The Hip Hop subculture of NYC is spoken about in this documentary. The Hip Hop kids are reimaging and reconstructing New York City by tagging the tunnels under the city. They are physically manipulating city property to make a statement or to show who was there. They deface to represent their ideas and culture. Graffiti is everywhere in New York and now has become a part of it. A tourist claims that many tourists come just to see the graffiti.
The Hip Hop culture “bombs” the city by taking ownership of the things tagged around the city. They do it for recognition so that people will remember who did it. I think bombing for them is a way they can have a voice and show that they matter within New York City, especially in areas where their demographic might lack power. Break dancing is also a way for them to freely express themselves. Graffiti has a permanent mark unlike break dance, but break dancing has the power to lure people in to watch while you are in your own space. Self expression is one of the most powerful tools these kids have to be influential.
The mother claims her son does not own anything on the subway. Though that is true, he doesn’t physically own the subway, he did make a mark on it that will permanently state some ownership or “I was here” title. He has imprinted on it and I believe that as long as that is there, his ideas will remain as well. I don’t believe the boy was trying to have ownership over anything by tagging it, but rather as a tool to show that he does exist and has a voice and opinion. I think he chose to graffiti a train because it travels all over and his main point of why he did it was so that his name would be seen.
Banksy has a very conceptual way of thinking when it comes to his graffiti. He is not just using the graffiti itself as a statement but rather as a catalyst towards a bigger meaning. The one thing I can think of that the hip hop kids have over Banksy is that they sign their name. Unless you follow art, many people would not recognize the political artwork to be Banksys. However, Banksy might not be interested in who knows his name but rather what issues he is trying to talk about. He thinks about his locations before he tags, and makes sure they are in the public eye where people can walk through and see. He exercises his freedom of speech through graffiti. I definitely think tagging private property is a means for exercising power. It doesn’t necessarily mean the tagger owns the property, but it does mean that they had some sort of influence on it and use it to portray their identity.
Hip-hop culture defies societal expectations and stereotypes of social scales because it does not follow the rules of class and race. People from every race are involved. When the white kid spoke about how easy it is for him to steal paint cans, it upset me. Of course, store owners would look at him and not expect him to be a thief, although they are very much a part of the hip hop culture as well. Kids always want to be a part of pop-culture and if the trend happens to be hip-hop culture, everyone from every race is sure to be interested.
I think white kids, who may be the more privileged, are attracted to graffiti because it is not something they have seen before. They are not raised around it. I have been sheltered most of my life, and near my house there is no graffiti to be found within miles. Whenever I come across it, I think two things: 1. That it is really cool/interesting & 2. I know I am in not in suburbia anymore. It is a stereotype that has existed for quite some while although it is not always right. Every culture has its own class level.
Hip Hop artists use their own body to shift and activate the political space of the city not only by tagging their names, but also break dancing among many other things to exercise their freedom of space. Their bodies become their own medium just like a can of spray paint. “Make your own mark in society, not ON society” was created to try and stop graffiti from happening. They see it as vandalism not art.
“Yeah, I vandalism (sic), but I did something to make your eyes open up, right? So what are you talking about it for?” This reminds me of online blogs. Sometimes people spend hours on the computer writing hate messages to people. If you hate them, why are you giving them any attention? By wasting your own precious time, you are giving them fuel. I think he is explaining that even though he vandalized, the point is what he wrote or is trying to say. He is explaining that most taggers like him don’t tag to vandalize but instead, to give out a bigger message.
The war between “Burners” and “Bombers” is probably one of the most interesting things I learned about while watching this documentary. Bombers, such as one in the video named “Cat”, sprayed his name all over graffiti, so that not only would people see his name, but the artists he bombed over. A “Burner” is someone who sprays over graffiti. “More v.s Quality” has been an idea thought about forever, yet it is interesting to me that it includes graffiti. (My mom used to always tell me it was better to buy one item of quality rather than 5 cheap items that wouldn’t last.) I have noticed that some graffiti looks like it took more time than others, and maybe what I am seeing is the hierarchy of these artists.
In the gallery scene, graffiti was shown on canvas. Even though it is physically the same, spray paint on some medium, it was not the same. Graffiti is more than just the spray paint. The medium it is on becomes a part of it. I honestly don’t think graffiti is considered true graffiti unless it is on some sort of property, public or personal. Although it is still art, graffiti on canvas gives it a kind of elegance that doesn’t work and therefore takes away the power graffiti has.
