The New Art Form

By Sara Koniniec, Lead Photographer
 
Ever heard of Van Gogh? How about Picasso? My guess is that if you retained any art history information these names would sound familiar. How about Banksy? Does Shepard Fairey ring a bell? These are legendary names in the graffiti community, and they are pushing their way into mainstream recognition.

3D Joe and Max break the Guinness World Record
for the largest ever 3D street art.

It’s Not Just for Gangsters
Graffiti is not just the dirty black spray paint writing on a garbage can. When people think of graffiti, they think of their tax dollars being spent on covering up the graffiti eyesores; they think of how it degrades the value of their neighborhood.

It’s understandable why people do not like to look at graffiti, but that’s because they don’t know the side of it that I 
do – the beautiful art that takes a keen eye and attention to detail, just like any other art form.

There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the legitimacy of this “new” art form. When you really think about it, graffiti can trace its roots all the way back to the cave paintings on the Lascaux caves 17,300 years ago. Because of its subculture roots today, the general public hasn’t accepted that graffiti can and will be a respectable means of expression. There’s an ongoing tension between city officials who want to restrict graffiti, and others who want to promote art in public locations.

It’s Inspirational
When I hear the word graffiti, I think of vibrant color palettes, gas masks, political messages and elaborate sketches. I’m not talking about the scribbles of someone else’s tagged name.

I’m talking about the thirty-foot-high murals that take hours on end to create.

I’m talking about the skill involved in controlling small particles of paint at high pressures and crafting them into the specific shape you want.

And, I’m talking about the serious political issues that these artists have chosen to make public.

Street art by Mesa

What I’m really trying to do is shed some light on the beautiful side of graffiti, and hopefully everyone will appreciate this amazing form of expression.