Week 7- "Graffiti is Art"

 

Graffiti mural in Fresno, California 

“What is real graffiti? Is it tagging, bombing, piecing, productions, painting freights, black books, canvas, L.A. Cholo, or New York Wild style real graffiti? To me, it’s all graffiti. I believe that any drawn line that speaks about identity, dignity, and unity…that line is talking about graffiti and art. When you have graffiti in contact with art, it brings graffiti into the spiritual context of true creativity.” This is an excerpt from graffiti artist Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez, in his article “Graffiti is Art” (2000), which discusses graffiti, its history, and the importance of its presence in communities who engage in this form of artwork. Bojórquez discusses that graffiti is a form of language, not only because most graffiti features text, but because it is an identifier and a means in which people proclaim their voice and their presence in the world in which they live. In a world where most graffiti work is seen as vandalism and is punishable with jail time it is also a way for rebellious youth to announce their pride and their presence. In Los Angeles, Mexican Americans have used this form of artwork and their work is a testament to their presence in this location. I found it very interesting that Bojórquez described graffiti art as a form of narrative and that to create graffiti is akin to being a street writer. I found this to be very beautiful and a different perspective on what graffiti art is and what it does. To describe it as a visual narrative is to say that it is a form of conversation or a form of speaking, of making a point. With graffiti, usually being highly visible and in public spaces that usually prohibits this type of activity, it is to force your own presence in areas and public domains that have historically left certain groups from entering or having a voice. This essay has also led me to think about where graffiti is accepted and where it is not in my own hometown. There are areas around my hometown of Fresno, Ca, where graffiti is accepted and actually used as a style of decoration and areas where it not common is looked down on and is seen as vandalism. The areas that use it and accept it are usually more diverse and understand the cultural ties and significance it has. For example, a famous market on the west side of Fresno, Louie Kee, is decorated in graffiti. Specific elements that are important to the area of Fresno are present on the mural, like the high school logo, that is nearby, and a depiction of children with the phrase “Fresno is ours” on their shirts. The graffiti style mural is one that promotes unity and proclaims the identities and the presence of its residents in a public space that is familiar and a cornerstone of the community. Unfortunately, the market has closed but the mural still stands and the message remains. 

Louie Kee market             Fresno, Ca

Up close view of the mural on Louie Kee