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Politics: Kilroy Was Here - Evolution of a Graffiti Hero |
Posted by
feralucce on Friday, July 09, 2004 - 12:23 AM PST
“Kilroy was here” has, in the modern day, become synonymous with graffiti. Before I do a piece of art, I do research into the subject. I am in the process of photographing graffiti in the urban environment. My research revealed some fascinating information.
I was surprised to discover that graffiti is not a new phenomenon. Actually, it is ancient – in fact the word comes from Latin sources. It means “scribbling.” Archaeologists have found graffiti in many ancient ruins – medieval inns, the catacombs in Rome and even the Tower of London. Some of the eldest examples of the “art” were found in Pompei. (for those of you who do not know, Pompei was buried under meters of volcanic ash... perfectly preserved... it also introduced a new form of archaeological find. The Ash Mummy.)
In my research, I have found there are actually CLASSIFICATIONS of graffiti and a classification of scientist that devotes their life to its study. Well, actually bathroom graffiti at least... they study latrinalia. After decades of study, the experts have agreed that there are four classifications of graffiti.
1)Identity: these people wand to immortalize themselves or a part of their lives – romance, accomplishments, etc.
2) Opinion or message: these people want the world to know what they think or feel.
3) Decalogue: these brain surgeons talk back to other writers...
4) Art: intricate and powerful images truly expressing themselves as in a truly public medium.
For centuries, people have actually collected the stuff. Hurlo Thrumbo printed the first collection of graffiti in the 1700s. In the early 20th century, latrinalia was born. German sociologists began collecting the graffiti in toilets for the first scientific study. American scientists used it to study the sexual habits of men and women.
During the 1960s graffiti evolved to be an outlet for the Vietnam counter culture. Graffiti is now considered an important window into the real history of the culture. Political unrest, thoughts and feelings, social trends and the inner workings of society can all bee seen here.
Kilroy, is an important figure in American history - the most famous Graffittist EVER. Kilroy was an infantry soldier tired of hearing the Air Force brag about being the first on the spot. The torch of the Lady Liberty, the Bikini Atoll (where we detonated the bomb), the Marco Polo Bridge, and many, many more places sported his signature. It has been so many places that it is the epitome of graffiti.
Graffiti is it's own social scene. Friends will often work together on projects, called crews. One such group used the name TAG to mark their work (Tuff Artists Group). Tag has come to mean both graffiti creation and graffiti itself (tagging and tag respectively) Crews often tag together, placing their personal and crew marks on the scene.
At first, the tools of the trade, were pens and markers, but using these tools limited the types of surface that could be tagged. Quickly, everyone was using spray paint. The nozzles were not acceptable for the artistic bent of most taggers. The nozzles from deodorant, insecticide, wd-40, etc were used to create truly impressive tags. Some cities actually started outlawing tagging implements. Of course the crews found a way to camouflage the tools of the trade.
What started out as urban protest has come to span all racial and economic groups. Many inner city children are involved with crews. it is not limited any more. In Philadelphia, a 27 year old stock broker was caught tagging in his BMW. It has grown from basic techniques to multicolored artistic endeavors called Pieces (from the word masterpiece).
Just keep an eye out for him... Kilroy is here, somewhere...
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Kilroy Was Here - Evolution of a Graffiti Hero | Login/Create an account | 5 Comments |
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Re: Kilroy Was Here - Evolution of a Graffiti Hero
by Squire-of-Gothos (Hedonic_Master@yahoo.com)
on Jul 12, 2004 - 02:22 PM
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Always nifty to see one of your informative dives into the minor mysteries of daily life (urine..). Not many people think of Florida as an sprawling urban hole, but I assure you it is. And with Miami being the poorest city in america, there's plenty of abandoned canvas, and plenty of urban angst, to go around. Some of the most beautiful pieces or art I've ever laid eyes on has whooshed past me on an overpass, or been desimated by city officials on the sides of laundromats and 7-11's. It's nice to see people expressing themselves openly, in a raw and pure fashion, and especially when I can identify with it. Thats what I like most about this art; it's local, it's up my block, and it ususally tells a story about what it's like to be in this place, and time. Nothing can describe it better, and it should be preserved. It's a time capsule. Tagging is like amber, damnit.
I'm tired of the image of the urban minority. I'm sick of seeing him in movies as some dumb, black/hispanic/wigger, that wears baggy clothes, yells at his mother, ditches school, and does nothing productive but by gold teeth, ride shitty cadillac, rob stores, and beat up people. They are never shown as real people, with nuances and emotions. They may not write sonnets, but they take an inacurate aerosol house paint and a slab of concrete and put Davinci to shame. They have found a medium that there peers respect and admire, and the rest of the world should make and effort to show that same respect.
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Re: Kilroy Was Here - Evolution of a Graffiti Hero
by bettie_x (strangersangel@hotmail.com)
on Jul 12, 2004 - 10:39 PM
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One of my old bosses was a graffitti artist, and when he'd done a piece he was particularly proud of he'd polaroid it and bring it for us to look at. Someone took a picture of him with a can of paint in each hand just going to TOWN on a big mural piece in his back yard (he constructed a wall to do it in private because the cops were catching on). I've always liked well done graffitti....one of my favorite things in the world as a kid was driving to tacoma mall, because along river road in puyallup there was a concrete flood dyke all along it, and people regularly went down and painted the most amazing things, from their graduating school class to full blown works of art. I remember fighting in my car booster seat to get a good look out the window at it, and being disapointed is there was nothing new since I'd seen it last.
It is an important form of art...almost all art forms are important, especially this type. I'm not talking random vandalization, the type that any shithead with nothing to do with a can of krylon can do. Some of the most beautiful and striking and moving art I've ever seen came from the hand of a kid in the middle of the night with spray paint. It's immediate, often emotional, and it's an ever changing ongoing chronicle of daily life in both good and bad parts of cities. I hope they never stop.
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Re: Kilroy Was Here - Evolution of a Graffiti Hero
by Domkitten (saradevil@saradevil.com)
on Jul 14, 2004 - 09:08 PM
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One of the more interesting things you will see in Korea if you spend a lot of time going around to old temples is graffti that was left by the Chinese or Japanese invaders after they had conqured an area.
Generally it tends to be very faint, and worn away, but there is something very startling about a Chinese Conqurere carving "I was here" into a pagodo that I stand looking at some 1400 years later.
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