Compare and Contrast

In a world full of artists, the interpretation of a person's work varies from viewer to viewer.  To a certain degree, it generally depends on the preferences of the audience.  For example, the work of the graffiti artist is often disregarded as a true art form.  In most cases, it is looked upon as an act of vandalism; it is a destructive mode in which street artists mark a particular piece of public property.  In the images to the left, it is easy to understand why graffiti is associated with such negative connotations.  Although each individual signature of the artist appears stylized and unique, the method in which it was executed seems crude and uncultured.  There is seemingly no structure to the design.

Compared with this next image, the level of thought put into this piece can be discerned in a heartbeat.  While it is comprised of basic line structures, much like the signatures of the aforementioned graffiti art in images one and two, the actual establishment of a recognized structure serves to elevate this particular piece to a higher set of standards.  A single point perspective leading off into the right hand corner of the image gives the staircase a sense of depth. It is additionally tricky in that the actual surface of the piece changes from one wall to the floor at a 90 degree angle.  The artist would then have had to adjust his sight lines to accommodate this change in order to retain the optical illusion of a three dimensional staircase.  Sadly, this piece may still be considered a blemish upon the walls of the subway station, but it is understandably easier to overlook that fact and  enjoy the intriguing aesthetic qualities. It may simply be that the level of skill and thought processes displayed in the making of the piece correlates directly to its rise in opinion.  With the increase in technique, complimented with a well thought out design, graffiti art begins to take on an entirely different aspect of the genre.  Whilst the artwork still retains the qualities that exemplify graffiti art, it loses the negative connotations of the stereotypical baser works seen in abundance.  



In this last image, graffiti style art can be looked upon as great works of creative design.  As you can see, this particular piece envelops many basic concepts in art and design.  There is a thorough understanding of light and shadow; shape and form; and color theory.  With each curve of what appears to be a dragon, white highlights are visible gracing strategic areas in representation of a light source hitting the surface of the animal.  The form of the animal itself is highly stylized, but easily recognizable.  As for color, the usage of cool colors on the wide face of the building gives the image and appealing nature whilst joining the piece together.  While being a technical masterpiece, this work still retains the bold, edgy style found in all graffiti art.  That being said, graffiti can definitely be considered a higher form of art.  All that is needed to become a good graffiti artist is a combination of thought put into its creation, some technical skills, and personal style.  Style and skill greatly differs with each artist, but it is not entirely difficult to become a respectable practitioner of the art. 

With that said, I would like to leave you with this short film by Blu, an artist from Buenos Aires.  What is interesting is that he covers earlier works of graffiti with his own.  In this case, do you consider his works a similar desecration of the public wall, or an amazing sample of design genius?