Having returned freshly inspired by an amazing trip in recent history in which I alternately saw the most awesome non-tunnel place I have ever seen (at least this summer, and the competition has been demolished) and sat on a curb waiting for a AAA truck to come rescue me, I came to realize that graffiti, regardless of where you go, graffiti is very much part of the landscape. Even though you think you're exploring a completely fresh place, the chances are very high that you will see some form of human presence in the form of a highly evolved and sophisticated form of Word-Art and even Clip-Art.
If you are a "hater" and cannot stand to see public works intolerably befouled by any form of paint except that which covers the work of others (in a process otherwise known as buffing), I cordially invite you to vacate the premises. If you're not, or are even in doubt about the true nature of what lies behind graffiti, read on. In the world of graffiti art, there are people who are excellent and beyond excellent in the work that they do. However, just as with every area of artistic pursuit, there are people who are terrible, destructive, and befoul places they find with terrible and offensive trash. Unlike other areas of artistic pursuit, however, there does not seem to be a learning curve of any sort: the people who are good at what they do have always been and always will be good at it, and those who aren't will never be.
The main reason behind this is the fact that the artists who create the real masterpieces plan out their next works. Sometimes you find traces of such planning on scraps of paper carelessly left behind at the actual locations, other times you can find evidence of the planning process online. If you see enough of a certain artist's work (which you may if you keep your eyes open), you can even begin to recognize styles and methods. Strip away any bias you may have had against people defacing public property and you might find yourself appreciating that some of these artists are very good or even masterful. In any event, the hardest places to access are where these people like to go... so the chances are that the harder a place is to access, the better the quality of the work you will find.
Those who place little or no effort into the work they do are consign themselves to a different fate. I have no respect and even a little disgust for graffiti drones who plaster their so-called "tags" up in different places ranging from the mirror of public bathroom to the window of a local bus. This trash as I like to think stems from another class of people altogether: the stereotypical street thug who thinks little and works less. The more places this kind of rubbish they can plaster their territorial marking, the better, but in the long run such behavior merely serves the entire graffiti community a bad reputation for trashing things. However, this kind of art is usually the most visible and accessible... so it may be that finding good work and knowing about it is a snobbish activity. Perhaps, but snobs don't usually get dirty in pursuit of art.
Anyways, this is just my two cents on the topic of graffiti. Being an accolyte, or a relative accolyte, I am quite sure there is much more I have yet to discover or become aware of. In any case, you're bound to find graffiti wherever you explore... so meditate on that.
On that note, I'm signing off.
I promise a real story of swashbuckling adventure... soon.
Until next time!
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