| Graffiti: Art or eyesore? |
| Posted:August 4th, 2004 |
| By:
Colin Coates |
 |
A UK charity organisation 'Keep Britain Tidy' has warned that towns and cities across England are being "held to ransom" by graffiti and has launched a campaign to combat the problem. Do you think graffiti is something our cities should be proud of or should it be rubbed out? |
Every scheme or initiative focused on eradicating
graffiti from city centres all over the world have always failed so
why do local governments and councils keep trying?
Well believe it or not a recent study has
labelled graffiti as a major anti-social activity or should I say
crime. The study even went so far as to say that graffiti is just
as damaging to a community as drug dealing and prostitution… what
a bombshell huh!
IN THE FORUMS
"I
like grafitti, especially at railway stations, it gives you
something to look at when your on the train."
monki
JOIN
THE DISCUSSION |
This new categorisation of graffiti has lead to
a new and determined effort by community leaders, police and politicians
to take on the graffiti artists or should I say criminals.
It is estimated that the cost to local councils for cleaning up graffiti
is around £27m per year.
The new initiative will see the creation
of zero-tolerance zones in graffiti hotspots which will result in
offenders being handed on the spot fines and new legislation to ban
the sale of spray paint to teenagers.
To the graffiti artist this new attack on their much-loved but controversial
pastime has come as a bolt out of the blue. After all we are now living
in an age when the city workers can turn up for work in combat trousers
and the England football captain can have more tattoos on his arms
than Popeye.
In fact graffiti artists could be forgiven for thinking that their
skills are in great demand at the moment with all sorts of companies
and enterprises taking advantage of the street-cred a good graffiti
tag can do for their image.
Even upmarket Estate agents Foxtons had their logo on their company
cars re-branded as a graffiti tag.
 |
| A
typical graffiti piece on a London Underground car. |
Just imagine that! A Foxton estate agent driving
a potential customer to view a £1m London flat in a traditional British
racing green mini with a loud yellow in your face graffiti logo printed
all over the side doors.
If that isn't a licence for any budding or veteran graffiti artists
to go out and brush up on their skills I don't know what is.
The issue of graffiti has polarised public opinion in a way that no
many other issues could.
Half the population ( mainly under 25's ) think graffiti is a part
of city life and actually adds life and colour into the otherwise
grey and boring concrete jungle they live in.
The other half of the population ( mainly over 25's ) think graffiti
is the worst thing ever to come out of tin cans and would love nothing
more than to see the end of the scourge they cite for adding a sense
of squalor to our cities as well as making people feel unsafe.
Facts about graffiti
(1.) The term graffiti comes from the Greek word 'graphein' which
means 'to write'.
(2.) Graffiti was first found on ancient Roman architecture.
(3.) Graffiti artists call themselves 'writers' each with their own
unique 'tag'.
(4.) Graffiti refers to marks or writings, sometimes colourful, sometimes
simple.
(5.) Graffiti artists strive for recognition and want their work to
be seen in as many places as possible.
(6). Groups of graffiti artists are known as 'crews'.
(7.) Graffiti artists use spray paint and markers to create their
work.
(8.) New or inexperienced artists to an area are called 'toys'.
(9.) Many museums and art galleries now have graffiti installations.
(10.) Graffiti is illegal and offenders can be fined. |
| Shopping
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The Web
For sites about: Graffiti |
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