National Art Education Association

Adolescents and Graffiti

Author(s): Koon-Hwee Kan
Source: Art Education, Vol. 54, No. 1, Focus on Secondary (Jan., 2001), pp. 18-23
Published by: National Art Education Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193889
Accessed: 18-03-2016 16:09 UTC
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ftc oWece 0 ts

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hat is gdlffti, and why are many adolescents attracted by it?

Art teachers recognize that there are great variations of visual art

forms nowadays. As conceptions of art change, so will the ideas

about art education. Wilson (1997) has proposed an expanded

concept of "child art" to include activities that are common to the youth of today.
This view could encourage teachers to broaden their curriculums and incorporate new art forms that are more engaging to young people.

This article uses teenage psychology to interpret adolescents' involvement in

both private and public graffiti. Graffiti art will be examined in different contexts
with its educational implications considered for the secondary school art

curriculum and instruction.

ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2001

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Private Graffiti

For many adolescents, parents'

Doodling

Doodling is a form of private graffiti. These scrawls and

caring questionings are regarded as

scribbles are created when attention is supposed to be

tight supervision. Nor is the school

focused elsewhere, so their completeness and aesthetic

quality are seldom recognized. Adolescents' doodling

community perceived as supportive

may seem totally formless and meaningless, but it fits

perfectly into certain aspects of adolescents' psychology.

and accommodating of their unique

Living in multiple realities, including the "daydream

growing-up experience.

reality," is common among adolescents. My personal

experience of interviewing and observing adolescents has

alerted me that even when they seem to be very engaged

is common in school toilets and poses a major vandalism

in an activity or a conversation, their thoughts can change

problem.

dimension and direction at any time without warning.

Creation of latrinalia satisfies the emotional needs of

This scattered attention continues to puzzle and worry

adolescents in an unusual manner. Adolescence is a stage

many parents and teachers. However, adolescents'

of life in which the individuals seek autonomy. When

accomplished "divided attention" and "selective attention"

trying to secure a sense of personal space and time, the

can easily allow them to concentrate on different things

presence of others, especially adults, is often deemed

simultaneously, switching focus instantly to activities that

threatening. At home, parents may regularly notice the

interest them while allowing others to fade into the backstrange behaviors of their adolescents, either behind

ground (Higgins & Turnure, 1984).

frequently locked bedroom doors or during unusually

Thus, the elongated concentration span of adolescence

extended times inside the bathrooms. Yet, many such

that guides curriculum planning has certain limitations.

episodes end almost immediately with the flushing of the

As academic achievement is not valued by many teenagers

toilet and a speedy reappearance of their teenagers with-

today (Meyer, 1994), schooling becomes a boring, frusout clues to what had happened just before. For many

trating, stressful, or anxious experience for them. In such

adolescents, parents' caring questionings are regarded as

cases, their natural tendency to drift in and out of multiple

tight supervision. Nor is the school community perceived

realities increases. From this perspective, adolescent

as supportive and accommodating of their unique grow-

doodling is a form of escape. It can be interpreted as an

ing-up experience. Thus, latrinalia in schools may be a

unconscious rejection of the kind of learning that is not

form of silence and mindless protest for them against the

helping them to construct personal meanings and

large educational system that alienates their primary

effectively integrate their inner needs to promote growth.

needs. There is evidence that school vandalism decreases

"Latrinalia"

or is absent in schools that manage a successful

community of learning (Flaherty, 1987).

Another type of private graffiti is "latrinalia," the kind of

graffiti found near toilets (Abel & Buckeley, 1970). In

Public Grati
most civilizations throughout history, its creators were

In contrast to private graffiti, public graffiti always

usually suppressed individuals in the society, for example,

slaves working in monumental construction or prisoners

makes its debut known. The main distinction between the

inside jail cells. In contemporary times, such creation is

two types of graffiti is that the latter is often created with

not the sole responsibility of adolescence; people of all

an intended audience and special motives, while the

ages ai-e equally likely to perform such acts. Yet, latrinalia

former is created more unconsciously. Different forms of

BY KOON-HWEE KAN

JANUARY 2001

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ART EDUCATION

public graffiti, like gang graffiti, "tags," and "pieces,"

tow IDid Graffiti 6econe Art?

