GRAFITTI'S FINAL ACT

 

The recent Vanity Fair article “Banksy Unmasked”’ claimed the graffiti artist’s name was finally determined. It peaked my interest as a follower of Graffiti art. Well, it turns out that the mystery of him remains. So does the meaning of his images and sayings such as the question he poses, “Does Graffiti change anything?”

At least with his art, there is something to consider not like most graffiti efforts. Ones that who shapes best look like badly done scrambled eggs and colors bold enough to blind you. There are various names for different graffiti styles including throw ups, pieces, Angels, heaven spots, back to back, roller and devil spots.

There are good reasons why Banksy and others want to remain anonymous. The law with handcuffs are never far behind. Graffiti has a short life, usually ending up repainted by another artist or washed away by city workers.

The most interesting effect is when a desperate building owner simply paints over graffiti. These often take the form of blocks of any color the building owner might have. Somehow these restore a certain quiet and order to the city. They are known by graffiti artists as Paint Outs. The irony is that these often become art in themselves, lingering until the building is fully repainted. Graffiti artists have a certain view of all this. They even consider it the Final Act of their work. So does a sometimes a thankful public…