Blog Post #6

Bomb It

This documentary had numerous points that I butted heads with. First, I really do not agree with the idea of graffiti. To me, it is wrong to take a wall that someone legally owns, and putting your name on it. I cannot seem to wrap my mind around this concept of just writing your name on places and somehow it gives the people pleasure? Yes, I do recognize it as art but I do not respect it. Like a man in the film said, "If you do not erase it, then your entire neighborhood will be covered with it. It is anarchy". To me, this concept of "tagging" and "bombing" is not something that is neat or progressive. It seems to me that some of the people that do this tend to spend their money on paint rather than things that actually need like one person referenced in the film. However, I do respect the people that can go about this through legal means, and I would consider them legitimate artists. I do not consider those that tag and run from the law as artists, as that gives them too much credibility, and I do not believe that criminals deserve that.

I am very sorry if my view on this sounds aggressive or close-minded. This class has been a struggle for me because it has challenged my way of looking at certain things. Especially when it comes to political or social topics. I am trying my best to step out of myself here and see things from a different perspective but this has been a learning process with me, and I am incredibly thankful for you two sticking with me through this and not judging me.

Now with my personal views aside, I do think that it is interesting how aspects of the graffiti change from place to place depending on the current events and the person who paints it. For example, it seemed consistent that the women painters would tend to paint strong female characters that represent that females can also take part in this activity. Another way that graffiti varies is by nation. In U.S, the painters tend to use letters that are more meshed together and that have a sense of chaos to them. In contrast, the artists in Sao Paulo use a technique called Pixacao. What this type of graffiti entails according to Wikipedia is "tagging done in a distinctive, cryptic style, mainly on walls and vacant buildings. Many pichadores (pichação painters) compete to paint in high and inaccessible places, using such techniques as free climbing and abseiling to reach the locations" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picha%C3%A7%C3%A3o). According to one of the painters in the film "Bomb It", the style of Pixacao is a contrast to the chaos of Sao Paulo with all of its tall buildings and bustling city. In contrast to American graffiti, the letters in Pixacao are separated from each other and are made to be more clear, rather than abstract. While I listed a limited amount of examples, there are many ways that graffiti varies from each different place and person. Graffiti has evolved into its own global culture that is adapted differently all over the world.

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