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Urban Graffiti from the Perspective of Urban Design

An interactive dialogue between art and urban space

Introduction

Our ongoing innovation project in Newcastle city centre has entered the second phase of concept and strategy development. Inspired by Mr. Alan Wann’s lectures on the interactive cases of different communities, I started to pay attention to the urban graffiti in Newcastle. Through reading literature and case studies, I have gathered information on urban graffiti in many other cities and hope to use the concept of urban graffiti in my project concepts.

What is urban graffiti?

I learned that ordinary graffiti painting is only two-dimensional visual expression of points, lines and surfaces. The painting content they express is compressed into flat graphics, usually using bright color collisions to obtain strong visual impact paintings. But the world we live in is three-dimensional, and each object has its own quality and texture. Urban graffiti requires three-dimensional thinking, and the creation of breakthroughs in flat display requires consideration of the location and environment of the painting. Connecting with the city’s community creates a stronger visual impact. Contemporary urban graffiti art forms are more diverse, from traditional two-dimensional plane graffiti to the pursuit of three-dimensionality. The graffiti art in 3D space includes urban sculptures, installation art, car bodies and even containers in terms of material selection. Its content, form and layout will interact with the actual urban space functions, and play a role in guiding tourists to imagine the interaction between urban space and urban history and culture. Below I will share some of the more interesting urban graffiti.

The satirical nature of urban graffiti

【1】Source：https://www.zhihu.com/question/296179112/answer/49870835

The graffiti ‘The Thief’ is on the front of a sexual health clinic in Park Street, Bristol city centre. [1]The city council tried to remove the graffiti due to its location close to the city council, but after a public referendum it has remained. The author relates the function of the building through the content of the painting. The black and white style of the painting uses red curtains to reflect the front and back of the space giving the work a sense of space. In conjunction with the red brick buildings on the street, it gives a sense of the city’s long history. Regardless of the content, the form and interaction between the city’s architecture and the visitor through the graffiti is worth considering.

The fun and interactive nature of urban graffiti

【2】Source：https://www.damanwoo.com/

More creative styles and artistic techniques are being used in graffiti art. Graffiti artworks are more artistic and have a tendency to focus more on public communication. Art in the environment is conditioned to accommodate the viewer, who becomes an essential visual element in such works, and can also be described as a process of mobilising the viewer to think about and experience the art. Graffiti art in the perspective of postmodern thinking is no longer a monologue of the artist, but a new form of artistic expression in which the viewer participates in an interactive process. The seemingly exaggerated and grotesque shapes and scenes and fantastical stories are in fact derived from their own life experiences, reflecting social realities and hoping to draw the attention of city administrators with the aim of making society more harmonious and allowing people to experience a better life.

 

Newcastle city graffiti collage from my photo

Situation and Summary

Urban graffiti is a neglected and rarely used part of urban design, but it is the most interactive expression of local artistic and cultural identity and is closely related to the daily life of city dwellers. Precisely because graffiti is so targeted and socially satirical, it is difficult to get government permission to restrict it in urban design. But I think the interaction of urban graffiti with neighborhoods and urban amenities is interesting and engaging. It has a visual impact that is difficult to give to visitors through other forms of urban design.

Ultimately, it shows that urban graffiti is an emotional expression of great conflict and inspiration. Paintings that can be seen in the public domain every day seem to be a new form of artistic expression, but they carry the typical characteristics of the times and the rich inner reflections of ordinary people. As a special form of artistic expression, it exists in public places. Contemporary graffiti art is distributed in every corner of the urban public realm in its unique way, supporting and enriching the art form of urban communities and promoting the further development of public art.

Future thinking

In the near future, with the advent of the 5G network era and the continuous improvement and maturity of display and virtual reality technologies, more civilized and interesting urban graffiti will be presented to us in different ways. Virtual reality frees the way of urban graffiti. Display technology makes graffiti sites more open, and transparent displays can turn historic buildings into backgrounds to inspire the creators’ paintings. Urban graffiti will promote the diversification of the neighborhood together with the urban landscape and attract more young people to come. Visit and think.

