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Language and Communication Centre School of Humanities Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Pioneer Road (2022): 201-205 201 Art or Vandalism: How Consent Has Changed the Medium of Graffiti Nabilah Ulfah Binte Mohamed Affandi Walking into Haji Lane was like stepping into a different side of Singapore, different from the air- conditioned shopping centres scattered around the island. The area was bustling with people on a breezy Friday evening, as the sun began to set, painting the sky a beautiful bluish-pink gradient. Laughter and conversation drifted through the air, creating a light and cheerful mood. In a place surrounded by countless food establishments and cafés, the aroma of food permeated the air, making it a futile trip if one did not come with an empty stomach. It is not a place to go if you are on a diet as you would certainly miss the whole experience of going to Haji Lane! Even with a dimmer view at night, one would certainly not miss the vibrant murals decorating the walls of Aliwal Street. The colours were popping, as if glowing in the dark, catching the eye of anyone walking past. The murals were painted on already brightly coloured walls, further causing the stretch of wall to be distinctive even from a distance away. Some designs on the wall were similar to colourful waves, and others were abstract patterns, as irregular yet dynamic as paint splotches. The bold colours of red, blue and yellow contrasted well with one another. Each “wave” was outlined in white, adding order and form to the colours. The murals along the streets of Haji Lane are so iconic that they would be instantly recognised if you show any Singaporean a picture of it. Since murals, or even graffiti, are barely seen on this island where most buildings are painted in uniformed colours, Haji Lane seemed to me an outdoor gallery. Yet, knowing Singapore’s strict laws on graffiti, I wondered why these murals, boldly painted over the walls of old shophouses and alleyways, are celebrated as art, while other drawings or paintings over public features would be considered vandalism. There is a fine line between art and vandalism. Perhaps vandalism is often seen as destroying the beauty of a place, while art is often seen as a way to beautify a place. If these murals at Haji Lane were to be replicated, to even the finest detail, on another building, would it be seen as vandalism? Why are some outdoor paintings labelled as murals and why others are labelled as graffiti? American sociologist Ronald Kramer (2010) states that graffiti is seen as a violation of law and is linked to the breaking of other laws such as theft of spray paint and trespassing into train yards in New York. CC0001
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Art or Vandalism: How Consent Has Changed the Medium of Graffiti

Apr 14, 2023

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Pioneer Road (2022): 201-205
201
Art or Vandalism: How Consent Has Changed the Medium of Graffiti
Nabilah Ulfah Binte Mohamed Affandi Walking into Haji Lane was like stepping into a different side of Singapore, different from the air- conditioned shopping centres scattered around the island. The area was bustling with people on a breezy Friday evening, as the sun began to set, painting the sky a beautiful bluish-pink gradient. Laughter and conversation drifted through the air, creating a light and cheerful mood. In a place surrounded by countless food establishments and cafés, the aroma of food permeated the air, making it a futile trip if one did not come with an empty stomach. It is not a place to go if you are on a diet as you would certainly miss the whole experience of going to Haji Lane! Even with a dimmer view at night, one would certainly not miss the vibrant murals decorating the walls of Aliwal Street. The colours were popping, as if glowing in the dark, catching the eye of anyone walking past. The murals were painted on already brightly coloured walls, further causing the stretch of wall to be distinctive even from a distance away. Some designs on the wall were similar to colourful waves, and others were abstract patterns, as irregular yet dynamic as paint splotches. The bold colours of red, blue and yellow contrasted well with one another. Each “wave” was outlined in white,
adding order and form to the colours. The murals along the streets of Haji Lane are so iconic that they would be instantly recognised if you show any Singaporean a picture of it. Since murals, or even graffiti, are barely seen on this island where most buildings are painted in uniformed colours, Haji Lane seemed to me an outdoor gallery. Yet, knowing Singapore’s strict laws on graffiti, I wondered why these murals, boldly painted over the walls of old shophouses and alleyways, are celebrated as art, while other drawings or paintings over public features would be considered vandalism. There is a fine line between art and vandalism. Perhaps vandalism is often seen as destroying the beauty of a place, while art is often seen as a way to beautify a place. If these murals at Haji Lane were to be replicated, to even the finest detail, on another building, would it be seen as vandalism? Why are some outdoor paintings labelled as murals and why others are labelled as graffiti? American sociologist Ronald Kramer (2010) states that graffiti is seen as a violation of law and is linked to the breaking of other laws such as theft of spray paint and trespassing into train yards in New York.
