Graffiti &Tagging: an easy introduction

There are predominantly two main styles of art on the streets today. GRAFFITIdawg will explain the difference between tagging, and graffiti.

  • Tagging (sprayed initials) and its concept, has become the rushed act of leaving your name or pseudonym quickly, anonymously while...

  • Graffiti (street art) may be considered by some: the aerosol, brush painted endeavour of an adventurously talented person who wishes to ‘share’ their elaborate artistry with an appreciative audience, even when uploading anonymously to services like YouTube.

    While graffiti might be considered art,  practiced mainly on disused buildings and walls, tagging is predominantly considered by authorities vandalism (even historically), simply for the fact that spray scrawled initials are being left everywhere. There is a quasi war out there and that war is tagging.

    As humans have progressed and graffiti has evolved, (well since we have the urge to leave any mark), people cover just – about - everything that they can get around, in and on. For some it is the act of leaving their own personal mark like a beacon for others to acknowledge and appreciate. Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania is one such place that has experienced an increase in both legitimate and illegal graffiti and tagging.

    This is an image of an abandoned education facility, the ‘Hobart Tepid Baths’.
    Image 1
    People have found the abandoned site interesting enough to post videos on YouTube that show the work of graffiti artists.
    Situated just on the edge of the central business district of Hobart.

    Image 2                                                                                               Image 3
    Peering into the shady recesses it was easy to see what had been tagged, and what had been graffiti-ed.
    Image 4
    This image is just one example of a quick tag on the outside of the building. By the looks of the flow of the writing, it might have taken less than 10 seconds for the tagger to spray on the public access wall then simply walk away unnoticed.
    Image 5
    As a spectator, you might consider this image - street art, an example of graffiti, imaginative art.
    Hobart and surrounding areas are dotted with examples of both graffiti and tagging.
    In 2008, Street Art- Graffiti was presented as a 'legitimate' exhibition at the prestigious Tate Gallery in London, England. YouTube's ability to share with a widening audience has enabled anybody to experience that event while not actually attending in person.

    Graffiti - after all - has become art in the eye of the beholder. Some may consider the spray-painting of walls vigilante vandalism, while others have a different perspective, a possible consideration that the outpouring of artistic displays avails creative open air galleries that are 'free' for viewing by young and old, rich or poor. Whatever artistic perspective a person has concerning the use of spray cans, paintbrushes and stencil cut-outs this web-blog aims to explore the inter meshing lines and colour of graffiti/tagging alongside the social bi-effects they generate

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