May 14, 2007

Graffiti

A graffiti photo on April’s blog the other day, made me take some photos this afternoon when I walked home from the metro – a few minutes walk. These are just samples of what you can find on some closed stores of shops which are not open on Sundays. I have not chosen the nicest examples, just the ones I found on my way. Some of them have obviously been done with the consent of the shop owners, others not, some are quite nice, others less.

Graffiti existed already in ancient civilisations. The ones which have been left have learnt us a lot about those times.

Graffiti have basically been thought to protest or to express different opinions; somehow they must be considered as clandestine – if not you could perhaps also consider ancient cave paintings as graffiti. Today, it is of course often pure vandalism, but modern graffiti can also be considered as a form of art (my samples are perhaps not representative) and you can find official recognition in different forms. I could write a lot more about this, but if you are interested, you can of course open the link to graffiti or look elsewhere.

There is obviously a difference between graffiti and tags: "A "tag" is the most basic writing of an artist's name in either spray paint or marker. A graffiti writer's tag is his or her personalized signature. "Tagging" is often the example given when opponents of graffiti refer to vandalism, as they use it to label all acts of graffiti writing."

11 comments:

isa said...

Excellent collage, Peter - I wish I could enlarge it, though.
I'm in favor of the street art, but any graffiti done without prior permission of the landlord is simply vandalism.

Olivier said...

belle collection de graffitis, et bonne idee de montage. A Evry on avait une ferme de graffitis (un ancien parking) mais il vient d'etre detruit. j'ai pris des photos, je devrais les mettre sur mon blog comme toi. Bonne idee

Nathalie H.D. said...

Fabuleux montage Peter, vraiment excellent.

Si les graffitis sont une forme d'art, ta collection en est également une à part entière. Je te suggère de la faire tirer en poster et de me l'offrir !!!!

Bonne fin de week-end.

hpy said...

C'est vrai, le collage est très réussi et pourrait bien être accroché à un mur d'appartement.

Cergie said...

Quel magnifique patchwork tu as réalisé Peter, chaque graffiti méritait d'être montré en gr

Cergie said...

en grand. De mon passage à la butte Montmartte j'ai ramené un graffiti dont je suis soulagée qu'il ne soit pas ici. Il faut que je t'envois dès que je peux deux photos tu me donneras ton avis et me communiqueras ton savoir.
Il y a les pochoirs aussi, ceux de Miss tic et les collages de space invader (j'en ai trouvé un sur la butte)

Seda said...

I loved the collage.
:)
And I am back (I was little sick)
Seda

Anonymous said...

I like your photographic record of the graffiti you discovered on your way home.

Like you, I find some of it akin to art and some akin to scribbling amongst artists in their world.

You are right, though, that graffiti has ancient roots.

In my studies of ancient writing, especially in the Roman times, in Rome, the graffiti was actually names and notes hastily written on corridors at Roman buildings, and alleys, of the names of gladiators and senators and so on.

That scribbling became the basis or the foundation for handwriting or cursive handwriting.

In those days the writing was inscriptional in form (we call them capitals) and the prime example can still be seen on Trajan's column.

Thank you, Peter, for your visits to my blog. I always look forward to seeing you there and to read what you wrote. I also appreciate your email.

alice said...

Nice idea of collage! I often wonder how they did some of these graffiti in some places difficult to be reached like under bridges or tunnels, along railways...When my daughter was a little girl, she told me: "I think their mother didn't give them enough paper and pencils when they were children, so now they draw on the walls..."

Kunterbunt said...

That's a great collection of graffiti in strong colours (as they usually are). And it makes a very good photo as a collage. When I see a graffiti that pleases me I'm always torn: on the one hand it's illegal and sprayed on public or even private property. But sometimes those graffiti are well done and make the grey concrete a bit prettier to look at ...

Peter said...

Thanks for your comments. I could certainly find better ones if I really started to look for them.

Abraham: Thanks for the complementary information.

Natalie: Pour le poster je vais réflechir. Je pense bien que tu mérites un cadeau, mais...

Cergie: Je vais chercher sur la butte.