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202 Pioneer Road (2022): 201-205
Kramer (2010) provides an intriguing perspective by quoting Nancy Macdonald, the author of “The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York”, who claims that the illegality of graffiti is the “subculture’s backbone,” making theft a “tradition” (p.237). As graffiti became popular and prevalent in New York in the late 1970s, the illegality of graffiti was constantly being reinforced. However, as time progressed, many graffiti artists began to seek written permission from property owners to paint their walls. Since graffiti has its origins in counter-culture, which opposes the values and viewpoints of mainstream society, seeking permission is washing away the culture of illegality that graffiti once prided itself upon. Instead of doing more harm to society, graffiti is instead benefiting cities: these artists pay for their supplies, contributing to taxes while maintaining the city. Furthermore, graffiti art is becoming much more common and legalised and is even used in advertising these days, allowing artists to earn revenue from this. For instance, luxury brands like Gucci and Christian Louboutin have made use of graffiti projects as part of their advertising campaigns in Mexico City and London respectively (Ong, 2021). Kramer (2010) shows how graffiti has become progressively accepted as mainstream art. The criminal culture of graffiti from the 1970s stigmatised this form of art, causing it to be frowned upon only up till recent decades due to the increasing popularity of graffiti artists such as Keith Haring where his depictions of figures are easily recognisable. Haring also founded his own foundation to raise awareness about AIDS through community outreach, which boosted graffiti’s
reputation and the public’s perception towards it (Artnet, n.d.). According to Kramer (2010), consent changes graffiti to murals and vandalism to art. However, would the act of permission-seeking dilute graffiti’s culture of resistance? Although this progression may be for the greater good, seeking consent could cause artists to censor their art and the opinions they have about important issues, restraining their creativity and making it contradictory to the original purpose of graffiti. For instance, in Uzbekistan, Nadezhda Riksieva, a local graffiti artist would need to obtain a permit, by preparing a sketch while waiting for an inspector to arrive at the site where the mural is to be painted, which takes a long time before these graffiti artists can begin their work. Riksieva ultimately got permission after the idea was personally supported by the mayor (Makarenko, 2020). Even though graffiti artists ultimately have the power to design the public space and make certain decisions, they are now often strictly limited to the guidelines of the authorities. Are graffiti artists like Riksieva seeking a free space for their art and messages, or are they seeking for their art to be destigmatised by the public? In a TED Talk, Diego Gonzalez (2015) argues that there is a stigma attached to anything that is spray painted or airbrushed, and thus, such works are seen as vandalism. Gonzalez (2015) argues against this and claims that in places with high traffic, art can share the artist’s ideas and views of the world, as seen by Banksy’s works. Public art can also raise the energy of the community and is a tool for mass communication, inspiration and change. West German artists during the 1960s up to 1989 expressed their feelings about the Berlin Wall
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through graffiti as well as their aspirations for their future (Schapova, 2018). Gonzalez (2015) then brought up a thought-provoking perspective that slogans and advertisements around the city are defacing and vandalising our cities, instead of graffiti.
Unlike Kramer (2010), who observes how graffiti has become widely accepted today, Gonzalez (2015) insists that graffiti still wrongfully holds a “bad rep.” Yet, he also highlights that the purpose of art is a form of propagation of ideas and views, reinforcing Kramer’s (2010) points. Gonzalez (2015) offers a fresh perspective by arguing that the true culprits destroying the beauty of our city are businesses and their advertisements. However, advertisements are normalised such that no one questions them, unlike graffiti. Big brands make use of public spaces to sell aspirations, lifestyles and products, and graffiti too has the ability to express and propagate the artists’ ideas when they are given the opportunity to do so. Amidst the protests that arose after George Floyd’s death, many graffiti artists spread the message about the “Black Lives Matter” movement all around the world, even at bombed-out ruins in Syria, with prominent slogans such as “I can’t breathe” and “Say the names” to honour victims of racism (Hincks, 2020). The same message is spread by many graffiti artists in many unique ways, prompting people to ponder about the issue from various perspectives. On the contrary, advertisements that are also full or slogans and images, do not make us think, but tell us what to think.
