Graffiti: The Use of the Familiar1

Abstract

This Instructional Resources continues our 2004 series on forms of “public art” that included Susan Goetz Zwirn's contribution on images of work in the 1930s (March 2004), Carol Argiro's exploration of public sculpture (July 2004), and Mary Jane Zander's work on WPA post office murals (September 2004). This Instructional Resources explores an art form that seems to be less organized and controlled than these previous examples, more spontaneous than art that is commissioned and installed by public agencies, and one that is almost always unpredictable and anonymous to the average viewer. Often considered as a popular and resistant form of graphic design, graffiti is accessible to students in most environments, but especially in urban centers and in the industrial zones of smaller communities. Graffiti is featured here as an alternative to the orderly images more often produced by established artists and the support of the “official art community.” Graffiti can be a springboard for the examination of personal identity, commercial design, social history, and community conflict. The creation of graffiti on private property without proper consent of the owner is considered to be illegal, and the examination of graffiti in this Instructional Resources should not be interpreted as an endorsement of illegal behavior or the defacement of public or private property.

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