Preliminary drawing of ccz project

 

 

Reference

[1] https://www.zhihu.com/question/296179112/answer/49870835

[2] https://www.damanwoo.com/

 

2 responses to “Urban Graffiti from the Perspective of Urban Design”

  1. Very interesting information in the article my views on the topic are:
    Graffiti is a form of street art that has been around for centuries. It is often seen as a form of vandalism, but it can also be used to beautify a city or to make a statement about a social issue.

    The author mentions some key points :
    Satirical nature of urban graffiti- “Humour is often found in satire. So, what do we mean when we talk about the satirical nature of urban graffiti? In a nutshell, it’s the idea that by poking fun at the everyday aspects of city life, graffiti can help to make life in the city more bearable and even enjoyable.
    Interactive nature of urban graffiti-Another great thing about urban graffiti is that it often encourages interaction between strangers. For example, you might see a piece of graffiti that makes you laugh and then start a conversation with the person next to you about it. Or you might see a piece of graffiti that you don’t like and use it as an opportunity to engage in a critical discussion about the state of the city. Either way, urban graffiti can help to break down some of the barriers that can make city life feel so impersonal.

    Future thinking- Finally, it’s worth noting that urban graffiti is often about more than just the here and now. Many graffiti artists use their work to comment on social and political issues, to raise awareness about important issues, or to imagine a better future. So, the next time you see a piece of urban graffiti, take a moment to think about what it might be saying about the world around us.” There are a lot of things that the author mentioned in the article which i believe should be highlighted or explained further

    My conclusion on the post is: Urban street art is a powerful tool in reflecting the experience of the urban, provoking an engagement of urbanites with their environment, and in re-socialising public spaces. Encounters with urban street art within the everyday create social interstices, opening up ways of seeing and feeling the world
    differently; allowing for a creative feedback loop between artist, individual spectator and society. Through the lens of environmentally engaged urban street art, this working paper explores how this artistic and social movement reconnects the natural and social worlds within an increasingly urban existence. By
    disconnecting from the world around us, we have forgotten the natural and social entanglements that make up the fabric of the urban context, and in doing so we continue to create irreparable damages to the environment.
    https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/development/sites/bartlett/files/migrated-files/WP_182_Claire_Malaika_T_June_0.pdf
    https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/07/urban-graffiti-force-good-evil
    https://interartive.org/2017/01/street-art-urban-spaces
    https://interiorarchitects.com/urban-design-street-art/

    Reply

  2. This is probably one of the most interesting topics for a post that I have seen here.
    In your post, you are considering small Banksy graffiti, which are certainly interesting, but it seems to me that the murals should be mentioned separately as they are different from graffiti. They are responsible for the smooth flow of street art from protest, illegality, social and political statements into an instrument in the processes of gentrification and urban environment change. Indeed, street art became a part of culture in many countries of Europe and America for a long time. It is important to recognise the contribution that artists make to the growth of communities. In addition to bringing new socio-cultural meanings to a community, street art may also foster new economic relationships and elevate the status of “local heirs of art,” or people who live next to the works of art. For instance, in Brazil, artists frequently collaborate with residents of the favelas, most frequently youths. Numerous graffiti and urban art mural festivals, like the Meeting of Favela (MOF) festival in Rio de Janeiro, are hosted in underprivileged areas and draw thousands of artists. One of the goals of these gatherings is to draw attention to the significance of local community participation in determining how their city will function and appear.
    In my opinion, it is very important that street art retains a certain identity and depends as little as possible on the government and large companies, since it can easily degrade from the voice of the people into part of an agitation campaign or advertising and remain nothing more than a facade decoration.
    Finally, I am delighted to hear that you intend to incorporate this art form into your projects (I am no exception). Furthermore, I encourage everyone, both ordinary people and my colleagues, to pay attention to the role of street art in the urban environment, as it is a type of art with great potential and will be relevant for a long time.