While street art is much more established in America and Europe with artists such as Keith
Haring and Banksy, graffiti artists in Singapore have a harder time in allowing their work to be recognised as art instead of vandalism. With strict enforcement and rules in Singapore, there have been many instances where artists’ works have been clamped down, as seen in the Golden Staircase incident. A student who laid out gold foil all over the staircase of her HDB block to express honour towards her ancestors who were goldsmiths was ordered to take down her project. In another incident, Singaporean street artist Sam Lo, also known as Sticker Lady, pasted humorous stickers onto traffic lights and spray-painted witty messages on roads across the country. In the eyes of the authorities, they (Lo’s preferred pronoun) were seen as a vandal and arrested. Yet, it is interesting to note that Lo’s “credibility” as a street artist seemed to increase because of the illegal nature of their project (Chen, 2021). Lo’s work demonstrates graffiti’s culture of resistance as highlighted by Kramer (2010), even though their work was not overtly political. Was Lo a hero or a vandal? Is graffiti truly graffiti if it does not provoke or make a comment on social issues?
Kramer (2010) observes how big brands are increasingly working with graffiti artists on advertising campaigns, and though he wrote this with a positive or neutral stance, this phenomenon exemplifies Gonzalez’s (2015) criticism of advertising. Not only is advertising ruining our public spaces through billboards and posters as Gonzalez (2015) argues, but it is also encroaching the medium of graffiti. Big brands make use of graffiti's idea of rebellion. For instance, Gucci “vandalised” Balenciaga’s storefront at Paragon by spray painting “Gucci,” but it turned out to be a
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collaboration between both companies (Ong, 2021). These brands are aware of how eye-catching graffiti art can be as a form of advertising in comparison to boring, conventional billboards in public spaces. Graffiti advertisements gain even more traction when the public snaps photos of them and posts them online. By merely borrowing and mimicking the counter-culture aesthetic of graffiti, brands are far from challenging norms, yet reap profits from a culture that has been stigmatised over the years. Are graffiti artists who collaborate with big brands not worth their salt? Should these artists allow big brands to wash away the culture of resistance that graffiti once prided itself upon? It is undeniable that graffiti advertising has made the art form lose its organic quality. Therefore, even though the ability to seek consent may signal progression towards society’s perception and openness towards graffiti art in public spaces, this may be counter-intuitive to the artist’s purpose if it is their ultimate goal is to challenge the status quo.
Acknowledgements I would like to extend my thanks to my tutor, Ms. Audrey Tan, for her continuous feedback and guidance throughout the whole semester. I would not have been able to do it without her help.
References
Artnet. (n.d.). Keith Haring | Artnet. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from http://www.artnet.com/artists/ keith-haring/
Chen, H. (2021, July 8). What Happened to Singapore’s ‘Sticker Lady’? Vice. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.vice.com/en/ article/k78n7x/singapore-sticker-lady-sam-lo
Gonzalez, D. [Tedx Talks]. (2015, November 21). Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? Street Art in School & Communities | Diego Gonzalez | TEDxCountyLineRoad [Video]. YouTube. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4GpSEyJZjE&t=82 3s
Hincks, J. (2020, June 6). In Solidarity and as a Symbol of Global Injustices, a Syrian Artist Painted a Mural to George Floyd on a Bombed Idlib Building. Time. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://time.com/5849444/george-floyd- mural-idlib-syria/
Kramer, R. (2010). Painting with permission: Legal graffiti in New York City. Ethnography, 11(2), 235–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/14661381093 39122
Makarenko, N. (2020, July 22). Uzbekistan Without Graffiti: Censorship Against Street Art. Voices On Central Asia. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://voicesoncentralasia.org/uzbekistan- without-graffiti-censorship-against-street-art/
Ong, L. P. (2021, November 17). Gucci vandalises Balenciaga storefront logo in Paragon as it “hacks” iconic designs globally. Marketing- Interactive. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.marketing-interactive.com/gucci- and-balenciaga-hacks-competitors-with- unconventional-marketing-play
Ritchie, G. (2019, July 23). Luxury Brands Are Taking Over the Street Art Scene. Bloomberg. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.bloomberg.com/ news/features/2019-07-23/luxury-brands- gucci-louboutin-graffiti-ads-take-over-street- art#:~:text=Gucci%2C%20Louboutin%20and%20
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Schapova, P. (2018, August 3). The writings on the (Berlin) Wall. Firstpost. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.firstpost.com/long-reads/the -writings-on-the-berlin-wall-4884481.html
The Straits Times. (2017, March 9). It’s art, not vandalism, says student behind golden staircase. The Straits Times. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.straitstimes.com/ singapore/its-art-not-vandalism-says-student- behind-golden-staircase
Vans. (2019, November 12). Is graffiti art or vandalism? | Vans. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.vans.eu/thewall/art/is-graffiti-art- or-vandalism.html