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There is much debate in society here in NSW Australia about graffiti. It is frowned upon by residents, business owners and the police.
The laws have been tightened and laws have been put into place restricting the sale of spray paint cans to minors, and the displaying of spray paint cans within a retail premises.
Here in NSW spray paint cannot be sold to people under the age of 18 and must either be displayed behind a counter where they cannot be accessed by minors or on a shelf no lower than 2.1 meters. The NSW government is also thinking to pass a law prohibiting the sale of spray paint, full stop!
Attitude.........To do such a thing has certain repercussions. Similar to a species becoming extinct and then other parts of nature suffer. For every action there is an equal reaction.
Personally I can understand the hate that society and the police have for it. It is messy and intimidating and yes it does look ugly, (especially the tagging and scrawling)....I agree!
Although a part of the culture and the purpose of getting your name up to gain fame within the movement and amongst your peers, it is a blight. Police attitudes do not help either. I have personally witnessed and been the receiver of bully type treatment and tactics from police. I don't understand why artists doing legal walls should be treated with such attitude, contempt and even threats when it is not necessary? The majority ( over 80-85%) of artists are not bad people, work honest jobs and come from good families. Yet are treated like criminals. Arrest and proscecute those breaking the law and damaging public property. That I can understand.
A little history..........As most of us know graffiti started on the streets and subways of New York City as far back as the the late 60's. It became main stream in the late 70's early 80's. New York at that time was bleak for the youth and there was not much hope. Certain parts of the city were in ruin and neighborhood's were derelict and falling apart. At the time gang's were the thing for youth's from broken families where crime and drugs were taking over.
Certain kids chose a different outlet..."Graffiti". They chose to create designs on trains and the streets rather than get involved with other crime, gangs and drugs, where death and jail time were an everyday occurance. They wrote their name in the streets which gave them recognition amongst other writers making them feel like they belonged to something. It in a way was a form of family. More than what alot of them had at home.
Here in Australia in present day it is not tolerated and trying to be eradicated. There is alot of talent in the movement and some of these artists today around the world earn more per year than some of us dream about!
Local councils and police are stubborn and try to avoid any kind of compromise to help portray the form in a positive manner. Legal walls are becoming scarce which then pushes the artists onto the street to paint illegally. We need these walls. Banning spray paint cans will not solve the problem. It may help curb the ones that do all the scrawling on the streets, but others that paint positively and make money from their talents will suffer. Society will suffer. The great colorful murals we see will disappear, more scrawling will appear and if not spray cans, something else will be used to make their mark which could be a lot worse. Crime and drug taking could increase, and there are a lot worse things today's youth could be involved in. Today's youth need more outlets, more government funded activities and programs.
Things could be a lot worse and their are far more serious things to be attended to in society. Sexual assault, murder, domestic violence, car theft ,assault, drink driving, crimes against children, car theft, breaking and entering are bigger blights on society. Jail terms for graffiti are not an answer. This can change young lives for the worse forever and create bitterness and revenge.
In Australia you can legally inject heroin in a government controlled environment, or you have to over 16 to buy a knife ( but it's illegal to carry or possess one), or can be arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana ( I do not do drugs) on your person or in the privacy of your own home, but you can be arrested for possession of a spray paint can or a marker and arrested and charged or even jailed for writing on others property with spray paint...........Go figure!!!!!!
Lastly.......Graffiti is not done because of a hatred for the government or because we are not happy or because of broken families. It is an artistic outlet, it is exciting, it is fun and its a rush.
The laws have been tightened and laws have been put into place restricting the sale of spray paint cans to minors, and the displaying of spray paint cans within a retail premises.
Here in NSW spray paint cannot be sold to people under the age of 18 and must either be displayed behind a counter where they cannot be accessed by minors or on a shelf no lower than 2.1 meters. The NSW government is also thinking to pass a law prohibiting the sale of spray paint, full stop!
Attitude.........To do such a thing has certain repercussions. Similar to a species becoming extinct and then other parts of nature suffer. For every action there is an equal reaction.
Personally I can understand the hate that society and the police have for it. It is messy and intimidating and yes it does look ugly, (especially the tagging and scrawling)....I agree!
Although a part of the culture and the purpose of getting your name up to gain fame within the movement and amongst your peers, it is a blight. Police attitudes do not help either. I have personally witnessed and been the receiver of bully type treatment and tactics from police. I don't understand why artists doing legal walls should be treated with such attitude, contempt and even threats when it is not necessary? The majority ( over 80-85%) of artists are not bad people, work honest jobs and come from good families. Yet are treated like criminals. Arrest and proscecute those breaking the law and damaging public property. That I can understand.
A little history..........As most of us know graffiti started on the streets and subways of New York City as far back as the the late 60's. It became main stream in the late 70's early 80's. New York at that time was bleak for the youth and there was not much hope. Certain parts of the city were in ruin and neighborhood's were derelict and falling apart. At the time gang's were the thing for youth's from broken families where crime and drugs were taking over.
Certain kids chose a different outlet..."Graffiti". They chose to create designs on trains and the streets rather than get involved with other crime, gangs and drugs, where death and jail time were an everyday occurance. They wrote their name in the streets which gave them recognition amongst other writers making them feel like they belonged to something. It in a way was a form of family. More than what alot of them had at home.
Here in Australia in present day it is not tolerated and trying to be eradicated. There is alot of talent in the movement and some of these artists today around the world earn more per year than some of us dream about!
Local councils and police are stubborn and try to avoid any kind of compromise to help portray the form in a positive manner. Legal walls are becoming scarce which then pushes the artists onto the street to paint illegally. We need these walls. Banning spray paint cans will not solve the problem. It may help curb the ones that do all the scrawling on the streets, but others that paint positively and make money from their talents will suffer. Society will suffer. The great colorful murals we see will disappear, more scrawling will appear and if not spray cans, something else will be used to make their mark which could be a lot worse. Crime and drug taking could increase, and there are a lot worse things today's youth could be involved in. Today's youth need more outlets, more government funded activities and programs.
Things could be a lot worse and their are far more serious things to be attended to in society. Sexual assault, murder, domestic violence, car theft ,assault, drink driving, crimes against children, car theft, breaking and entering are bigger blights on society. Jail terms for graffiti are not an answer. This can change young lives for the worse forever and create bitterness and revenge.
In Australia you can legally inject heroin in a government controlled environment, or you have to over 16 to buy a knife ( but it's illegal to carry or possess one), or can be arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana ( I do not do drugs) on your person or in the privacy of your own home, but you can be arrested for possession of a spray paint can or a marker and arrested and charged or even jailed for writing on others property with spray paint...........Go figure!!!!!!
Lastly.......Graffiti is not done because of a hatred for the government or because we are not happy or because of broken families. It is an artistic outlet, it is exciting, it is fun and its a rush.
