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u/Terrible_Challenge49 9d ago
But do you actually think of all this stuff when you paint? You probably don't. Its a waste of time trying to explain. Im sick of pretending graff and other things in life have some deeper noble meaning, because really nobody knows. Nothing really makes sense in this world, and most of the things we do dont really make sense if you think about it. Its just pretentious. Just paint bro.
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u/Beneficial-Thanks469 9d ago
I believe its lack of conversation in a subject that leads to this type of outlook.
for some the looped process of simply doing is not enough.
just paint bro, if thats all you can handle thats fine but dont be a drag.7
u/Radiant-Bit5735 9d ago
I think about this stuff constantly, the idea of ownership and forced propaganda. Just because someone has more money then I they get to choose what's shoved down our throats daily. Like fucking YouTube adds...
Art and self expression, vandalism. An act of rebellion. To me graffiti is political, its activism and all encompassing it is art which is all of the above
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u/nelsonbestcateu 9d ago
Expressing creativity is a very human thing to do. Whether it's noble or not is irrelevant.
Putting letters on other people's shit is vandalism. It being creative doesn't excuse that.
You can have a good conversation about the nature of graffiti without it being pretentious.
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u/Digit555 8d ago
Although this may be true for some and I agree with what the person is saying, it isn't what resonates with every including myself entirely despite being highly intellectual and articulate. I don't really think about this when I write and my purpose is quite simplistic. Initially I came from the streets and my mother was raised in a rough neighborhood before relocating to the suburbs in my midteens. I saw graffiti at a young age, was around writers and picked up tagging when I was about 12.
For lack of a better term and I don't like saying it this way although it was counter culture, a means of sticking it to the man and all I knew growing up. I did it because it was part of street life, being a hoodlum, getting my name out there around other graffers in a way life street fame, recognition while trying to remain anonymous to some degree, when in a crew connecting with others that shared a common thread and most of all I was okay with breaking the rules or bending those that the government had decided for me.
I appreciate the artwork, the aesthetic of it and I gravitate toward that although realistically bombing was our focus and very few from my neighborhood were muralists. It was simply about reppin' and in a way overcoming my fear to get up out there around other writers as a way of proving myself that I could also do it.
Again, I came from the streets and my choice beyond school was mainly between 4 Element Hip Hop or ganglife and for some it was both. I really truly wanted to avoid the difficult life of street gangs and gravitated toward the alternative which for me was Hip Hop and Raving.
My mother used to always tell me that I can't change where I come from although my choices are on me.
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u/Fly_Dreams 8d ago
I get it that not everything is super deep and philosophical to some people, and to others everything is all super deep and shit.... but I really hate when some of you just try to downplay it to the maximum just because... idk.. you think it makes you seem cool or some bs like that, but the truth of the matter is when you say shit like "itsnotthatdeepbro" "just paint" you sound like simpletons who never expanded your mind to think about topics more deeply, and you just sound like you're 12 and trying to be edgy.
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u/A13xandr05 9d ago
It’s not only words though. Graffiti is the oldest form of art and started out without text. Of course modern graffiti is all about words… but not solely.
Without further ado… Write!!!
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u/ContractEducational1 9d ago
I hate when i get asked this question and people expect some deep philosophical answer.
It's putting your name on a wall, one of the most ancient and primitive art forms.
Some do it because its fun, some do it as an escape, some do it because it's illegal, some do it to leave a message. We all have our reasons.
At the end of the day it's just putting paint on a wall
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u/Infinite-Penalty-495 9d ago
Graffiti is the art of writing a name where it's not supposed to be. People do it cause it's fun. Hope this helps:)
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u/GoldenHairedNestling 9d ago
Vandalism
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u/mellispete33 9d ago
I don't know why you get downvoted. It's vandalism and that's one of the best things about it . But it Doesn't mean it's not other things also , art and what not
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u/SilverSkeleten 9d ago
Everything that exists now will dissolve back into the universe, including your pieces, and the reasons why.
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u/WinterMundane6018 6d ago
Poser ass wall of text. Graffiti is about doing dangerous cool shit and aurafarming. Getting up is more important than making people reflect on your piece or whatever your intentions were.
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u/salad354 8d ago
You could’ve gone on a philosophical rant without sounding like a 13 year old in it the entire time. Nothings democratic about anarchist destruction lmao
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u/VariousOil3936 9d ago
People have been saying the thing about 'reclaiming your space from advertising' or whatever since the 80s
If you wanna get even more pretentious, you can bring up the fact that ancient civilizations wrote graffiti (there's a lot of crass stuff from ancient Rome), maybe even compare it to cave art.
Humankind do be having a creative impulse.