    References:

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/meeting-of-favela-rio_b_58756690e4b065be69099021

    https://urbact.eu/good-practices/street-art-murals-urban-renewal

    https://cooltourspain.com/urban-art-street/

    Reply

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  1. Very interesting information in the article my views on the topic are:
    Graffiti is a form of street art that has been around for centuries. It is often seen as a form of vandalism, but it can also be used to beautify a city or to make a statement about a social issue.

    The author mentions some key points :
    Satirical nature of urban graffiti- “Humour is often found in satire. So, what do we mean when we talk about the satirical nature of urban graffiti? In a nutshell, it’s the idea that by poking fun at the everyday aspects of city life, graffiti can help to make life in the city more bearable and even enjoyable.
    Interactive nature of urban graffiti-Another great thing about urban graffiti is that it often encourages interaction between strangers. For example, you might see a piece of graffiti that makes you laugh and then start a conversation with the person next to you about it. Or you might see a piece of graffiti that you don’t like and use it as an opportunity to engage in a critical discussion about the state of the city. Either way, urban graffiti can help to break down some of the barriers that can make city life feel so impersonal.

    Future thinking- Finally, it’s worth noting that urban graffiti is often about more than just the here and now. Many graffiti artists use their work to comment on social and political issues, to raise awareness about important issues, or to imagine a better future. So, the next time you see a piece of urban graffiti, take a moment to think about what it might be saying about the world around us.” There are a lot of things that the author mentioned in the article which i believe should be highlighted or explained further

    My conclusion on the post is: Urban street art is a powerful tool in reflecting the experience of the urban, provoking an engagement of urbanites with their environment, and in re-socialising public spaces. Encounters with urban street art within the everyday create social interstices, opening up ways of seeing and feeling the world
    differently; allowing for a creative feedback loop between artist, individual spectator and society. Through the lens of environmentally engaged urban street art, this working paper explores how this artistic and social movement reconnects the natural and social worlds within an increasingly urban existence. By
    disconnecting from the world around us, we have forgotten the natural and social entanglements that make up the fabric of the urban context, and in doing so we continue to create irreparable damages to the environment.
    https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/development/sites/bartlett/files/migrated-files/WP_182_Claire_Malaika_T_June_0.pdf
    https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/07/urban-graffiti-force-good-evil
    https://interartive.org/2017/01/street-art-urban-spaces
    https://interiorarchitects.com/urban-design-street-art/

    Reply

  2. This is probably one of the most interesting topics for a post that I have seen here.
    In your post, you are considering small Banksy graffiti, which are certainly interesting, but it seems to me that the murals should be mentioned separately as they are different from graffiti. They are responsible for the smooth flow of street art from protest, illegality, social and political statements into an instrument in the processes of gentrification and urban environment change. Indeed, street art became a part of culture in many countries of Europe and America for a long time. It is important to recognise the contribution that artists make to the growth of communities. In addition to bringing new socio-cultural meanings to a community, street art may also foster new economic relationships and elevate the status of “local heirs of art,” or people who live next to the works of art. For instance, in Brazil, artists frequently collaborate with residents of the favelas, most frequently youths. Numerous graffiti and urban art mural festivals, like the Meeting of Favela (MOF) festival in Rio de Janeiro, are hosted in underprivileged areas and draw thousands of artists. One of the goals of these gatherings is to draw attention to the significance of local community participation in determining how their city will function and appear.
    In my opinion, it is very important that street art retains a certain identity and depends as little as possible on the government and large companies, since it can easily degrade from the voice of the people into part of an agitation campaign or advertising and remain nothing more than a facade decoration.
    Finally, I am delighted to hear that you intend to incorporate this art form into your projects (I am no exception). Furthermore, I encourage everyone, both ordinary people and my colleagues, to pay attention to the role of street art in the urban environment, as it is a type of art with great potential and will be relevant for a long time.

    References:

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/meeting-of-favela-rio_b_58756690e4b065be69099021

    https://urbact.eu/good-practices/street-art-murals-urban-renewal

    https://cooltourspain.com/urban-art-street/

    Reply
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    • School of Architecture
    Planning and Landscape
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Tyne and Wear, NE1 7RU

    Telephone: 0191 208 6509

    Email: nicola.rutherford@ncl.ac.uk