Why do people graffiti?

py2006 · 03-12-2015 07:29PM #1

I find graffiti appalling, I'm saddened when I walk the royal canal and admire a bridge that was built 200 years ago only to see 'Anto' or 'Deco' or whatever the in Skanger name is scrawled across the wall.

Admittedly you do on rare occasions see that there is some talent in those that attempt some sort of drawing or characture. But it is still vandalism.

My question is, why do these people think it is ok to so this? It would appear to be confined to certain elements of society and in certain areas.

What particilularly I find interesting is that they like to write their name/nickname. Is this an angry shootout to civilised society that they are there or what?

I know there is gang related stuff too and a sense of oneupmanship here but...

Anyway, it saddens me when historic buildings are destroyed with it.

endacl · 03-12-2015 07:31PM

Same reason dogs cock their legs on lampposts. With about as much self-awareness.

Youngblood.III · 03-12-2015 07:34PM

I feel the same about the likes of "tagging" something with their name (tag)
...but I do like art graffiti, some very talented people out there.
They should build an area like a skate park for them, let them express themselves.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 03-12-2015 07:36PM

Because they are idiots.

Insect Overlord · 03-12-2015 07:37PM

How else would you know who woz ere?

Pink Fairy · 03-12-2015 07:38PM

An File wrote: »

How else would you know who woz ere?

Banksy woz ere!

py2006 · 03-12-2015 07:40PM

Aurelia Powerful Cream wrote: »

Because they are idiots.

Yea but I'm interested into the psychology of it. There must be a reason why these kind of people feel it necessary to write their names in public.

tupenny · 03-12-2015 07:45PM

15 years ago I felt like it was a way of rebelling.. Senseless I know, but to 14 year old me it made sense .

Mesrine65 · 03-12-2015 07:47PM

There's a French street artist called Shaka aka Marchal Mithouard, whose work is incredibly talented IMHO...

http://www.ufunk.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/shaka-street-art-1.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/0f/3c/84/0f3c84fe642db73da6d5447ddbcebd2c.jpg

Anesthetize · 03-12-2015 07:47PM

It really depends on context. Expertly done graffiti by a talented artist on an otherwise drab and purposeless wall is always nice to look at and adds to the urban vibe.

A childish scribble on the front wall of another person's house however is just silly.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 03-12-2015 07:49PM

py2006 wrote: »

Yea but I'm interested into the psychology of it. There must be a reason why these kind of people feel it necessary to write their names in public.

That is the psychology. They are idiots who care nothing for their environment or anybody who has to share it with them.

Antisocial personality disorder.

the evasion_kid · 03-12-2015 07:50PM

Pink Fairy wrote: »

Banksy king robbo woz ere!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuAxrp2T4MM

the evasion_kid · 03-12-2015 07:52PM

human nature i suppose to leave our mark,sure even the cavemen were at it.i do think most cities would benefit from a designated graffitti are like in toronto or new york,some of the work ive seen in these places belong in an art gallery in beverly hills.

Anesthetize · 03-12-2015 07:59PM

Regarding human nature there seems to be two mentalities to graffiti. One is the "world is a giant canvas" approach by actual artists and they can often use this for political or social messages as well.

The other is the "look at meeee I'm so cool" mentality of a 13 year old spraying a penis on a wall in front of his mates.

VinLieger · 03-12-2015 08:02PM

Rabble rabble rabble.....young people.......rabble rabble rabble...... no respect ......

toptom · 03-12-2015 08:02PM

Scandalous behaviour, We need to see more of the graffiti gurriers in court. And whats as bad is adults in paid employment putting graffiti in canteen cubicles. mind boggles over some folks antics.

the evasion_kid · 03-12-2015 08:03PM

Anesthetize wrote: »

Regarding human nature there seems to be two mentalities to graffiti. One is the "world is a giant canvas" approach by actual artists and they can often use this for political or social messages as well.

The other is the "look at meeee I'm so cool" mentality of a 13 year old spraying a penis on a wall in front of his mates.

yeah gone are the days of writing "SEX IS COOL" everywere

Insect Overlord · 03-12-2015 08:10PM

There's a street light near one of the local shops here with the slogan "Mickey Mouse is a rat" in thick, white, Tipp-Exed letters. It's been there for at least 20 years now.

Tyler Durdenn · 03-12-2015 08:15PM

toptom wrote: »

Scandalous behaviour, We need to see more of the graffiti gurriers in court. And whats as bad is adults in paid employment putting graffiti in canteen cubicles. mind boggles over some folks antics.

Absent a firing squad, the mandatory sentence for those found guilty of graffiti should be 600 hours of unpaid community service scrubbing other ****e graffiti off walls with a toothbrush. It's tough to catch the feckers so the deterrent needs to be strong.

Additionally, they should have an apology printed in their local newspaper where they acknowledge that they are talentless little toerags, among the dregs of society.

kupus · 03-12-2015 08:29PM

Art myarse.

Pink Fairy · 03-12-2015 08:31PM

kupus wrote: »

Art myarse.

