags have evolved over the years. The difference is reflected on the materials used, on the style, and on the purpose of these graffiti artists. Creating graffiti and tags have become faster and easier with the innovations introduced by the developments of the world. “Felt tip pens are used inside and on small areas, aerosol spray cans are used outside and on large areas” (Blume 137). The limitations of graffiti writing have been reduced, making the delivery of message easier for the artists to create more innovative forms of graffiti.
The purpose on why graffiti and tags are done is different for anyone. “For some it is to get back at a world that has long oppressed them and to rebel against the society they consider so corrupt and unjust” while “for others it is purely for the pleasure of creation, for the art form” (Tucker par. 57). Most of the members of gangs and crews come from the population deprived of having a stand in the society. Their writings become their voice and their attempt to reclaim their place. Because of these facts, it is not hard to imagine why creating graffiti and tags have become an important means of communication, especially for people who have become more attached to the streets than on any educational institution.
“Like all literacy conventions in a community, tags have certain features that help readers construct meaning” (Smith and Whitmore 54). Tags and graffiti art have evolved together with time, developing a more solid reason for their usage and proliferation. They have become like open essays published on a wall that tells a story about the writer and what the writers stand for.
The evolution of graffiti writing can be attributed to a lot of factors. A number of circumstances in history can be attributed to what molded the linguistic or artistic characteristics of graffiti and tags. “For example, with hip-hop, the content of graffiti is subsumed by its own artistic elaboration—one can hardly read the names of hip-hop writers for all the arrows, colors, and cryptic styles” (Phillips 39). This is just one of the many other events of the society where graffiti are interwoven with. The character of graffiti writing is shaped with other factors of popular culture, contributing to its influential impact to the society.
Role in Literature
Graffiti and tags have important significance to the literature of their time because they reflect the kind of literacy trend that develop in their communities. The population that is mostly engaged in these practices range in the ages of teenage years to young adults. As graffiti and tags become the most effective means of promoting an artistic side or delivering a particular message of the group, their value as literature for the gangs and crews become more pronounced. “Adolescents engage in purposeful literate practices that express commonly held values, using culturally recognized forms” (Aguilar 3). Sensible graffiti art and tags prove that lack of quality education do not necessarily translate to ignorance. In fact, graffiti and tags “integrate alphabetic and iconic representational forms in systematic ways” (Moje 209). The graffiti art can have important messages or convey deeper realities of life, and their packaging as something written on public and unauthorized places may be the important factor for their point to be heard.
“In underground colloquialism, graffiti artists are called writers” (Tadai 11). A common graffiti usually contain an identification of its author. It can be a codename or a nickname plus the location or street name of the perpetrator. Like a form of literature, this serves as the author's identification or the by line of the story. This shows how graffiti artists and taggers, even if they are regarded promoters of vandalism, are actually writers in their own sense.
Also, one graffiti artist writes for his whole gang or crew for they are representatives of each other. They may not promote the traditional methods of storytelling, but they adhere to the purpose of literature to deliver a story. “Graffiti writers translate their inherited world in fragments, often wherever fresh architectural mediums become accessible, aiming to reach no one and everyone in particular” (Tadai 10). This purpose make the graffiti and tags more reaching and influential to popular literature. Nowadays graffiti are not restricted to the streets because art galleries usually pick the theme more often already. After all, the idea of graffiti is fresh and unusual. But the real graffiti, the one made out of loyalty to particular groups and gangs, are able to maintain their essential nature.
Gang graffiti are usually addressed to their rival gangs, telling them to keep out of their territories and stay out of their business. The story gang rivalry is reflected on the graffiti posted by the one group. This kind of event reflect the society we have today, which is not very different from the history especially during the years when conquering countries and protecting territories are still important businesses of the world. The simple attempt of one gang to protect their territorial grounds may not be written in history books, but the graffiti they create make it a temporarily written account posted on the wall for the public to see.
Graffiti and tags take literacy outside its formal setting. This has been the evolution of what literature could be. “Graffiti writers combine elements of language and art to create variable impacts in a variety of circumstances” (Phillips 39). Although the markings on the walls may be coded and hard to decipher, they are still capable of reflecting what is timely and possible. The graffiti and tags become important temporary documents which can be resupplied again, as long as graffiti writers continue to impart the nature of their communities.
