Robin Crotty explores the world of street art and graffiti, from the artists who create them to the messages they represent.
The art of graffiti is often perceived as shallow vandalism. When we look deeper it is so much more. The deep human desire to leave a mark stating, ‘I was here!’ is found from early cave art to Ancient Roman ruins. From more modern graffiti originating in the US, to sectarian murals in Northern Ireland, these everyday scrawls are also highly skilled works of art that are only becoming more prominent in the modern world. With its presence ever-growing in the mainstream, the artform’s continued position within counterculture is ever present.
Much of graffiti art can actually be contributed to specific artists. An artist known as ‘Cornbread’ is widely credited with being the godfather of modern graffiti in 1967. While graffitiing gang names or symbols was the norm, Darryl ‘Cornbread’ McRay instead left his nickname on walls. A design which was solitary and stylised. It was a style that came to be known as ‘tagging’.
Tagging was already spreading in the hip-hop and punk subcultures. In 1969 artists like TAKI gained notoriety as he marked his tag all across the city. Another style that became popular was ‘wildstyle’. It was more elaborate multicoloured graphic images, often covering larger species and used the ‘throw up’ technique, something between a tag and a full piece. This style is common in present-day Dublin; take the artist Cisto, whose throw-ups can be spotted in almost every part of the city.
Graffiti can go beyond mere creative expression. It has often been connected to political messaging such as the student protests of Columbia and the Sorbonne in 1968. They were among the first to use the visual messaging of graffiti to publicise their concerns. In Northern Ireland, graffiti was used to mark territory between Catholics and Protestants as areas like Shankill Road were decorated with elaborate sectarian murals.
When it comes to political art, “You Are Now Entering Free Derry,” painted in the Bogside area by teenager Liam Hillen in 1969 can be seen as one of the most prominent. While political murals remain prolific in Northern Ireland, a ‘third culture’ is emerging. While political graffiti has remained a central part of Northern Ireland, many of the recent artworks have been focused on the idea of collaboration and community.
The republic has its own political and contemporary artworks. During the Repeal campaign, Acheshe, one of the most prominent Irish graffiti artists, created a mural of Savita Halappanavar, with the word ‘YES’ included, creating a powerful visual statement at the Bernard Shaw pub. Alongside Aches, many will recognise Dublin street art collective Subset for their ‘Horseboy’ mural in Smithfield, and David Attenborough mural in Portobello.
Both pieces sparked legal controversy and were saved by a swelling of public support, though many of Subset’s other pieces have been removed. In September of this year, Dublin City Council ironically removed one of the city's most well-known murals, 'Do Not Remove’ by Asbestos and Neto Vettorello on the Ormond Quay, replacing it with a temporary NFL artwork, a move met by widespread dismay. This reaction was a clear sign of the popularity and attachment towards the artwork as it highlighted and ultimately met the desire to feel reflected by the city's facades.
With other pieces by artists like Banksy, Basquiat and Keith Haring also in the cultural consciousness, there has been gradual increased acceptance of street art into mainstream culture. This raises interesting questions regarding the place of street art in society. It is unclear if the historically rooted counterculture and anti-establishment identity of graffiti can be maintained as the form becomes widely commercialised. Many would see a core part of graffiti art as being just another form of social transgression and illegality. However, it can also exist outside of this notion as it is so much more when looked through different perspectives.
Today, graffiti remains countercultural, challenging the notion of who owns our cities, who decides what they look like and what they represent. With only seven legal graffiti walls, or ‘free walls’ in Ireland, limited funding of street art projects, and an endless amount to say and create, the Irish graffiti scene continues to develop through protest, artistry and the support of all who walk by and notice.