what are people saying?

"Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they're having a piss."

 -Banksy, Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall

"Graffiti is not about clean lines, pretty colors and beautiful blends. Graffiti is my life's turbulence explored on a wall.

-Mint Serf

"Everyone has to scratch on walls somewhere or they go crazy."

-Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion

"Some people have become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place."

-Banksy, Wall and Piece

"Graffiti is beautiful; like a brick in the face of a cop."

 -Hunter S. Thompson

i wanted to clear something up..

I figured that many of you may be getting confused with my use of both "graffiti" and "street art" throughout my posts.
Let me apologize for not being clear. They technically are two different things.

Shylo Bisnett, writer for 'Gapers Block' web publication, provides a well-written description of the difference between graffiti artists and street artists.
She says that graffiti artists employ stylized typography, painting techniques, and inventive sites such as freight trains and mural-friendly walls. They use quick thinking when they are designing and usually stay anonymous.
Bisnett describes street artists as those who pre plan for their installations. Street artists also usually use more tools for their pieces than graffiti artists do. "In Chicago, street artists use anything from stickers to newsprint to plywood to break up the urban everyday."

backstory

Graffiti has been around forever. Cavemen scratched pictures of animals and battles in their caves and the ancient Romans carved on monuments and walls all over their cities. Even after Mount Vesuvius erupted, graffiti was found in Pompeii. Magic spells, curses written in Latin, declarations of love, political slogans, and even famous literary quotes were found on the walls of the city. Writings of religion and politics have been found in what is now modern day Syria, Iraq, and Jordan that back up between 1st century BC and 4th century AD. Where ever it may have been, people all over the world have been leaving their stories along their routes of travel since the beginning of time.

From http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=99324199&page=1

Modern day graffiti as we know it started in NYC in the '70s. Some artists would choose a name or a "tag", usually short so that it could be written quickly. Many times, the names represented what part of the city they came from. 

From http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagocoldwar/

This art form spread like wildfire to places like L.A., Dallas, and Chicago by the late '80s.

Street gangs in Chicago began using graffiti to mark what they thought was their territory and to threaten rival gang members.

From http://badatsports.com/tags/graffiti-art/

Modern day graffiti as we know it started in NYC in the '70s. Some artists would choose a name or a "tag", usually short so that it could be written quickly. Many times, the names represented what part of the city they came from.  Modern day graffiti as we know it started in NYC in the '70s. Some artists would choose a name or a "tag", usually short so that it could be written quickly. Many times, the names represented what part of the city they came from.  Modern day graffiti as we know it started in NYC in the '70s. Some artists would choose a name or a "tag", usually short so that it could be written quickly. Many times, the names represented what part of the city they came from. 

_________________________________________________________




Here is a really great video on some of the history of graffiti. Although it is not specific to Chicago, there is some good information as well as interesting photos.

On the city of Chicago's official website,

there is a whole page on graffiti removal services. The website says this:

"Graffiti is vandalism. It scars the community, hurts property values, and diminishes our quality of life."

Okay, so maybe these guys shouldn't being spray painting places and properties in Old Town, Wicker Park, and Bucktown. I understand the whole deal with property values. But, does street art really diminish your quality of life? ART diminishes your quality of life?

I guess then I could be enjoying a day at a museum, but refuse to walk into a gallery with any form of op art because it diminishes my quality of life..? I don't think so. 

All humans have the right to their own opinion on what types of things they enjoy, including what types of art, but it's a little unsettling to read this on the city of Chicago's website.

I personally think that street art gives Chicago a lot of it's personality.

End rant.

Spotted: BANKSY

Photo by TEFennell4 on http://chicagoist.com/2010/05/10/banksy_in_chicago.php#photo-6

This guy found himself on the list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2010 Time magazine. I guess you could say he was in good company among Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Serena Williams, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey.

He's a British graffiti artist who has bombed cities all around the world. We haven't seen his work in Chicago since 2010, but we want him back!
But he doesn't just decorate deteriorating walls. Banksy is also a film director, a political activist, and a painter.

From B.Easy on http://www.jugrnaut.com/blog/banksy-x-chicago/

We don't know a lot about him. It's believed that he was born in Bristol, England around '74.
He started his career as a graffiti artist in the early 90's with 'DryBreadZ Crew', a gang in Bristol. When Banksy started his work, it was mostly freehand, with stencils on occasion. Within 10 years, he changed up his style to regularly using stencils.

Banksy's style is is composed of unfamiliar and striking images often mixed with words or slogans. Around the world he has been known to combine his political activism with his street art. His designs include war critique, capitalism, and greed. Some common objects and images that signify it's a Banksy are rats, policemen, children, and apes.

Photo by Will Rice onhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ricephoto/4606561135/

He may not be a Chicago native, but his work here has influenced numerous other artists.

Banksy has been M.I.A. for over a year, but there are rumors that he's about to strike again- sometime next month actually! The buzz says that he might hit L.A. for his rebirth, but we will just have to wait and see


His website: http://www.banksy.co.uk
Largest following of Banksy fan's Tumblr page: http://banksystreetart.tumblr.com

All of the photos included in this post are taken from spots in Chicago. The two without locations listed are definitely Banksy's as they once were included, therefore confirmed, on his website.