The+Process

=Graffiti: Illegal Communication=


 * (Dictionary Reference)**

graffiti
plural noun ( sing. -to |-tō|) [treated as sing. or pl. ] writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place : the walls were covered with graffiti | [as adj. ] a graffiti artist. verb [ trans. ] write or draw graffiti on (something) : he and another artist graffitied an entire train. • write (words or drawings) as graffiti.
 * grəˈfētē|

vandalism
noun action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.
 * ˈvandlˌizəm|

public
adjective 1 of or concerning the people as a whole : public concern | public affairs. • open to or shared by all the people of an area or country : a public library. • of or provided by the government rather than an independent, commercial company : public spending. • of or involved in the affairs of the community, esp. in government : his public career was destroyed by tenacious reporters. • known to many people; famous : a public figure. 2 done, perceived, or existing in open view : he wanted a public apology in the Wall Street Journal | we should talk somewhere less public.
 * ˈpəblik|

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Research Concept:
For this particular project, I would like to focus on graffiti in the city and question, whether it is considered art or vandalism. Through this process, I hope to dig deeper into the graffiti culture and understand why so many artists stay true to this form of communication, and what exactly they are trying to gain. By researching and placing myself in the midst of the graffiti world, I hope to gain an even greater understanding of our visual culture and what it means to live in a society so keen on grasping public attention.

Critical Position:
My first attempt in understanding graffiti and its role in our society started out in a very general context. I began taking pictures of anything I found particularly interesting and allowed myself to just take it all in. My first trip to Queen St. West was about seeing not thinking, and allowing myself to simply look at the graffiti without any bias or any preconceived ideas. A week after, I decided to go back to where I had begun my investigation and revisited the places I had previously photographed. I had noticed many changes on the walls I had seen a week before. New tags had crossed out the ones that I had initially photographed. They appeared more elaborate and took up a lot more space. As I continued to walk down Queen St. West, I began to feel overwhelmed by the amount of stores, shops, and small businesses surrounding me. So much of Toronto is used for economic gain, while sacrificing public and social space.

Research Statement:
I found coming up with one statement about graffiti challenging. Graffiti has a very rich and raw culture, and is a result of a need to speak, and a need to be heard amongst the great corporate powers that overshadow our human needs. Perhaps graffiti artists see a different side of our world, and behind their cryptic art, there is a message we need to think about. My journey around the city has helped me to question the real meaning of vandalism and why these artists use private property as their canvas. //Graffiti is essentially, an illegal form of communication trying desperately to take back public space.//

Resources: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/246426 [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti] All City: The Book About Taking Space by Paul 107 2003 [|The book]

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