La palabra graffiti tiene sus orígenes en la palabra griega γράφω (grapho = grabar, escribir), que genera un préstamo al latín con la forma grabare. Esto evolucionó en la palabra latina graffito, cuyo forma plural es graffiti. Si bien la Real Academia de la lengua Española recomienda el uso de grafito, admite también el más popular grafiti y su plural grafitos. De todas formas en el uso común del término se utiliza también graffiti con la doble f.
Se llama graffiti a cualquier forma de inscripción o pintura, generalmente sobre propiedades, públicas o privadas.
Los grafitos en la vía pública eran cosa muy corriente en el mundo de la antigüedad grecorromana. Los había en la Grecia antigua, pero sobre todo son muy conocidos los de Pompeya (la ciudad romana cubierta por la ceniza del volcán Vesubio en el 79 d.C.).
Como podemos ver, los graffitis no son algo que se haya inventado ayer. Hoy en día podemos encontrarlos en cualquier rincón, pared o mobiliario urbano. Para mi sin duda los graffitis conforman una forma de expresión de arte callejero.
En el lenguaje común, el graffiti incluye lo que también se llama pintadas: el resultado de pintar en las paredes letreros, frecuentemente de contenido político o social, con o sin el permiso del dueño del inmueble.
Y es aquí donde me gustaría poner especial cuidado. Un graffiti puede representar desde una obra de arte, pasando por una forma de expresión cultural, llegando a poder ser una pintada que transmita una expresión de comportamiento antisocial y/o de mal gusto.
No podemos comparar ambas formas aunque estén englobadas en el mismo término. Un graffiti como expresión cultural que conlleva un trabajo de realización, sería considerado, según mi punto de vista, arte urbano o callejero. Sin embargo, una pintada provocadora o insultante que simplemente transmite un mensaje político o social, sin buscar para nada la estética, estaría englobada en lo que consideramos comportamiento antisocial.
En algunos casos nos encontramos pinturas urbanas que pueden llegar a transmitir mucho más que un cuadro encerrado en un museo. Y es que al fin y al cabo es una inscripción que expresa sentimiento, formas de pensar y de ver las cosas, que pretende transmitir sensaciones gratuitas y que están al alcance de todos.
¿Qué diferencia hay entre un cuadro de una exposición y un graffiti bien trabajado? ¿Quién se encarga de decidir qué cuadros merecen ser expuestos o no en un museo? ¿Quién los bautiza como obras de arte? ¿Qué es el arte? ¿Quién lo define? ¿Quién decide qué pautas marcan lo que debemos considerar estéticamente bello o no? La belleza no está definida.
Siempre ha habido una característica que me ha fascinado del arte callejero, y es que los artistas autores de esas obras de arte las realizan totalmente de forma altruista. Por el simple hecho de transmitir, comunicar, compartir sentimientos y/o ideas, siempre sin esperar nada a cambio, si no simplemente por su propio deleite de producir arte.
Como trabajo gráfico presento las fotografías que adjunto a continuación:
La primera de ellas es un graffiti que se encuentra en la fachada de una casa en las faldas del Acrópolis de Atenas.
Es una pintura que combina los métodos de expresión artística graffiti y collage, la cual está realizada usando diferentes materiales: sprays, trozos de tela, papel, cartón, papel de aluminio y otros materiales textiles.
He elegido esta imagen porque combina graffiti y pintada. Podemos observar la belleza de las hermanas gemelas dispuestas a empezar a devorar ‘la cena’, la cual considero una expresión de arte urbano ó expresión cultural, mientras a su alrededor les abruman las pintadas sobre grupos radicales seguidores de equipos de fútbol y firmas recordatorias de adolescentes, ejemplo perfecto de comportamiento antisocial.
La siguiente fotografía es de una pintura la cual es más conocida y admirada por todos, que se encuentra en uno de los muros del Reina Sofía y delante siempre tiene mucha gente admirándola y descifrando sus innumerables mensajes.
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| El Guernica de Pablo Piccaso |
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| Evaggelismos - Iraklio |
Esta tercera foto la tomé en una Casa - Asociación Cultural en Iraklio, Creta. En esta representación encontramos una bella pintura que representa al Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha montando a Rocinante, de expedición bien lejos de su tierra materna.
En el bocadillo dice: ΑΙΣΘΗΤΙΚΗ, que significa ESTÉTICA.
Y para terminar, y a modo de reflexión, dejo esta graciosa anécdota:
Noticia de hoy en el diario Que! de Madrid: Un vecino de Madrid abandona un sillón al lado del reina Sofía y varias personas lo identifican como arte
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GRAFFITI, ¿URBAN ART OR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR?
The word graffiti has its origin in the Greek word γράφω (grapho = write), that generates a loan in Latin in the way grabare. This evolved from the Latin word graffito, whose plural is graffiti.
It's called graffiti to any form of registration or painting, usually on properties, both public or private.
The graffiti on the street were very common thing in the world of Greco-Roman antiquity. Had in ancient Greece, but mostly known in Pompeii (Roman town covered by the ash of Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD).
As we can see, the graffiti is not something that was invented yesterday. Today we can find in any corner, wall or furniture. For me constitute a form of street art expression.
In common parlance, the graffiti includes what is also called painted-draw: the result of signs painted on the walls, often political or social content, with or without the permission of the owner of the property.
And this is where we would take special care. A graffiti can represent a piece of art, through a form of cultural expression, reaching to be a paint to forward an expression of antisocial behavior and / or in bad taste.
