Here is selection of my artwork focused more on a Graffiti Art Aesthetic in action.
In these paintings and prints I have used lots of spray paint, tagging markers, stencils and some paste up graffiti techniques.
I love the layers and rawness in these artworks.
Cushty Wonderwall Painting by Barrie J Davies 2021, Mixed media on Canvas, 67cm x 60cm, Unframed.
You Will Post no Bills by Barrie J Davies 2021, mixed media on canvas, 50cm x 50cm, unframed.
Here are some thoughts on a Graffiti Art Aesthetic.
Expression through art traverses a continuum from beauty to distortion, frequently impacted by both pleasure and pain, without definitively judging what is right or wrong. Artistic motivations can range from self-serving to altruistic. Graffiti art has a long history, had a rebirth with the rise of hip-hop culture, and is still evolving today. Its canvas is not limited to solid structures; it can also include paper or even animals, expressing itself in two or three dimensions using a variety of methods. Graffiti art, whether created with steel, acrylics, spray paint, or markers, is popular with street and fine art aficionados, designers, and grassroots politicians in addition to musicians. With its vivid colours, strong lines, and potent statements, this distinctive style of visual communication has made a name for itself in the art world and captured the attention of viewers.
Engagement in performance art
Graffiti art transforms ordinary walls into interesting canvases, and it is frequently most successful in urban settings. Graffiti artists frequently employed pens, pencils, and etching tools prior to the 1960s. However, a significant shift occurred with the introduction of spray paint in aerosol cans. Attracted by spray paint's simple accessibility and low cost, cornbread realised that its portability made it particularly useful in tight spots. By practicing this "illegal" art, graffiti became a performance art form. In contrast to conventional artists who buy canvases and use easels, the method entailed hunting his canvases and jeopardising his freedom. These deeds shaped early definitions of graffiti art and formed a key part of his appeal. Cornbread made graffiti art more widely known by utilising cutting-edge methods, revolutionary canvases, and performance components.
Expressive Typography
Bold, stylized lettering is one of the characteristics that set graffiti art apart. Typography is manipulated expertly by artists, who transform words into elaborate designs that dance across walls. Emerging graffiti artists carried on Cornbread's legacy by breaching the law and converting ordinary words into works of art through the use of vivid colours, a variety of lettering styles, and clever placements. Although walls, buildings, and bridges remained the favourite canvases, these painters added new elements to depict the changing urban landscape. A dimension of vitality is added to the artwork by the expressive quality of these letterforms, which enable a variety of feelings and ideas to be expressed just by arranging letters.
Social Commentary
Graffiti art explodes in colour, presenting a visually stunning display that captures the viewer's attention. Not only are the vivid colours employed in these works visually striking, but they also have symbolic significance. A détournement occurs when natural elements are incorporated into an apparently "unnatural" urban setting. On the other hand, other painters choose to work without a medium, concentrating on removing the dust and debris from urban walls.
Moose (Paul Curtis), an artist of British descent, is a prominent character in this reverse graffiti trend. He creates art out of negative space by cleaning with water jets. Moose depicted native Californian trees and plants in Image 4.5, which was made in 2008 in the Broadway Tunnel in downtown San Francisco. The trees and plants served as eerie recollections of a period 500 years ago, before urbanisation and industrialization. Instead of constructing fantastical and idealistic worlds, these works of art become modes of existence and behaviour inside the world that already exists. The choice of colours gives the artwork depth and richness, bringing life and vitality to it, whether it is a political message or a personal reflection.
Graffiti has the power to enhance, question, and modify our urban spaces as well as our society by acting as a vehicle for both individual expression and social commentary. Graffiti may also encourage conversation, variety, and democracy by allowing us to participate, think, and react. Graffiti art expressing broader anti-establishment sentiments or criticising specific individuals or political parties is an example of this. Social justice is a common political theme expressed through graffiti. Graffiti artists frequently utilise their work to draw attention to problems like homophobia, misogyny, and racism.
Impermanence as an Aesthetic Element
The story of graffiti in modern times is a contradiction that involves negotiating differing viewpoints on ownership, politics, common space use, and aesthetics. For example, the transitory nature of graffiti in Barcelona's streets encourages tactile experiences and invites investigation via a sensory-based visual anthropology. Examining graffiti tactilely entails exploring the instant in which meanings become apparent as "corporeal images." The idea of ephemerality goes beyond the conditions surrounding the creation of graffiti and encompasses the larger idea of "being and becoming."
Walls in places where graffiti is permitted have a thick, multi-layered texture created by overlapping murals. Painting on these walls requires removing the old mural, which is frequently painted over with white plastic primer, before starting a new design. Because of their discontent with the texture's uneven adhesion, some graffiti artists choose to scrape the wall before painting it. Authorised graffiti gives artists greater time to create elaborate pieces, resulting in an immersive experience that differs according to the image's size, authorization status, and whether it was made by one person or by a group. The majority of approved graffiti pieces appear in clusters in daylight in public areas, creating a lively ambiance that draws passersby, who often stop to snap pictures and interact with the artists.
Graffiti art captures the aesthetic truths and feelings of the artist, community, and society as a whole, serving as a monument to the essence of artistic expression. Beyond temporal boundaries, it demonstrates the timeless quality of many artists' creations and offers a window into the genre's collective consciousness. Graffiti art is especially alluring because it is real, striking a balance between realism and overseriousness while emphasising the most important aspect of art: expression. Graffiti art is important to the field of artistic expression because of its infinite inclusivity, variety of mediums, accessibility, and reasons.
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