Graffiti: the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is often regarded as unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism.
For many people, the distinction between destructive and nondestructive graffiti is a nonexistent notion. Indeed, as we can see by the definition given above (courtesy of wikipedia.com) the very word "graffiti" carries with it an extremely negative connotation, often associated with criminal behavior.
This distinction between destructive and nondestructive graffiti intrigued me, leading me to venture out into Northfield with a couple of guys on the nights of Friday April 18th and Sunday April 20th. The results, as you will see, were outstanding.
Using a tripod, a Canon PowerShot SX100, and a large assortment of colored flashlights, we were able to experiment for hours on both nights, taking about one hundred pictures, and experimenting with different kinds of light graffiti. Although not all of the pictures turned out well, I was very pleased with the outcome, and around 10 or 15 or so came out great.
In terms of subject matter, the project consisted of several different kinds of light graffiti. First and foremost, was the use of light in the natural environment. For these pieces, the site specific nature of the project is extremely clear, due to how the light graffiti is influenced directly by the environment in which it is placed. Second, there were the pictures in which light manipulation was used with artists in the picture. These pictures have the interesting effect of giving the human subject the appearance of having supernatural powers, thus making the depicted person the subject of the piece. Lastly, there were pictures in which we tried to directly mimic street graffiti with light, thus alluding to the artistic nature of graffiti itself without actually "vandalizing" the public environment.
This project can be seen at the following address: http://homepage.mac.com/trujillm/PhotoAlbum5.html
Comments