The Write Stuff: The Positive Side to Graffiti
Aerosol art draws out a new means of youthful expression.
by Cheri Lucas
Credit: Noah Webb
The musical elements of hip-hop -- the DJ, the MC, and break dancing -- seem incomplete without the spray-can-blasted messages that graffiti writers use to adorn the walls of their concrete jungle. "Graf," the typeface of counterculture, provides a sense of community to its participants. Much of this stems from an illegal allure, as the act of defacing an overpass above a well-trekked intersection elevates the status of the Krylon-wielding scribe.
Though it's an act of vandalism, graffiti is also regarded as an artistic style, as much a contemporary statement as the early Dadaists painting on urinals to make bold statements against World War I. In some neighborhoods, graffiti is one of the few creative outlets for youth expression.
The nonprofit Youth Struggling for Survival (YSS) recognizes the artistic dexterity in graffiti writers and uses it to connect teens to their ancestral and spiritual roots, encouraging a message of peaceful unity while shunning the bling and violence of commercialized hip-hop and gangster rap. On South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation, for instance, YSS graffiti artists -- some former gang members themselves -- paint murals representing the indigenous Lakota nation on the walls of Pine Ridge High School; they integrate cultural phrases and symbols such as the medicine wheel and the four elements into the colorful pieces. A year later, "the murals are still up and have not been tagged over," says YSS executive director Frank Tekpatzin Blazquez. "The murals were signs of respect."
Credit: Noah Webb
In September, YSS will extend its outreach at the School of Social Justice, one of four learning centers within the new Little Village High School, in the gang-laden Greater Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago's Southwest Side. YSS plans to bring in its Urban Roots program, which will incorporate break dancing, poetry, and graffiti into the curriculum and into tools of teaching, providing a connection between the streets and classroom learning. "These fourteen-year-olds are at a volatile stage," says Blazquez. "They have so much energy that needs to be harnessed. We want to provide a positive outlet, with mentors."
Encouraging youth to express themselves through art that's part of their culture -- if done constructively in their community, under the supervision of inspiring teachers -- is hardly a crime.
This article was also published in the September 2005 issue of Edutopia magazine .
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Hip hop and empowerment
I think it's dope what you're doing. At the Homeland Cultural Center in Long Beach they have been considering shutting down the graffiti program (teens come and practice their skills with instructors on the building wall) though it has gained much respect among the community. Also, the Westside Mural Project of Long Beach is facing a lot of issues with 'community' members - who mainly are real estate agents or businessmen -fearing that 'murals' will attract graffiti and bring property value down. BRING PROPERTY VALUE DOWN! That's what they care about, despite the respect and ZERO tagging onto what has already been painted onto the wall. Majority of people complaining don't even live there or they aren't a part of art the community - they only profit from it. I'm not a vandal - just an artist looking for a clean canvas that doesn't require luxury~!
The writing on the wall
It's fantastic to see how far the graffiti movement has come, even within my lifetime. There are so many varied opinions about what is art, what is vandalism, what benefits the commnunity, and what detracts from it's aesthetic appearance. Despite the resistance of those who do not understand graffiti, the art form has survived and flourished, not only within the urban environment of the United States, but in every corner of the globe. We are bearing witness to a shift in attitudes about this precious art form. Times are changing, especially in the compelling era that we are about to enter as Barack Obama is inaugurated as President of the United States. So let's keep up the good work, and keep using graffiti as a means to uplift our young people, our communities and our sense of civic pride and responsibility.
Art Youth-Business Collaborative, specifically murals
I would like to know if there are any artist's collaboratives or foundations that join businesses and youth with mural creation capabilities. I think there is so much potential to build community and understanding between our undervalued youth and the businesses that outwardly lack a colorful side.
I think graf artists need partners in the community, to meet businesses that have mural space, and potentially get paid for it.
If you would like to help me create such a collaborative, please contact me at linert@yahoo.com. Be sure to refer to Edutopia in the subject line otherwise I may think it's spam.
Thank you.
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