Gimme some paintbrushes and i'll have a crack!

Insect Overlord · 03-12-2015 08:52PM

Tyler Durdenn wrote: »

Absent a firing squad, the mandatory sentence for those found guilty of graffiti should be 600 hours of unpaid community service scrubbing other ****e graffiti off walls with a toothbrush. It's tough to catch the feckers so the deterrent needs to be strong.

Additionally, they should have an apology printed in their local newspaper where they acknowledge that they are talentless little toerags, among the dregs of society.

I don't think the number was 600 hours, but this certainly happened recently enough in Limerick. Significant damage was done to road signage, and that was the final straw after a load of walls were tagged. The lads who did it were easy to find. Named and shamed in the local papers.

As far as I know they were brought on board to give lessons to younger artists after the heat died down, so at least their hobby (I won't say "talent" for taggers) was put to good use later on.

kupus · 03-12-2015 08:59PM

Pink Fairy wrote: »

Gimme some paintbrushes and i'll have a crack!

You need a big brush, a lot of filling to do

AnonoBoy · 03-12-2015 09:31PM

the evasion_kid wrote: »

yeah gone are the days of writing "SEX IS COOL" everywere

I always love that one.

Take that Catholic Church!

To Elland Back · 03-12-2015 09:38PM

We have a high amount of fellow citizens with little or no civic pride. We graffiti public places, we litter, we damage amenities, uproot young trees and accept it all as 'they way it is'. It's a horrible trait

Cienciano · 03-12-2015 09:51PM

I like good graffiti, but I've never seen anything close to good in Ireland. In Brussels a few days ago and went past a tram station, had these on it:
http://www.brusselspictures.com/wp-content/photos/graffiti-de-wand-station/IMG_9222.jpg

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uPsoXvZKbw

Sand · 03-12-2015 10:07PM

Watching that Robbo vs. Banksy documentary, one thing that struck me was that Banksy's great crime was that he incorporated the work of someone else (Robbo) into his own. It seemed weird given that all graffiti or street art essentially incorporates the work of the craftsmen and architects who built the wall or building it is on into the work of another. Maybe the hostility that "Team Robbo" feels for Banksy echoes the instinctive hostility the wider public feel for graffiti in general - its the sense that someone is riding on the coat tails of another craftsman. Did Robbo ever give a **** about the people who designed and crafted the trains he painted on? Did he ask for their permission?

Turtyturd · 03-12-2015 10:17PM

Aurelia Powerful Cream wrote: »

That is the psychology. They are idiots who care nothing for their environment or anybody who has to share it with them.

Antisocial personality disorder.

Even those who wrote on the Berlin Wall?

RDM_83 again · 03-12-2015 10:20PM

Sand wrote: »

Watching that Robbo vs. Banksy documentary, one thing that struck me was that Banksy's great crime was that he incorporated the work of someone else (Robbo) into his own. It seemed weird given that all graffiti or street art essentially incorporates the work of the craftsmen and architects who built the wall or building it is on into the work of another. Maybe the hostility that "Team Robbo" feels for Banksy echoes the instinctive hostility the wider public feel for graffiti in general - its the sense that someone is riding on the coat tails of another craftsman. Did Robbo ever give a **** about the people who designed and crafted the trains he painted on? Did he ask for their permission?

I thought it was pretty shameless the way he rips of the style of the French lad, personally I sort of like the way anarchists etc are giving him so much sh-t now for being a capitalist.

Cienciano wrote: »

I like good graffiti, but I've never seen anything close to good in Ireland. In Brussels a few days ago and went past a tram station, had these on it:
http://www.brusselspictures.com/wp-content/photos/graffiti-de-wand-station/IMG_9222.jpg

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uPsoXvZKbw

Take a wander around Christchurch area or out the back of the George Bernard Shaw

the evasion_kid · 03-12-2015 10:22PM

Sand wrote: »

Watching that Robbo vs. Banksy documentary, one thing that struck me was that Banksy's great crime was that he incorporated the work of someone else (Robbo) into his own. It seemed weird given that all graffiti or street art essentially incorporates the work of the craftsmen and architects who built the wall or building it is on into the work of another. Maybe the hostility that "Team Robbo" feels for Banksy echoes the instinctive hostility the wider public feel for graffiti in general - its the sense that someone is riding on the coat tails of another craftsman. Did Robbo ever give a **** about the people who designed and crafted the trains he painted on? Did he ask for their permission?

its a big no no in the graffiti world....seemingly robbo hit banksy a slap when they met and banksy was exacting his revenge by altering his last known and oldest piece of graffiti,anyhoo i dont think robbo will ever be asking for permission again...

Sand · 03-12-2015 10:27PM

the evasion_kid wrote: »

its a big no no in the graffiti world....seemingly robbo hit banksy a slap when they met and banksy was exacting his revenge by altering his last known and oldest piece of graffiti,anyhoo i dont think robbo will ever be asking for permission again...

So when Robbo graffitis a wall or a train, is the guy who built that wall or train entitled to give Robbo a slap for stealing his work?

Why do people graffiti?

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