MANILA, Philippines - Art, defined as the undefined form of self-expression (or group,) is unquestionably found wherever you go. Although art is seen in different forms, sizes, shapes and textures, and of course, not limited to a kind of painting or any picture made by hand, it is arguably generalized by many that art is simply a picture. Having this idea made me think that a picture is more of an art to some when it is drawn by the hand. This kind of sorting gave me a very unique discovery that there is art wherever we look in the streets of the Philippines that is never recognized by award giving bodies, not even by the locals themselves. I am referring to the art that is probably the “most erased” of all time: graffiti.
Graffiti is a kind of a drawn picture or letters printed on a wall or any form of solid object using aerosol spray paint or simply paint as a sign of tags or expression of an individual, or groups. It is plainly a street art. A very detailed explanation would be the one written in 1985 by Allan Schwartzman in his book Street Art where it says "Art, specifically visual art developed in public spaces - that is, "in the streets" - thought the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerilla art, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or more specifically post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art. Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. "Street" artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them."
Young Filipinos, most especially those living in the slums of Metro Manila and who usually participate in gang activities, are the most responsible when it comes to the growing number of graffiti in the Philippine streets. And why do they do that? As a form of branding (most of the time,) to show others that they have their own territories or a growing space they can call their own, a tag or a personalized symbol to show power or level. Little did they know is that, even though they have vandalized private walls and platforms, they have created art in its own right.
It is art in its own not only because it is a form of an expression through the use of carefully sprayed colorful paint on walls, but also because it is their way of expressing their advocacies, thoughts, freedom and brotherhood through a physical form which is visible to the naked eye—as a form of communication and expression. The sad reality is that it isn’t appreciated as much as other forms of artworks because it is also a form of vandalism which cost establishments thousands of pesos, if not millions, through maintenance. Graffiti, as a matter of fact, is barely called a masterpiece by passersby.
Reference:
What is Graffiti?. (n.d.). College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences | Georgia Southern University. Retrieved May 17, 2013, from http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writling/professional/TechWrite/9-2/taylor/whatisgraffiti.html
Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.
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| Photo by: beermug |
Graffiti is a kind of a drawn picture or letters printed on a wall or any form of solid object using aerosol spray paint or simply paint as a sign of tags or expression of an individual, or groups. It is plainly a street art. A very detailed explanation would be the one written in 1985 by Allan Schwartzman in his book Street Art where it says "Art, specifically visual art developed in public spaces - that is, "in the streets" - thought the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerilla art, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or more specifically post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art. Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. "Street" artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them."
Young Filipinos, most especially those living in the slums of Metro Manila and who usually participate in gang activities, are the most responsible when it comes to the growing number of graffiti in the Philippine streets. And why do they do that? As a form of branding (most of the time,) to show others that they have their own territories or a growing space they can call their own, a tag or a personalized symbol to show power or level. Little did they know is that, even though they have vandalized private walls and platforms, they have created art in its own right.
It is art in its own not only because it is a form of an expression through the use of carefully sprayed colorful paint on walls, but also because it is their way of expressing their advocacies, thoughts, freedom and brotherhood through a physical form which is visible to the naked eye—as a form of communication and expression. The sad reality is that it isn’t appreciated as much as other forms of artworks because it is also a form of vandalism which cost establishments thousands of pesos, if not millions, through maintenance. Graffiti, as a matter of fact, is barely called a masterpiece by passersby.
Reference:
What is Graffiti?. (n.d.). College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences | Georgia Southern University. Retrieved May 17, 2013, from http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writling/professional/TechWrite/9-2/taylor/whatisgraffiti.html
Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.