I WOZ ERE

I used to think graffiti was the creative equivalent of a dog spraying on a lamppost. There’s no skill in it, I thought. I couldn’t understand why anyone would risk their life to tag the underside of a bridge or go anywhere near live rails to “get their name up”.

The murals of detailed portraits or large urban scenes, that I could understand. Even just the sheer scale of them is impressive.  

But a recent trip to the “Beyond The Streets” exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery got me thinking about how graffiti started and its roots in hip-hop and punk.  Before streetwear became luxury fashion, street art was more about “sticking it to the man” and capturing the rebellious spirit of youth. I liked that. I also liked the potential for promoting social and political messages through the bright colours and retro cartoon characters and the idea of public spaces being for the public.  

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t condone criminal behaviour. Graffiti on someone’s home is a definite no from me. But I think if it is done well, it is art, and I’m starting to appreciate it more.

I tried painting with a spray can for the first time at a workshop at the Graffik Gallery in Portobello Road. Sure, I could have just bought a can of paint and tagged a wall somewhere, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that. I didn’t want to risk any trouble or moral dilemmas. So, doing a workshop seemed like the best option for me.  I’m glad I did, as I got to learn from a great teacher called Sebastien who warned me how many people have sprayed themselves in the face accidentally- It happens more than you think, and how to get different lines and avoid drips.

It was hard. Not only is the wall not straight, but the caps also get blocked, and you need to use your whole body to get the lines smooth.  You also need to work out how close to get, which cap to use and how to angle the can from the wall to get different effects. There is a lot to it. So even though, I still don’t really appreciate tags, I am starting to look at throw-ups (tags with developed letters) and pieces in a different light. Now I look at how they join their letters, the embellishments they use such as bubbles, stars and drips and how they shadow and highlight for a 3D effect. It’s like calligraphy more than anything else which surprised me, and it made sense why graffiti artists also call themselves writers.

I’m happy to have found an interest in street art and I hope to learn more and improve my skills so that I will feel braver to put myself out there, getting my name up for all to see.