provide different means to satisfy the psychology and

The 1980s were the Golden Age of graffiti art with the

emotional needs of their creators, who are not exclusively

emergence of "wild style," an intertwined and decorative

adolescents.

lettering that mixes icons and images from popular cul-

Gang Graffiti

ture to form a complex composition (Fineberg, 1995). A

Gang graffiti appeared in the United States in the

big avant-garde art show at Times Square in 1980 featured

1950s. It is the most unacceptable form of public graffiti

many graffiti artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat,

because of the notorious reputation of gangs. 'These are

Futura 2000, Lee Quinones, and Keith Haring. Most

primitive scrawls focusing on the gang names or symbols

of them seemed to become famous overnight. At that

adopted to mark territory and war zones" (Gomez, 1993,

time, high art was being criticized as too institutionalized

p. 644). They are often simple alphabets written backand intellectual. A huge discrepancy existed between art

wards, numbers marked in sets, or letters intentionally

in museums and the experience of common people.

crossed out to send coded messages among gang memWitnessing the gradual decline of Minimalism in the pre-

bers or warn away intruders. Usually, these activities are

vious decade, art critic Rene Richard highlighted graffiti

carried out by junior members within the gang hierarchy

art in Art Forum, a distinguished high art magazine. Art

or by newly recruited young members to prove their

dealers sought "new blood" to stimulate the art market.

worth and courage by entering the territory of another

Graffiti thus became an art commodity worth investing in.

gang and leaving an insulting mark.

Graffiti art was also indebted to the Hip-Hop culture

Tags

popular at that time, which included rap music, disc jock-

'Tags are simple, stark lettering like signatures...

that Taggers have adopted for different personal reasons"

(Gomez, 1993, p. 645). The invention of magic markers

and improvement of spray paint in the late 1960s made

tagging possible and popular in the United States, as these

two mediums can easily and quickly mark on any surface.

ies and break dancing (Hager, 1985). This subculture

gained attention in the New Yorker magazine, films, and

movies. American popular culture made heroes of graffiti

artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, portraying in the movie

"Break-in" the young talent who died prematurely at age

29. Another young rising star was Keith Haring, who soon

became the most widely renown graffiti artist.

Pieces

By the 1990s, Hip-Hop culture had lost its initial

Deriving from the word "masterpiece," these are large,

vibrancy, but had become known worldwide and accepted

elaborate works with refined details often found on the

as part of mainstream U. S. culture. Graffiti art became

exterior of subway trains and buildings. "Style" of pieces is

commercialized at about this time, appearing in the

important since they distinguish how different creators,

advertisements of Nike and Sprite, while other marketing

known as "artists" or "writers" (Gomez, 1993), express

strategies targeted at youth culture continued to reinforce

their imaginations. Pieces can be a form of political protest

the notion of graffiti as an artistic form of expression to the

or social statement as in the example of works found on

younger generations.

the former Berlin Wall (Walderburg, 1990). Many cre-

Most graffiti creators in the United States today are

ators of "pieces" consider their work as public art, an

estimated to be between the ages of 12 to 30, with the

improvement to their surrounding environment and com-

majority younger than 18 years old. Half are from white

munity (Geer & Rowe, 1995). Some families of victims of

middle- and upper-middle-class families (Walsh, 1996).

crime and violence in New York have commissioned graf-

My research findings, generated from 50 survey forms

fiti artists to paint murals in memory of the deceased

given to anonymous adolescents in a small midwestern

(Cooper & Sciorra, 1994). In the 1970s, a Union of Graffiti

community have convinced me of the validity of these

Artists (UGA) was formed that organized exhibitions and

figures. Most respondents regarded graffiti as a means of

sales.

