Top: Bacteria
Bottom: Akay

Poetry must be written by all


Text: Andreas Berg
Arr: Ruskig
Translation: Ulrika Mars

Andreas Berg professor of illustration head of department GDI -Department of Graphic Design and Illustration Konstfack/University College of Arts, Crafts and Design

I am not especially interested in the music or the other expressions of Hip hop-culture, but tags interest me.

Tags are a kind of personal signatures. Often they are close to impossible to decipher but on the other hand, they don't carry meaning in an everyday sense of the word. A writer I've spoken to claims that the meaning is within the action, the writing, itself.

The first time I noticed tags was in the beginning of the nineties. At that time it was common that writers bombed their targets. (Repeating the signature as many times as possible). The primary goal for bombing was Stockholm's subway-system, both the stations and the trains. Pretty soon SL (Stockholm's Lokaltrafik) mobilized against these attacks and a symbolic "war" developed between writers and spokespeople of the public transport-authorities. The conflict escalated after SL and City Hall joined causes in war on graffiti. Fighting against graffiti seems to be one of the things that unite City Hall. If we would trust the word: graffiti is a serious threat against Stockholm's very existence. Writing must be rooted out like a plague.

It isn't hard to understand the frustration around bombing, Not from SL or the commuters, being taxpayers. Bombing made me upset as well, but at the same time there was something daring to some of the signatures. I became more and more intrigued.

I've found that there is something suspicious about liking writing. My five year-old daughter gets very concerned when I say that scribbling can be nice, and I'm pretty sure the neighbours in my building will see me as deranged if they read this. It might not be unusual in my line of work to take interest in scripture, symbols and imprints. But there is a line drawn at graffiti, it's beyond decency.

I don't want to defend writing in general. As a rule I'm against all types of vandalism, but in certain cases I find writing to be entitled. One might say that writers ought to respect that many people don't want to see their scribbling, but what choices are we given to defend ourselves against commercial messages? But isn't it unreasonable to speak of aesthetics in connection to suburban kids testing the bonds the law; people putting their own ego before others? Wreckers of justice and political savages. I say it is fair. But there is a difference between writing and writing. Amongst those who with method and purpose write (tags), naturally an aesthetic code and context will develop. To borrow an expression by Peter Weiss, an aspect, or several aspects will develop within "the aesthetics of resistance".

It is simple-minded to believe that graffiti isn't political unless the writing is a slogan. Writing is political because it breaks with convention. Graffiti is, and always was, a thumb in the eye of the system. Graffiti is temporary by definition, it's something deviant, it doesn't belong, it's unschooled, it's vulgar (of the people). Someone who ought to be quite is raising his voice. A vague notion has grown in the minds of politicians that the intensions are subversive and this frightens them. I believe that this has a bigger part in the collective hate than the cost for graffiti-removal does.

The thirteenth of August i hear our Minster-of-justice promote harder tactics in the war against graffiti on the radio news. He says graffiti is a gateway to hard crime, and that's how he motivates doubling the sentences for graffiti painting. Out of the people I studied with; one became an art-critic, one a theatre-director and yet another an art-teacher - those are the ones I've kept track on. Me, I'm a professor. My subject is illustration but at my institution we also train graphic designers. Some of the most interesting students to graduate from our institution the last few years as illustrators and designers have begun as graffiti-artists. Several belonged to the same crew in Umeå (Norrlands Guld). Resumé, a magazine published by The Swedish Advertising Association, has given attention to former graffiti artists who have started careers as art directors at advertising-firms in Stockholm. I doubt Minister Bodström would describe any of these lines of work as criminal.

I realize that many people are upset, and I agree that graffiti has to be limited. But in my opinion Stockholm is more harmed by unnecessary cleaning and renovating than it is by graffiti. I'm referring to the peachy yellow colour being used all over town, passing as "Stockholm's colour", all of the new aluminium doors replacing old ones and the general poster-prohibition businesses are issuing in town. However you feel about their means, writers are claiming the little persons right to express a public opinion. That SL and Connex (public transport) hate graffiti artists is comprehendible, but that politicians will judge harshly in such unison isn't. To me it seems yet another sign of the political establishments inability to interpret movements in society.

Few means of expression are as exposed as graffiti. Buffers take pride in cleaning as swiftly as possible. Writers are also chased by Stockholm's unusually large amount of security guards. (For good reason being called "Writers Pamplona"). Result being that graffiti artists are forced to constantly produce and recreate, and in this uninvited art I find the freest and freshest graphic expressions to be found in the fall of 2001.

Chased and with minimal means they do what they can in changing the world. With markers, spray-cans, wax crayons and shoe-cream they write their tags. Crews like Jazz, with Spion leading the way, and individual writers like Unik taking graffiti art to new heights. Known signatures like Akay and Bacteria turn the whole city into an art gallery with their posters, but they're not alone. On the Southside a poetic soul is decorating electric and mail-cabinets with particular collages in adhesive film. They all belong to the same subculture, but it's the special ones that stand out in the public space. Like the artist with the thousand posters: Renate Bauer. I'm afraid they'll all be silenced. To me, Stockholm would be a poorer city not having them.

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