While graffiti may not be the classiest or most sought-after form of artwork, it is arguably the most accessible. In urban areas, it’s common to pass a bridge or an alleyway that seems to have become a hot spot for budding taggers. For readers who are unfamiliar with vandal vernacular, tagging, simply put, is marking places you’ve been with an individual signature. This shows other people that you have crossed paths, even if you never met face to face. Tagging is the simplest form of graffiti as it prioritizes legibility and typically stays the same for a particular artist. The bubble and block letters can be difficult for passersby to decipher, but usually upon closer look you’ll be able to read what it says.
Now you may be saying, “But Mave, isn’t that vandalism? Isn’t that illegal?” and the answer to that is, “Kinda.” Graffiti started as an act of defiance, as a way of standing up to lawmakers and monopolizers by giving a voice to the otherwise voiceless. However, in recent years, the view on street artists has changed. We’ve created a community out of this desire to decorate the world around us, and people who initially hide their faces from security cameras are being contracted to create murals for swanky new buildings.
Not only that, but public places, such as the hallway in Central Square, are becoming places memorialized for their ever-present fumes. There’s a police station a block down, yet people are painting there at any hour of any given day. Other places like the Alewife Garages are primarily only visited by young delinquents (speaking as someone who has definitely never ever been!!), and yet Transit Police don’t seem to mind as long as what you’re doing is respectful. If one were to simply Google the word “graffiti,” you’d see that it is considered an art movement, which could explain why catching taggers is ranked lower on the police’s to-do list.
People certainly have strong opinions about this artistic vandalism, though most skew positive. Mr. Tran, a chemistry teacher at CRLS, told the Register Forum that he enjoys seeing graffiti while out and about; “There are worse crimes a person can commit. You walk around and see graffiti and you’re like ‘Oh. That’s cool.’” When asked his opinion on street art, he simply replied, “I think graffiti’s dope.”
After admiring people’s throw-ups in different areas you frequent, you start to develop a relationship with a person you’ve never met. Some popular tags to look out for when out and about would be “Chris Loves Flower” (normally around alewife), “KYS” (which doesn’t stand for kill yourself, but is often found around Boston and Dorchester), and “CIGA.” If you spot any of these tags, I’d recommend snapping a picture before the city covers them up. In doing so, you will help preserve and recognize this wonderful art form.