expression and honestly admitted their involvement in

some form of graffiti, especially when they felt bored or

stressed out in school. Only one student used graffiti

seriously as a coping mechanism: '"Yes, only once, I drew

a figure balled up holding the word 'why' in her hands on a

school desk. My neighbor had just committed suicide, I

ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2001

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In addition, when the

naturally favored by youth. It directly

was torn apart... neurotic almost, I

borrows popular icons from the satu-

created it absentmindedly and during

culture and mass media

rated mass media to which teenagers

French class."

send out messages that

are continually exposed and also

Should a child-centered art

incorporates common slang as text

curriculum that emphasizes

value youth heroism,

(Chalfant & Prigoff, 1987). For many

personalized learning of

adolescents who despise following

graffiti can easily spark
students by actively engaging

social norms and cultural conven-

their environment and

the risk-taking tendency

tions, graffiti represents the means to

community, exclude lessons

rebel against the established taste of

among some male

on graffiti?
society (Ferrell, 1995). Museum

My interviews with some adoles-

exhibitions that they visit on school

adolescents. They

cents interested in graffiti and former

"writers" have given me insights. A

field trips may represent traditional

would "bravely" cross

adult tastes but not "their cup of Coke

white female interviewee felt person-

[tea]". Seeking an alternative form of

the fatal third rail that

ally connected to the graffiti-art style

expression is equivalent to the non-

and deliberately copied and learned

normative ways of communication,

carries high voltages of

its forms for her own artistic creation.

Another interviewee demonstrated a

like using coded language amongst

electricity while tagging

their own peer group. Moreover, for

convincing expertise in "graffiti

many living in certain parts of the city,

and creating their

appreciation" when we looked

the naturalistic settings where graffiti

through pictures of graffiti together.

appears is right in their surrounding.

"masterpieces" in the

The scribbling found around a com-

plete "piece" can "... teach you

Thus, graffiti is the most familiar form

dark tunnels.

of their "visual culture" of everyday

insight into the attitude of the artist

living and a must in their art

too. If he writes something funny,

curriculum.

then you know that the guy has a light mood or some-

What if a disciplined-based art curriculum

thing. Or if he like writes something really political, then it

introduced the aesthetic and history of graffiti

is like he really feels like an artist... [It is] information,...

or the artist Keith Haring without inquiry into

like what year it is made and who they are affiliated with."

the social and cultural context of its creation?

A third interviewee recalled how his own "angular" and

"You're standing there in the station, everything is gray

"typographic" graffiti-art style had evolved from his initial

and gloomy and all of a sudden one of those graffiti trains

involvement in gang graffiti when he was young. As the

slides in and brightens the place like a big bouquet from

only minority person growing up in that underprivileged

Latin America," famous artist Claes Oldenburg lauds the

environment, he was eager to gain acceptance into anoth-

beauty of graffiti (Horworth, 1989). Many young graffiti

er ethnic group and wanted desperately to join their gang.

artists have captured the attention of the mass media with

His "graffiti-artistic development" began when "... it was

their "unique artistic courage." For example, young TAKI

like sort of copying all those things that I have seen, do

183 was featured in The New York Times, on July 21, 1971,
stuff like big S, C, (representing Spanish Cobra, his gang's

name). Like in black and white, very style like, like some

of the older kids would do... so, that's all I had. No maga-

zine, no anything at that time, very little to go on, as far as

like learning style or something. Just copying." Despite

his humble beginning, with self-improvised equipment,

"... using empty paper towel tubes or toilet paper tubes...

[that] we use to control the flow of the spray paint."

Gradually, his graffiti connoisseurship improved.

Graffiti art provides novelty in both language and visual

representation with an unique and holistic aesthetic

after tagging on almost every line of the New York

subway.' Keith Haring's graffiti art is widely recognized

too. His work appears in all forms of commercial arts and

museum souvenirs, in many contemporary art history

textbooks, in exhibits all over the United States, and even

in a number of children's art books.

