Teen art class: Graffiti 101

[A.Malina]

Just received the spring N. Berwyn Park District catalog.  Under "Visual/Media arts", pg. 23,  is the following (all capitalization, hyphens &etc. as printed}:

Graffiti 101
The Fine Art of Graffiti, a Wild-Style of painting from history, can-control.  Creative lettering, Characters, fill-ins to major burners to be painted on and off-site.  The class is designed for anyone interested in understanding the artistry and historical evolution of Graffitias a visual art-form of the Hip-Hop movement.  This class does not encourage or support any criminal activity: i.e., gang-affiliation/representation or vandalism.
Ages 12-Adult
8 weeks

[ZORBA]

Now that's progressive thinking.

[Hogzilla]

My guess is anyone taking an actual class on graffiti is probably not going to spray my garage. I have no problem with graffiti as an art form, but don't support unauthorized public display of it.

[ZORBA]

I'm not sure you want you park district legitimizing a problem that has reached epidemic proportion in town though, do you?

[~LL~]

North Berwyn Park District could not think of any other kind of art form or "culture" to promote?  Seems whack to me...

[Bonster]

NBPD-
Program "rich," Land poor.

[Hogzilla]

Mainstreaming it would help the problem in my opinion. If you give someone a place to practice and perfect it and treat it as art, you will take away the stigma of it. Those taking a class to do it better aren't likely the ones defacing property. There are many cities that have integrated it into their public art.

[~LL~]

Mainstreaming it would help the problem in my opinion. If you give someone a place to practice and perfect it and treat it as art, you will take away the stigma of it. Those taking a class to do it better aren't likely the ones defacing property. There are many cities that have integrated it into their public art.

Granted, I've often admired some of the lettering styles done on boxcars and did regard the skill and talent.  Yet, I do not see a market, per se, for graffiti art.  So, what would these students then do with the skills (new or refined) acquired through such classes?

[OakParkSpartan]

I hope they are not "practicing" anywhere around town.  I don't care if it is for a class or not, I'd prefer that crap not to be displayed as it will likely encourage others.

Do it on a sheet of plywood or a canvass.

[Bonster]

Not what you had in mind for the Depot District Parking Garage mural?

[Hogzilla]

Being a graphic designer, I studied many different forms of art while in school. While studying architecture I took a watercolor class taught by one of my architecture instructors. Just because there is no linear path for a graffiti artist to make a living as a graffiti artist, doesn't mean there is no other way to use those talents. I know of former graffiti artists that became typographers and designers.

My point is only that if someone wants to become a better artist at whatever medium, give them the tools. Pushing them off in a corner doesn't bring them in to the fold of society or teach them a right way to do it. I am guessing the art district isn't going to promote doing it in public. Our society's way of handing these types of things isn't working, so I applaud anyone willing to take the chance and try another way to handle it. Graffiti has been around for a very long time. Maybe there is a way to make a living at it. In my opinion one of the finest contemporary artists is Banksy, a graffiti artist. Also, Jean Michel Basquiat started as a graffiti artist.





http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html

[OakParkSpartan]

And look where that got Basquiat!

The photos you posted were nice.  Respect of property rights needs to be encouraged ie. don't do it without permisision.

[Hogzilla]

And look where that got Basquiat!

The photos you posted were nice.  Respect of property rights needs to be encouraged ie. don't do it without permisision.

He's in most of the top art museums and collections of the world. But if that statement is regarding his life as a whole, he had way bigger problems from the day he was born.

I would never promote unauthorized public display. And this may blow a big whole in my argument, but I don't think much of Banksy's work was authorized. However, I do get great joy out of it and I think much of it makes commentary of blight. It's a bit of irony that something most feel is blight, is making comment on blight. Interesting juxtaposition.

[rbain]

Haven't we been here before?

(warning: the following contains remarks by northsider)

http://www.berwyntalk.com/smf/index.php?topic=2556.msg38447#msg38447

-Rob

[Hogzilla]

Haven't we been here before?

(warning: the following contains remarks by northsider)

http://www.berwyntalk.com/smf/index.php?topic=2556.msg38447#msg38447

-Rob

"The Socialist/Liberals consider it an art form, I heard a guy on the radio a few weeks ago talk about how it should be legal to do anywhere."

G.D. Liberals and their f-ing spray paint cans!

[OakParkSpartan]

And look where that got Basquiat!

The photos you posted were nice.  Respect of property rights needs to be encouraged ie. don't do it without permisision.

He's in most of the top art museums and collections of the world. But if that statement is regarding his life as a whole, he had way bigger problems from the day he was born.

I would never promote unauthorized public display. And this may blow a big whole in my argument, but I don't think much of Banksy's work was authorized. However, I do get great joy out of it and I think much of it makes commentary of blight. It's a bit of irony that something most feel is blight, is making comment on blight. Interesting juxtaposition.

I was only kidding about Basquiat.  I know he was very, very good. 

The work of Bansky that you posted is tasteful and obviously done by someone with talent.  Can't say that IMHO about much of the graphitti we see locally.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Haven't we been here before?

(warning: the following contains remarks by northsider)

http://www.berwyntalk.com/smf/index.php?topic=2556.msg38447#msg38447

-Rob

Oh yes, my husband the conservative extremist!!