Feb 1, 2008

Graffiti From Around The World

Graffiti. Most cities have it. In some contexts it’s art and in others vandalism. Sometimes there is a fine line. Opinions differ.

Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California offers up a wall on the beach for graffiti artists.
Would this rapper be amused to see his name splashed in Fez, Morocco’s ancient medina? Or would this artist lose street cred for misspelling his name?

Rome without Graffiti? Stranger things have happened. New York City’s subways have been graffiti free for years. Here someone has left his or her mark in Camp De Fiori.

In New York City, Brooklyn’s Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) was once a mecca for artists. It’s industrial buildings offered plenty of space for studios. Artists have since been priced out. Today most buildings have been converted into tony condos but street art still remains.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in Dallas we had a beautiful graffiti mural that covered the underpass that was the entrance into the Deep Ellum part of the city. The city destroyed it and tore it down to build a rail line for the transit system. This artwork had been there for decades I am hoping they saved portions of it and have put it in the city museum.

Wendy said...

Hi Debo Hobo,
I remember that mural. I have a good friend who lives in Dallas and she pointed it out to me. That is a shame.

Elizabeth said...

Love your blog - obviously!
I'm not sure about the dentures - my dentist is on Long Island......(I am chicken).
You obviously know Morocco well from your wonderful pictures.
We live here in Marrakesh most of the year but also in Chelsea (Manhattan) where we will be next week.
All best wishes.

Wendy said...

Hi Elizabeth.
Thank you. I love travelling in Morocco. It is very photogenic to say the least. Have a good flight over.

Elizabeth said...

If I get the chance today - we are off tomorrow - I will try to send you my "snop dog"(sic) graffitti tag from
rue riad Zitoune djedid.
posted in my blog in (Ithink) July/Aug or Sept.
all best.
oddly the security code below id suitable for rappers
fubad

Anonymous said...

Hi Wendy,

Thanks so much for all the comments on my blog.

I love graffiti, by the way - great post! Writing this from Lisbon, a mecca for amazing street art.

Wendy said...

Elizabeth,
Would love to see that. I wonder if it's the same tagger making the rounds in Morocco.

Anja,
Thank you! Looking forward to seeing anything you may post on Lisbon, somewhere I would like to go.

Prêt à Voyager said...

I always loved graffiti. Then I went to Berlin, and I HATED it. You couldn't go 20 ft without tagging on practically every building. That same trip I went to Reykjavik, and realized what I really love is "street art." In Paris there is an entire graffiti park, and a festival devoted to graffiti- that I love too.

Anne

Wendy said...

Hi Anne,
Berlin might very well be the graffiti capital of the world. I remember seeing a beautiful historic statue in a park one day only to see it spray painted day-glo orange the next.