The Hip Hop culture “bombs” the city by taking ownership of the things tagged around the city. They do it for recognition so that people will remember who did it. I think bombing for them is a way they can have a voice and show that they matter within New York City, especially in areas where their demographic might lack power. Break dancing is also a way for them to freely express themselves. Graffiti has a permanent mark unlike break dance, but break dancing has the power to lure people in to watch while you are in your own space. Self expression is one of the most powerful tools these kids have to be influential.
The mother claims her son does not own anything on the subway. Though that is true, he doesn’t physically own the subway, he did make a mark on it that will permanently state some ownership or “I was here” title. He has imprinted on it and I believe that as long as that is there, his ideas will remain as well. I don’t believe the boy was trying to have ownership over anything by tagging it, but rather as a tool to show that he does exist and has a voice and opinion. I think he chose to graffiti a train because it travels all over and his main point of why he did it was so that his name would be seen.
Banksy has a very conceptual way of thinking when it comes to his graffiti. He is not just using the graffiti itself as a statement but rather as a catalyst towards a bigger meaning. The one thing I can think of that the hip hop kids have over Banksy is that they sign their name. Unless you follow art, many people would not recognize the political artwork to be Banksys. However, Banksy might not be interested in who knows his name but rather what issues he is trying to talk about. He thinks about his locations before he tags, and makes sure they are in the public eye where people can walk through and see. He exercises his freedom of speech through graffiti. I definitely think tagging private property is a means for exercising power. It doesn’t necessarily mean the tagger owns the property, but it does mean that they had some sort of influence on it and use it to portray their identity.
Hip-hop culture defies societal expectations and stereotypes of social scales because it does not follow the rules of class and race. People from every race are involved. When the white kid spoke about how easy it is for him to steal paint cans, it upset me. Of course, store owners would look at him and not expect him to be a thief, although they are very much a part of the hip hop culture as well. Kids always want to be a part of pop-culture and if the trend happens to be hip-hop culture, everyone from every race is sure to be interested.
I think white kids, who may be the more privileged, are attracted to graffiti because it is not something they have seen before. They are not raised around it. I have been sheltered most of my life, and near my house there is no graffiti to be found within miles. Whenever I come across it, I think two things: 1. That it is really cool/interesting & 2. I know I am in not in suburbia anymore. It is a stereotype that has existed for quite some while although it is not always right. Every culture has its own class level.
Hip Hop artists use their own body to shift and activate the political space of the city not only by tagging their names, but also break dancing among many other things to exercise their freedom of space. Their bodies become their own medium just like a can of spray paint. “Make your own mark in society, not ON society” was created to try and stop graffiti from happening. They see it as vandalism not art.
“Yeah, I vandalism (sic), but I did something to make your eyes open up, right? So what are you talking about it for?” This reminds me of online blogs. Sometimes people spend hours on the computer writing hate messages to people. If you hate them, why are you giving them any attention? By wasting your own precious time, you are giving them fuel. I think he is explaining that even though he vandalized, the point is what he wrote or is trying to say. He is explaining that most taggers like him don’t tag to vandalize but instead, to give out a bigger message.
The war between “Burners” and “Bombers” is probably one of the most interesting things I learned about while watching this documentary. Bombers, such as one in the video named “Cat”, sprayed his name all over graffiti, so that not only would people see his name, but the artists he bombed over. A “Burner” is someone who sprays over graffiti. “More v.s Quality” has been an idea thought about forever, yet it is interesting to me that it includes graffiti. (My mom used to always tell me it was better to buy one item of quality rather than 5 cheap items that wouldn’t last.) I have noticed that some graffiti looks like it took more time than others, and maybe what I am seeing is the hierarchy of these artists.
In the gallery scene, graffiti was shown on canvas. Even though it is physically the same, spray paint on some medium, it was not the same. Graffiti is more than just the spray paint. The medium it is on becomes a part of it. I honestly don’t think graffiti is considered true graffiti unless it is on some sort of property, public or personal. Although it is still art, graffiti on canvas gives it a kind of elegance that doesn’t work and therefore takes away the power graffiti has.
This is by far your best insights and writing. If you do more of this, you will be fine. Great insight on connecting the "vandalism" to comments on blog. Why are you reading/paying attention to it? Priceless connection, good job.
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