Urban Art Association

I agree with what is said in the film. Tagging is a pain in the arse, is a mess and makes places look run down. Normally done by bored teenagers. Not so much of it where i live but my mate lives in london and is plaqued with rubbish daubed over his garage. As soon as he cleans it off some t**t taggs it again. POINTLESS!! Any idiot can scrall a name on a wall.

Graffiti to me is art when pictures are made than can brightenn up an area or used to make a statement etc. Always done by people with a talent of which i'm jealous. I can't even draw a match stick man.

Not always art....and certainly not this example. But if not art then irony always goes a long way! Made me chuckle anyway ;D

hey hey, did it last Saturday night ;D it's in Stavanger Norway ;D stood there today and watched the police and highway department unscrewing it to take it away ;D

So you're a wanted man now , Numusic ?
The police AND the highway dept , how many does it take to unscrew a road sign ? Theres probably a joke in there somewhere.

labour of love, heart = hard work ;D,i rest my case !

Cheers ;D ;D

I disagree, the term vandalism connotes a mindless barbaric act, which although is true of some graffiti, is definitely not of others.

Well as to the question of whether graffiti is vandalism or art, I say it's both. Art is generally defined as "the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance", and since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", therein lies the arbitrary line between its status as vandalism or art. It's art when it's aesthetically pleasing and desirable, and it's vandalism when it's not so visually pleasing, lacks any meanings/messages whatsoever, and is generally unwanted. That being said, any given piece can be interpreted as vandalism or art according to the viewer's tastes and/or preferences. It's completely subjective. While many of us will probably say that tagging is a nuisance and not art, I'm sure there will be people who will think otherwise. Context is very important too, a Banksy piece in some snooty place like Beverly Hills will probably never be considered as "art" (assuming, for the sake of argument, that nobody in that area knows who he is and couldn't care less). But in a young/hip place such as Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, it'll definitely be a welcome contribution, and will likely be perceived as art by the people who frequent that area.

Personally, I think that if you're a graffiti writer but don't have the skills/creativity/good ideas, then you don't deserve to use public spaces as your canvas if you're trying to pass off as an artist. A big part of graffiti is its audience; if nobody's ever going to see what you write, then you probably won't write it unless you're plain bored and/or drunk. Public space is a public forum, so if you want to make use of it to express something, you'd better have something good to present. Otherwise, you're just wasting peoples' time and being a public nuisance, and you'll be regarded as a vandal and not an artist. It's like street busking - one could ask if it's art or noise pollution, and the distinction will lie in how good the busker is, and also if he/she is at the right place and the right time to hit his/her target audience. So IMO, street art contributes to a wisely chosen strata of society if it's good (art), and it's a nuisance if it's totally pointless and aesthetically unpleasant (vandalism).

That was a short, non-babbling post.

;D

Can't have a decent and thoughtful discussion with just a sentence... after all, this forum is more than just "When will Trolleys be released?", right?

very true! lets here it for agentb! and howaboutno as well now
lovely chaps

Aw, I'm sure you guys are just exaggerating Thank you for the very kind words, all the same! *bows* ;D
Been a real pleasure exchanging posts with you guys as well! And thwaites, remember... the moment it goes into the pooper... you know who to call

;D

heh! i will definately let you know. so.. have you got a rather large mansion over there in LA? if it does go down the pooper will i get to live a life of luxury?

Im watching a cool programme about damien hirst at the mo (channel 3) and it is showing all his art and he has a huge Napalm canvas, literally the size of a wall. he has a lovely old mansion castle. i want one.

You mean ITV Thwaites?? Life Of Brian is on here (and no Martin I still didn't watch it) And Eastenders is on BBC3???