It is indeed easy to compare the characteristics of

graffiti to other art forms and highlight its aesthetics or to

simply introduce the graffiti artists' work and learn their

graffiti-like art styles. However, will this represent graffiti

JANUARY 2001 / ART EDUCATION

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art adequately in an art curriculum? What about the vul-

garity and often explicit hostility in some of the contents

This rebellious attitude against the whole society is one

that many adolescents exhibit, often manifested in their

that may include biased, racist, and sexist statements and

defiance against parental authority and revolt against

images?

codes and order. Adolescents may seek autonomy primar-

The undesirable fact is graffiti has become an expen-

sive social problem in many cities in the world. U.S. cities

spent an estimated four billion dollars cleaning graffiti in

1994 (Walsh, 1996). Cleaning graffiti in schools is also a

struggle for many teachers, principals, and school staff.

School vandalism is an increasing problem in many

western countries; it depletes educational reform budgets

and delays upgrading plans (Zwier & Vaughan, 1984). As

ily in this way, establishing their own identity by breaking

away from their earlier dependent and compliant role.

However, the undesirable truth is that anti-social behavior

is often contagious within youth peer groups. Indeed,

adolescents seeking group belonging and acceptance

may be subjected to great peer pressure for conformity,

even though individual relationships in the groups may

not actually be satisfactory (Pabon et al., 1992).

In addition, when the culture and mass media send out

a result, there has been strong advocacy in recent years

for stricter state legislation against such juvenile delin-

messages that value youth heroism, graffiti can easily

spark the risk-taking tendency amongst some male

quency on school property. There are 12 states with

adolescents. They would "bravely" cross the fatal third rail

legislation addressing vandalism and damage to school

that carries high voltages of electricity while tagging and

property" (Menacker & Mertz, 1994, p. 6). These include

creating their "masterpieces" in the dark tunnels. A great

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana,

sense of achievement is derived reaching areas that are

Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico,

deemed impossible for normal accessibility. Climbing

Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

high on bridges and hanging in dangerous positions to

My survey indicates that most young adolescents

leave their marks proves courage more than words

(12-13 years old) cannot differentiate between graffiti art

(Anonymous, 1998). Adolescents' high risk-taking

and vandalism. For them, it is confusing when the art

tendency contradicts their improved cognitive abilities.

world and society send them contradictory messages;

The ability to think about possibilities, to employ abstract

while one highly honors the achievement of individual

concepts, and to engage in meta-cognition, or thinking

graffiti artists, the other prohibits the work of unknown

about their own thinking (Keating, 1990), is supposed to

artists and even severely prosecutes those who are

make adolescents better decision-makers since they can

arrested.

reflect critically, hypothesize before making judgements,

Can school art curriculum relate to social

rationalize their choices and preferences, and consider

critical theory's call of reconsidering

their options. Yet, even a tragic accident2 in 1973 that

sub-cultural phenomenon like graffiti, but

nearly killed a young writer could not deter the die-hard

without resolving the issue of vandalism, a

youngsters.

social problem and a crime with punishment?

For some adolescents who find the desire to engage in

The dilemma of adolescence psychological and emo-

tional needs versus the creation of graffiti did not reach

activities unacceptable to adults, public graffiti becomes

the consciousness of the U. S. public until 1994. Michael

enormously attractive when society pronounces it illegal.

Fay, an American teenager, was caned in The Republic of

I ART EDUCATION / JANUARY 2001

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Singapore after his conviction on criminal mischief

charges for spray-painting graffiti on 18 cars.

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body. For example, most art teachers recognize that

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FOOTNOTES

1 The same article also reported the annual expenditure that the
Special thanks to Christine Thompson, Julia Kellman, and

Mass Rapid Transportation of New York was spending to clean

Reed Larson for insightful comments on this manuscript.

graffiti, an alarming figure that was revealed to the public for the

I am indebted to Irena Kola, Aida Orgocka, and Silvana

Dushku for reading numerous revisions of this article.

first time.

2That particular teenager was hiding under a stationed subway

train while avoiding another passing train; his faulty spray paint

caught fire and nearly burned him to death.

Koon-Hwee Kan is a doctorate student in the Art

Education Department at University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign. E-mail: kkan@uiuc.edu

JANUARY 2001 / ART EDUCATION

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