‘Insert Creative Title Here’

Senior Exhibition Paper Outline

1) Graffiti; Art or Vandalism?

a) Graffiti.

i) Many view graffiti to be a public nuisance, illegal tagging, vandalism, and a crime, not an art. And who is committing these acts? Vandals, troublemakers who do not care about who they are affecting or what they are writing on. I strongly disagree with these views, and appreciate graffiti for what it is, a beautiful art that has evolved along the years and continues to evolve today. Graffiti writers use graffiti as a way of self expression, they should not be jailed or fined for expressing their artistic ability with their community, they are simply using graffiti as a way to get their message out to the world, their name being their message. According to Webster’s dictionary, graffiti is: “unauthorized writing or drawing on a public surface.” It also states that, “The Greek infinitive ‘graphein’ means, “to write” and the Italian word ‘graffiato’ means, “scratched”.” “Graffiti” dates all the way back to ancient times, and in those times people utilized the tools they had in order to make a certain etchings, such as a word, words, and or drawings in order to display what they were in need of or certain tasks they had conquered. Other etchings could have been used as ways of teaching or to mark certain events, and historians would never destroy or dispose of these findings. So who is to say that this is not the same thing that is occurring today? Graffiti has come a long way from being just vandalism, just like any from it has evolved. Graffiti is also known as, ‘The art of letter writing’ because essentially what a writer (A Graffiti Artist) is doing is using the basic letter and making it their own. Graffiti has evolved from Tags and Bombs to Pieces and Murals. Graffiti murals use the same basic ideas as ‘tagging’ and ‘bombing’ and the main medium for both is aerosol, or spray-paint. So what separates the two? What makes graffiti art? and what makes it vandalism?

2) The Process.

a) Experts

i) Graffiti Artists: Egroe, House, both have been painting for about a decade each. I have interviews that I have conducted with both of them and I essentially got a perspective from Graffiti Writers who were and still are involved in both illegal and legal graffiti, from tags on the street, to legal commissioned walls. They’re both experienced Writers who can offer a well-rounded perspective on the topic.

ii) Police Officers: They offer a perspective on what is considered vandalism, according to state law. They can offer a perspective as to how graffiti, whether Vandalism or Art, is viewed to someone with an occupation in the police agencies of Charleston.

iii) Art Teachers: They offer a perspective that is more from a critical viewpoint. The interviews conducted with them can be used to get a better perspective as to what in considered art, and what an aspect of Art graffiti holds.

b) Research Info

i) Glossary/Vocabulary: This is an important part of graffiti and an important part of understanding my overall presentation, I will provide a in depth glossary of the terms necessary for understanding my paper and my presentation.

ii) What is Art? What defines it? I will answer this question to the best of my ability. The reason why I say that is because art is a very difficult word to define. According to Webster’s dictionary the definition of art is: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation. Ex. (the art of making friends) According to dictionary.com art is: the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

iii) What defines Vandalism? The definition of vandalism is almost concrete, it is, according to Webster’s dictionary is, willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property. According to Dictionary.com the definition of vandalism is, deliberately mischievous or malicious destruction or damage of property. But what if this ‘Vandalism’ contributes to the beauty of the location in which it is placed? Does that truly make a difference.

3) My Product

a) Stairwell #1

i) The first stairwell will be painted as a mural, with multiple colors. Essentially it will be a Compilation of ‘Pieces’ which is a graffiti painting, short for masterpiece. It’s generally agreed that a painting must have at least three colors to be considered a piece. And they will create a mural.

b) Stairwell #2

i) This stairwell will essentially be ‘Vandalized’ from ‘Bombs’: Prolific painting or marking with ink. To cover an area with your tag, throw ups, etc. to Tags, and Rollers, which are essentially words painted with Rollers in order to cover a large area in a short period of time. I will use this stairwell in order to explain, describe, and demonstrate what Vandalism is.

c) Video Interviews

i) Throughout my presentation I will use snippets of the interviews that I have held with my sources and experts to reinforce the facts that I have presented to my audience.

4) Conclusion

a) Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism?

b) From my Journey I hope to answer this question, I hope that I’ll be able to answer my essential question.

Works Cited

Infamy. Dir. Doug Pray. Prod. Grant Cihlar and Nancy Cihlar. Perf. Toomer, Saber, Earsnot, Claw, Jase, ENEM, Joe Connolly. Image Entertainment, 2005. DVD.

RT, Egroe. “Graffiti; Art vs. Vandalism.” Personal interview. Jan. 2010.

RT, House. “Graffiti; Art vs. Vandalism.” Personal interview. Jan. 2010.

Simmons, Tyrone. “Graffiti; Art vs. Vandalism.” Telephone interview. Jan. 2010.

Style Wars. Dir. Tony Silver. Prod. Henry Chalfant. Perf. Case 2, Seen, Duster, Cap, Dr. Revolt, Zephyr, Mare 139, IZ the Wiz, Skeme. MRA Entertainment Group, 1983. DVD.

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