Hill Street Viewpoint Graffiti

Category: Contemporary Public Art

Graffiti Mural, Hill Street.

Graffiti is a controversial artform which has only been a deliberate feature of modern urban society for the last thirty years or so. Before this, the word was used in a negative manner to describe vandalism, where names or insults were written on walls by anyone and everyone. Nowadays, the word refers mostly to the incredibly large and colourful designs painted on walls and other surfaces using spraycans.

Most graffiti paintings are illegally made, and the artist can be prosecuted if they are caught. Many people dislike these paintings, as they are seen as threatening. But other people think the paintings are a powerful expression of a young and creative culture who are unable to find a way to express themselves through conventional means. Graffiti as we know it now is common the world over, but it made a strong appearance in the New York Subway system during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Trains, tunnels and station walls were the main areas used by early graffiti artists, where they painted stylised names and images, or tags.

These artists did not think of themselves as vandals, but were proud of their works and were careful in planning and executing very sophisticated paintings, sometimes in the dark or in dangerous places. The paintings are often associated with rap and hip hop music, and can be seen as visual expressions of the the tough realities illustrated in these musical forms.

This example overlooked Charing Cross, and gained the approval of Garnethill Community Council but was later removed in 1998. Before the painting was made, the area was rather dark and bare, with overgrown bushes. It was an uneasy place for people to walk through. Now, the area is brighter, and more vibrant. The painting is sometimes representational, showing faces and other recognisable shapes, while in other areas the shapes are abstract or distorted. Most graffiti in Glasgow can be seen around railway lines or in secluded parts of buildings where the taggers will not be disturbed.

This one can be seen from quite a distance in this bustling part of the city centre. It is completely different from the racist, sexist or football-related graffiti seen in public toilets or bus shelters. It is an exciting new artform which dramatically changes the local environment and is not intended to offend anybody. The word graffiti comes from the Latin graphium, a stylus or scratching tool, which led to the Italian sgraffito, to scratch into a wall.

The sgraffitto technique was used to decorate the exterior of buildings, where two different colours of plaster were applied over each other and the design scratched through to give a three dimensional effect in two colours.