Good and Bad Graffiti

After reading khengsiong and SK blogs on graffiti, I have decided to tag along to show some of the graffiti I capture last weekend.



Generally in Singapore, Graffiti are not allow in public. However at some desalinated area like play park, graffiti are allowed. Most of the time, graffiti is an expression in a form of communication to others. It is common to see big bold wording of some names as a graffiti. Most of the time, I have no idea what the word means. Every now and then someone will spray over some name and design. It's kind of a graffiti war.

It is rare to see good artistic graffiti.


And when it does like the one below who expressed as a tribute to Michael Jackson, someone destroy that piece of art with rubbish! No doubt some may not like MJ nor the art but does such spraying help in anything?


For goodness sake, if you cannot do better graffiti, don't destroy others artwork! Maybe that is why Singapore banned graffiti at large as much are more nonsense than any artistic value.

Comments

khengsiong said…
Agree that we should not destroy others' works.
But maybe after a few years the wall can be painted over. Otherwise we will run out of space for graffiti.
LEon said…
Khengsiong, from where I took the picture, they just paint over each other works.
Hi, i am newbie here and i found your blog very knowledgeable and thoughtful. I am also agreed with this think that we should not destroy others works.
[SK] said…
hey, those are cool art, don't you agree?? oooh, that lips is so sexy~~ :p
LEon said…
@Bedroom furniture
You sure you are a newbie? Your website look very pro!

@SK
Some of them are cool but most of them are not. :(
Anonymous said…
Hi Leon,

The reason why it may seem like a graffiti war to you is b'coz of limited space in Singapore. This is the only "paint ground" where graffiti writers are allowed to paint freely.

Altho' Somerset skatepark used to be a free zone, i can dare say that it isnt a best place anymore to be artistically free after a 'proposal b4 paint' is being implemented. So, u can see that every graffiti subject matter, content or themes are being controlled.

Plus, the number of practitioners back then was growing but due to this, some of them either quit or moved on to something else. The good ones went ahead with their success tho' and the newer ones had to find alternatives and that place is the only one for them to hone their skills - legally.

Anw, writers knew that graffiti are temporary hence the ongoing action of painting over others.(Altho' i had to disregard some ugly ones bcoz they dont represent us). And it is being displayed in public. It will be bound to get defaced by non writers.

Lastly, just to add - writers paint their own nick names with style. It has nothing to do with gangs, profanities, etc like what society always thought of. Oh, Singapore graffiti writers are considered(by other foreign counterparts) to be the best in S.E.Asia.

Peace N Regards,
Anon
LEon said…
Hi Anon,
Thank you for your insightful reply. Mind if youdrop me mail? I would want to know more about this. Thanks!