sharing some of my thoughts and life experiences

Some of the public displays of art created within an urban setting come as a result of the work done by graffiti artists and street artists. These two forms of artistic expression are no longer regarded as eyesores or as acts of vandalism albeit there are some exceptions. Today companies that wish to reach a younger audience use graffiti and street art inspired designs to advertise their products on buildings, communal walls, skate-parks and even taxis. These graffiti artists and street artists work on a commission basis during the day when the sun is out visible to the public at large.

When the sun goes down, the vandals come out to play. Graffiti artists and street artists that do not work on a commission basis labour through the night under bridges sometimes aided by a torch or cellphone light, all this to avoid detection from law enforcement officers, which could ultimately lead to an arrest or a hefty fine. The work produced during these late night and early morning escapades can range between paste-ups, stencils, stickers and tags.

At best most of the work that is produced by these ‘vandals’ is often guided by a need to provide commentary on sociopolitical issues such as the distribution of wealth, land-reform, race, religion and sexuality in a South African context. The ‘vandals’ work is often done to change or challenge public opinion, not to increase the sales or popularity of a particular product.