Graffiti and tags have established themselves as literate practices “used to claim a space and a voice in dominant society and to express oneself or one's group identity to others who share that identity” (Moje 209). What graffiti artists and tagging crews cannot express to the world because of the limitations of their status in the society, they deliver in their own terms through writing it publicly. Graffiti and tags have become their way of “writing themselves to the world” (Moje 211). They serve not only as tools of communication and learning, but also as avenues for expression and sharing of personal opinions. Having a voice, an outlet to speak up and protect their group is one of the aims of every gangs and crews. The usual themes of graffiti are that they serve as advertisements of one's community, reaffirmation of the pride and loyalty as being a part of the group, and protective defenses for their own safety.
An expression of Popular Culture
The significance of tags and graffiti in the society is usually given less attention. Maybe its because these acts are most of the time regarded as nuisances in the society. Making graffiti and tags on walls of public places is indeed illegal and prohibited by the law because they disrupt the supposed image of the community. But tags and graffiti “serve as tools for transforming thought and experience in the lives of marginalized youth” (Moje 211). Graffiti and tags give adolescents more freedom to write and think however they want. In nourishing talent and interest in the art, especially in literature, the importance of freedom for creative thinking is very important. It tests just how far does the artistry, imagination, and opinion of a person can go. Graffiti can be considered tools for educating and encouraging interest in art and literature.
Tags and graffiti also reflect what is popular and the current concern of everyone. Trends are usually derived from what is prominent and always seen and heard. Promotion and selling of ideas to the public is a lucrative business today. “Graffiti writers, on the other hand, put up their own advertisements only for the cost of the paint they use and the risk they take” (Phillips 31).
Because graffiti and tags have a very tried and tested effective way of attracting attention, they are also very influential in dictating what would be the trend of the time. People engage on painting the streets also get their ideas and issues from the streets. As many studies about graffiti gangs prove, the orientation of life that the members of these gangs comes also from where they stay most of the time. They usually just build on this and place it in their creations. They advertise themselves and their ideas effectively.
Modern art had embraced the nature of graffiti art. Many forms of graffiti are not limited to the streets anymore. It can be compared to how hip-hop had influenced graffiti writing, the modernities and different treatment of graffiti may also contribute immensely again to what would be the culture of the future. As we can see today, graffiti are becoming more and more artistic in nature and more accepted by the people. Today's graffiti had already been significantly important to the popular literature. It can be assumed in the future that graffiti would continue to evolve, innovate, and influence while still maintaining its role in the streets.
The proliferation and developments of graffiti writing are very evident in today's time. These graffiti artists who have evolved into speakers and influential contributors to popular literature. Graffiti writing have innovated along with the passing of time and yet it maintained its original purpose in the streets, which is to promote and protect the loyalty to one's community. Although the art of graffiti have moved on and penetrated other venues, the continued occurrence of graffiti painting in the streets solidify the original purpose of the project.
Graffiti writing is one of the literary practices of the adolescents who are part of gangs and crews. This form of literature is one of the most important learning experience for every child growing up in the marginalized population. This kind of education which is learned firsthand on the streets has a lot of unique qualities that makes it something that should be given attention to. Graffiti writing had influenced what could be adopted and recommended for the future of the educational system. It has also helped shaped what would be the image of popular literature today.
Graffiti writing had promoted a new kind of literacy, one that can be learned from the streets. The popularity of graffiti and tags as a form of artistic expression helped liberate oppressed individuals to have a chance to voice out their opinions and let their art be recognized as a potential literacy practice. Although, the negative implications of gangs and crews will continue to remain. The issues related to their violent behaviors and activities would continue to haunt them as the society would take a long time understanding the freedom for marginalized individuals. Also, this controversial form of art will continue to still be regarded as vandalism in the future because the most popular canvas of graffiti will remain to be properties that should not be ruined. And lastly, conservative educators would take a long time to accept that graffiti writing has an impact to literacy trends. But for graffiti writing, with its continuous growth and evolution, to emerge the way it is now, it will also continue to be a reflection of popular culture and contribute consistently on the nature of literacy.
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