How to Appreciate Grafitti Art

If you live in any of the world's major cities, you may be confronted every day with ugly grafitti art: tags hastily scrawled across otherwise clean surfaces, marring beautiful scenery. But not all grafitti art is that way, and with a little research, you can see the good side of this art form, the ways that it can benefit a city and its people.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Tour downtown areas that include community murals. Many times, an American city will allow residents to cover a wall with what you might call "grafitti" to produce a collective work of art that shows community spirit or beautifies an area. Take a look at some of these walls, and you'll see that sometimes, craftsmanship goes into grafitti.
2. Tour grafitti art galleries. In most large cities, the best and most skilled grafitti artists meet to showcase their projects, many times through photography or large portable panels. Take a look, and you'll see how grafitti artist galleries can be as legitimate as other types of painter's venues.
3. Visit government-designated grafitti areas. As grafitti art becomes more legitimate, cities across the world are offering specified areas for artists to showcase their work. They are usually situated on streets near museums or art organizations. Search your area for a designated grafitti wall where you can see the results of legitimized grafitti activity.
4. Talk to the artists. Many grafitti artists have artist statements that might give you further insight into the process. Artist statements in general are intended to "explain" works of art, and reading or talking will give you this glance into the method and concept of the art genre.
5. Talk to buyers. Getting into the heads of those who patronize the grafitti genre may educate you on the worth of grafitti art, cutting through negative stereotypes associated with the genre. Buyers will tell you, for example, that not all grafitti is "tags" and scrawled slogans. You will learn about the various types of grafitti art and you may find yourself developing an affinity for one or more of them.

Who Can Help:

• Find Decorators & Designers Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.