The concept of graffiti is not a new one. It has been around for hundreds of years. People have used it to fulfill many roles from advertising to bringing attention to social issues. In the eyes of many people, it is a beautiful form of artistic expression for numerous under-represented artists. In the eyes of others, it is a crime, and needs to be stamped out. Nonetheless, urban art has begun to rise in popularity. Some practitioners are managing to procure gallery shows, and some apparel companies are introducing graffiti tee shirts.
Over time, street art has evolved and shifted. There is a subculture of urban artists that encompasses every country, and every continent. From Denmark to Switzerland, New York to Amsterdam, these artists create their art and spread their messages for various reasons and with varying results.
Some street artists use the walls as canvases on which to speak about important contemporary issues. Specific symbols and slogans are employed to arouse the interest of a public viewed as generally apathetic. Some artists utilize their skills to achieve notoriety within the urban art subculture. That subculture is frequently governed by rules particular to certain regions.
These rules can govern things like the length of time a 'piece' should be left alone before being covered by another artists' work. There are rivalries between street art groups conducted beneath the noses of the general populace. Most times, only those involved in the struggles will even understand what the different messages mean.
The same can be true of the signs and symbols used to mark gang territory in certain parts of the world. Regular citizens who are not associated with any gang, may not recognize, or be expected to recognize the symbols. By contrast, those members of rival gangs would automatically be alerted to the fact that they are in enemy territory.
It is the opinion of some people, that when images from street art are placed on clothing, it serves to legitimate that art. When an urban artist creates a work of art specifically to go on clothing, the art itself is re-contextualized. Clothing presents an opportunity for a moving installation, where several ideas are displayed simultaneously.
As long as the subculture exists, urban art cannot help but to continue to have its' place within the larger context of society. Graffiti tee shirts could potentially be a step toward unobtrusively disseminating messages and information the bulk of the populace might otherwise remain ignorant of. Another potential result could be an elevation of this kind of art to a position of acknowledged artistic expression.
graffiti tee shirts
Over time, street art has evolved and shifted. There is a subculture of urban artists that encompasses every country, and every continent. From Denmark to Switzerland, New York to Amsterdam, these artists create their art and spread their messages for various reasons and with varying results.
Some street artists use the walls as canvases on which to speak about important contemporary issues. Specific symbols and slogans are employed to arouse the interest of a public viewed as generally apathetic. Some artists utilize their skills to achieve notoriety within the urban art subculture. That subculture is frequently governed by rules particular to certain regions.
These rules can govern things like the length of time a 'piece' should be left alone before being covered by another artists' work. There are rivalries between street art groups conducted beneath the noses of the general populace. Most times, only those involved in the struggles will even understand what the different messages mean.
The same can be true of the signs and symbols used to mark gang territory in certain parts of the world. Regular citizens who are not associated with any gang, may not recognize, or be expected to recognize the symbols. By contrast, those members of rival gangs would automatically be alerted to the fact that they are in enemy territory.
It is the opinion of some people, that when images from street art are placed on clothing, it serves to legitimate that art. When an urban artist creates a work of art specifically to go on clothing, the art itself is re-contextualized. Clothing presents an opportunity for a moving installation, where several ideas are displayed simultaneously.
As long as the subculture exists, urban art cannot help but to continue to have its' place within the larger context of society. Graffiti tee shirts could potentially be a step toward unobtrusively disseminating messages and information the bulk of the populace might otherwise remain ignorant of. Another potential result could be an elevation of this kind of art to a position of acknowledged artistic expression.
graffiti tee shirts
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