As I read Graffiti is Art, by Charles "Chaz" Bojorquez, I was blown away by the way graffiti is described. This reading also reminded me of my childhood growing up as a teenager. Graffiti is a form of language and a form of artistic expression, but some don't understand it and see it as a form of vandalism, destructive behavior, or senseless writings. It is interesting how he created a smiling skull that has been adopted by the gang Avenues. It is also mind-blowing how so many people get this art piece tattooed on their bodies. It is also incredible how his talents have reached mainstream America making it into movie production titles, commercials, clothes/shoe logos, and more. As I said in the begging this reading reminded me of my teenage years. Growing up almost everyone I knew was tagging on the walls, class books, restrooms, freeways, trash cans, buses, concrete, sidewalks, allies, you name it. If the will was there to "get up" like it's mentioned here by Chaz, that graffiti would get plastered on anything. It was almost a must for everyone to have adopted a nickname to write on the walls. Some got so good it became art. I remember seeing one of my friends creating different letter styles on paper with twisted vibrant colors. I would tell myself I wanted to get that good so I can show it off on a wall, but I never did get that good. Those days were of different times when street problems were none. There was also one time when I was hitting up a wall and the police pulled up and I and another guy ran as fast as we could to try to get away. In the end, I couldn't run anymore and was placed in handcuffs. The sheriff turned out to be a cool cat because he just wrote me a ticket. Tagging, Bombing, graffiti art wasn't just a thing it was a way of life. Many times, a group of friends would battle another group to see who could put their name on as many places as possible within a 24 -hour period. The next day at school the loser would be forced to stop writing. No one ever really stopped writing they just laid low for some amount of time and later would be back on the walls with a new name.
Hi Jesus! I also agree that graffiti is often times very misunderstood. I agree that it is a form of expression and it is different from vandalism. I also appreciated the fact that you wrote about your own personal experience with the art form. It's nice to read how these readings can really resonate with my classmates.
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