Evolution Of Graffiti Essay

Maria de los Reyes

Book Chapter Proposal

Title:
Evolution of Graffiti

Main argument:
This chapter will argue that graffiti can be invaluable as it preserves tradition, through its portrayal of the postmodern nature of reflecting on the past.

Context:
The Graffiti Tunnel in Sydney University echoes the postmodern ideals of questioning structure by challenging what is known to be art. The different views of graffiti – vandalism versus street art – reflect the instability and uncertainty of postmodernism. Furthermore, through its nature of storytelling, graffiti reflects traditions and preserves culture and the ideas and beliefs of the context it was created in.

Key Words:
Tradition, Postmodernity, Graffiti

Definitions:
Graffiti is often understood to mean “any form of unofficial, unsanctioned application of a medium onto a surface” (Lewisohn 2008). There are many terms that are associated with graffiti, including Graffiti Writing and Street Art.

Tradition is generally understood to involve the preservation of a way of life and ideas and beliefs. This chapter will review how graffiti is a very useful way of finding out about the hidden side of the past - the unofficial history of those who did not have a place in the official records.

Postmodernity is said to be “a reaction against the Modern movement” (Nicol 2009) and has shown a complete disregard for many aspects of art and design that were popularized during modernity, including: legibility, the grid, and use of a clear hierarchy. Postmodernism, as an art movement, aims to create works based on an independent style. Nothing is new in postmodern art, in a sense that something always comes from something else.

Plan:

Introduction:
• Main argument
• Graffiti holds histori...

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...ext will contribute to the exploration of the shifting paradigm of the views of graffiti.

Taylor T. n.d. Seeing the Writing on the Wall: Graffiti in History - from Pompeii to Belfast, National Centre for History Education, accessed 2 April 2014,
• Taylor propose the cultural significance of graffiti by exploring its history and context of ancient graffiti
• This will form the basis of my argument that graffiti has the ability to preserve tradition

Morley, D. 1996, ‘Postmodernism: the rough guide’, in J. Curran, D. Morley & V. Walkerdine (eds) Cultural Studies and Communication, Arnold, New York
• Morley identifies different ways of understanding postmodernism and how it challenges the modern
• This examination will contribute to the discussion of the impact of postmodernity.