We can not compare both forms even if they are covered by the same term. Graffiti as a cultural expression that carries a working embodiment, would be considered, in my view, urban or street art. However, provocative or insulting graffiti that simply sends a political message or social, without looking at all the aesthetics, it would fall into what we consider anti-social behavior.
In some cases we can reach urban paintings transmit much more than a locked painting in a museum. And that is because after all it is an inscription that expresses feeling, ways of thinking and seeing things, which is intended to convey feelings that are free and available to everyone.
What is the difference between a painting exhibition and a well worked graffiti? Who is responsible for deciding what pictures deserve to be exposed in a museum or not? Who baptizes them as works of art? What is art? Who defines it? Who decides what mark guidelines which must be considered aesthetically pleasing or not? Beauty is not defined.
There is a feature that I have always loved from street art: these works of art are done entirely in altruistic way by the authors. For the simple fact transmit, communicate, share feelings and / or ideas, without ever expecting anything in return, but simply for his own enjoyment of making art.
As artwork I present the photographs attached below:
The first one is a graffiti found on a wall at the Acropolis in Athens.
It is a painting that combines the methods of artistic expression graffiti and collage, which is made using different materials, sprays, cloths, paper, cardboard, aluminum and other textiles.
I chose this picture because it combines graffiti and painted. We can see the beauty of the twin sisters ready to start devouring their 'dinner', which I consider an expression of urban art or cultural expression, while all around them overwhelm the graffiti on radical groups of soccer fans and strong reminder of adolescents, a perfect example of antisocial behavior.
The next picture is a painting which is well known and admired by all, it is on a wall of Queen Sofia Museum and in the front always has a lot of people admiring and deciphering its messages.
The third picture was taken in a House - Cultural Association in Iraklio, Crete. In this representation we find a beautiful painting of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of la Mancha riding Rocinante, dispatch far from their homeland.
In the bubble says ΑΙΣΘΗΤΙΚΗ, meaning AESTHETICS.
And finally, in a way of reflection, I leave this amusing anecdote:
Today's news in a local newspaper from Madrid: A neighbor from Madrid abandoned a chair next to the Queen Sofia Museum and several people identified as art
GRAFFITI, ¿URBAN ART OR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR?
The word graffiti has its origin in the Greek word γράφω (grapho = write), that generates a loan in Latin in the way grabare. This evolved from the Latin word graffito, whose plural is graffiti.
It's called graffiti to any form of registration or painting, usually on properties, both public or private.
The graffiti on the street were very common thing in the world of Greco-Roman antiquity. Had in ancient Greece, but mostly known in Pompeii (Roman town covered by the ash of Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD).
As we can see, the graffiti is not something that was invented yesterday. Today we can find in any corner, wall or furniture. For me constitute a form of street art expression.
In common parlance, the graffiti includes what is also called painted-draw: the result of signs painted on the walls, often political or social content, with or without the permission of the owner of the property.
And this is where we would take special care. A graffiti can represent a piece of art, through a form of cultural expression, reaching to be a paint to forward an expression of antisocial behavior and / or in bad taste.
We can not compare both forms even if they are covered by the same term. Graffiti as a cultural expression that carries a working embodiment, would be considered, in my view, urban or street art. However, provocative or insulting graffiti that simply sends a political message or social, without looking at all the aesthetics, it would fall into what we consider anti-social behavior.
In some cases we can reach urban paintings transmit much more than a locked painting in a museum. And that is because after all it is an inscription that expresses feeling, ways of thinking and seeing things, which is intended to convey feelings that are free and available to everyone.
What is the difference between a painting exhibition and a well worked graffiti? Who is responsible for deciding what pictures deserve to be exposed in a museum or not? Who baptizes them as works of art? What is art? Who defines it? Who decides what mark guidelines which must be considered aesthetically pleasing or not? Beauty is not defined.
There is a feature that I have always loved from street art: these works of art are done entirely in altruistic way by the authors. For the simple fact transmit, communicate, share feelings and / or ideas, without ever expecting anything in return, but simply for his own enjoyment of making art.
As artwork I present the photographs attached below:
The first one is a graffiti found on a wall at the Acropolis in Athens.
It is a painting that combines the methods of artistic expression graffiti and collage, which is made using different materials, sprays, cloths, paper, cardboard, aluminum and other textiles.
I chose this picture because it combines graffiti and painted. We can see the beauty of the twin sisters ready to start devouring their 'dinner', which I consider an expression of urban art or cultural expression, while all around them overwhelm the graffiti on radical groups of soccer fans and strong reminder of adolescents, a perfect example of antisocial behavior.
The next picture is a painting which is well known and admired by all, it is on a wall of Queen Sofia Museum and in the front always has a lot of people admiring and deciphering its messages.
 |
| El Guernica by Pablo Piccaso |
 |
| Evaggelismos - Hrakleio |
The third picture was taken in a House - Cultural Association in Iraklio, Crete. In this representation we find a beautiful painting of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of la Mancha riding Rocinante, dispatch far from their homeland.
In the bubble says ΑΙΣΘΗΤΙΚΗ, meaning AESTHETICS.
And finally, in a way of reflection, I leave this amusing anecdote:
Today's news in a local newspaper from Madrid: A neighbor from Madrid abandoned a chair next to the Queen Sofia Museum and several people identified as art
¡Hola!!! Me encanta este post. Creo que tienes toda la razón. Tal vez te guste este artículo que escribí.
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