AWFUL: Tagging

Definitions: Street Artists vs Taggers - what is vandalism, and what is art?

Over the years, I have considered what is street art and what is vandalism. On the one hand, some of my favorite artists come from the street art traditions. Keith Haring, Banksy, Shepherd Fairey, BASK, Os Gemeos, to name a few... have all come from a background of creating works of art that are illegal, but transcend vandalism.

The elusive Banksy, as example, is a guy whose work on a wall can mean a hefty windfall for the wall's owner if only they can figure out how to get it down and sell it. Keith Haring's subway chalk drawings sell for thousands. My sister owns one of those. I have a number of works from Florida artist BASK.

So why am I ruminating on this topic? Having spent the past 3 months in Europe, I've come to the cruel realization that very few of the wannabes running around with spray cans actually have anything to say, and what they do say, they say poorly. To me, a 'street artist' creates an image that makes me think, or laugh, or stop and take a picture. A Street Artist has talent - he or she is just choosing to display it in a manner that many find loathsome.... but its still art.

Here's the thing - I like good street art. I cannot tell you the shock I had when I was wandering in Sao Paulo and happened across a work by Os Gemeos. I was stunned. I almost lost my group while taking a picture. I soon discovered who they are and was glad for it.

But most spray can stuff on a wall is, well, pure crap. There is a seemingly endless supply of idiots out there who seem to think that simply applying paint to a flat surface makes them a 'street artist'. Sorry, slugger, not so. Your indecipherable scribbles, perfected over time in 10th grad science class, are just sad. Tagging is sad. Tagging is the teenage boy equivalent of a dog peeing on a bush, so all the other dogs know he peed on a a bush.

Every time I see this sort of thing, I shake my head and feel pity for the perp. Why? Why feel pity for these poor misguided talentless hacks? Because they think they are 'expressing themselves' and 'striking out at the man', when, in reality, all they are doing is ruining some little old lady's fence or making a shady area look a little more run down.

And here's the worst part: They are so dull that they would never understand how pointless and sad their vandalism actually is. In buying into the 'street artist' myth, one that has really passed its prime anyway, they are certain that one day, everyone will know who they are - and be impressed. All I am is sad for them that they are so talentless, that they cannot even see how talentless they actually are. All they accomplish is reminding us that they are non-entities.

So, yeah. Mutts peeing on a bush, so all the other mutts can know they were there, if only until the next time it rains.