Graffiti is Art (Week 7)

 

Chaz Bojórquez

    In his essay "Graffiti is Art," Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez defines the cultural, personal, and artistic power of street art for Latinos in the urban landscape of Los Angeles. From the opening paragraphs of the piece, Bojórquez emphasizes the power of language in the sprawling and multicultural city of angels. Bojórquez equates the many spoken languages in the city to the aesthetic and written language of graffiti, and notes the general sense of prejudice against the latter: "Graffiti is too often related to such acts as vandalism, destructive behavior, and meaningless scribbles" (117). As he continues, however, Bojórquez points out that the "ills of society" that are often attributed to graffiti, are in fact the reason for its existence: as a communal voice in opposition to the racism and classism used against Mexican-Americans.

    On a personal level, the technique of "hitting up," declares one's presence and claims one's block as their own, in a defiant act of empowerment. In the execution of each line, there is deep sense of poise and demand for respect, as noted by Bojórquez on page 120. Here, he explains an important division of style: cholo graffiti is more community driven, with writers claiming their neighborhood or crew, while hip-hop highlights the individual, who writes across the city and state. While this may be an outdated delineation of graffiti technique, it is an important point when discussing the impact of the art form on the community and individual, respectively.

    As an art form, graffiti has developed greatly since its beginnings in the first half of the 20th century. At the time of the essay's publication in 2000, Bojórquez illustrates the growing value of street art, and how its influences have expanded from insular communities of writers, to the greater practices of fine art and graphic design. As the art form develops, so too does the artist's relationship with their work. Bojórquez writes, "When you can spend three to four months on one painting, you learn to create a two-way dialogue with your imagery," in contrast to the fast-paced nature of street tagging. The beauty of graffiti is within this ever-changing quality, as it adapts to different neighborhoods and regions, or suits ones personal needs as an individual artist, and establishes its unique value as a contemporary movement in the art market.