#HousePaintersSydney – Graffiti – An Explanation

Commercial Painters Sydney  

Introduction

Graffiti, as we know it, is a recent phenomenon, which started in New York City in the 1960\’s. The first recognised graffiti artist, (or bomber), was \”TAKI 183\”, a Courier/Delivery Man living on 1-83rd Street, who tagged in every location he happened to be in.

Graffiti can be defined as: DRAWINGS, OR WRITING, APPLIED BY VARIOUS METHODS, USING VARIOUS MEDIUMS, TO A SURFACE

These drawings or words can be artistic, obscene, or political, and are applied in public places, or in areas easily seen, e.g. public parks, public toilets, underpasses, railway lines, main roads, and private fences and walls.

The dictionary definition is as follows:

Graffiti: (Italian, from graffio a scratch from Gk graphein mark, draw, write)

1. Archaeol. An ancient drawing or writing scratched on a wall or other surface.

2. Drawings or words, sometimes obscene, sometimes political etc., written on the walls of public toilets but often elsewhere, as on bill boards, walls of buildings etc.

There are three types of Graffiti:-

1. \”The tag\”, which is opportunist graffiti, is applied very quickly\’ using felt pens, spray cans, etc., and usually consists of initials, word outline, geometric outline, and performed by youths with an amount of peer group pressure.

2. \”Throw up\”, usually a bubble outline using spray, is slower to produce than a tag and is sometimes filled in at a later date by the \”want to be graffiti artists\”.

3. \”The piece\”, or \”Masterpiece\”, which is usually quite large and multi-coloured, is slow to produce and performed by hard core graffiti artists aged between late teens to twenties, and sometimes older.

The ,\”throw up\” or \”piece\” are both premeditated, generally with sketches and colour combinations determined before any application is attempted. This type of graffiti is organised in gangs by experienced, mature artists.

Although graffiti may, in some circles, be regarded as an art form, there is a direct correlation between crime and graffiti sub-culture, and it is widely considered as vandalism.

There are numerous ideas on what actually motivates graffiti artists. Psychologists suggest some of the following reasons:-

• Boredom
• Recognition
• Sexualfactors
• Peergroup pressure
• Selfexpression
• Political
• Territorial factors
• Belonging

A number of strategies can be employed to deal with Graffiti:

1. Most importantly, graffiti should be erased as quickly as possible by:

• Removal
• Paint-out

2. Good lighting should be provided.

3. Restrict ease of access to \”sites\”

4. Provide surveillance:

• by video
• by personnel, security, neighbourhood watch

5. Application of anti-graffiti coatings.

6. Any acts of graffiti should be reported immediately to police.

 House Painters Sydney, Painting Services Sydney –

For more information about Graffiti Removal or any Painting and Decorating tasks please Call Bloomin’Good Sydney Painters on 1800 204 145.