Presentation Feedbacks (Tomomi)

I would like to write about the feedbacks for our virtual NPO which we created and presented to our classmates in class. We made an NPO called "SOV(School of graffiti)", to broaden peoples understandings towards graffiti. Brief outline of NPO is explained in Azusa's post before.

Although many people had negative image towards graffiti when we have made a survey, most people found our NPO's issue important. Through our presentation, we mentioned about other NPO groups to work together which were all from outside Japan. We wanted to include some elements of Japan but it was really difficult to find any of those informations. From the class, I have found out that such organization is very rare and people have less understandings compared with other countries in Japan. I hope that graffiti positive NPO in Japan would become reality in the future.

NPO Outline

As I mentioned in the last post, my classmate and I made a virtual NPO. In this post, I would like to share the outline of the organization.

Through our surveys, we found out that many people don't know much about graffiti, but most of them have bad image toward it. To coexist with graffiti, we thought it is effective for us to give lectures. Thus, we decided to make our NPO, "School of Graffiti".

The issue that we deal with is the fact that many people don't know much about graffiti and the goal is to reduce their misunderstandings on graffiti. To achieve the goal, we visit schools and give lectures and we also hold graffiti shows. To recruit our  members, we ask graffiti artists for volunteer and we also visit art schools and ask students to join us. We raise our funds by donations and selling our own t-shirts.

As far as we have researched there are NPOs that stands on only one side, whether it is good or bad. However, there are no group that state there are good ones and bad ones. Therefore, our group would be the first organization to stand on both sides. As we don't require membership fee, it might be easier for people of any age to join our group and by joining our group, we hope that we can tell there are both good and bad sides of graffiti.

Also, I made promotion video for our organization.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rflJhrHpfUM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This will be my last post on graffiti! Thank you very much for viewing:)

Presentation Feedbacks

This blog is for our class. The goal was to make a virtual NPO/NGO on controversial issues and our NPO was on Graffiti. In our last class, we did a presentation and we got feedbacks from our classmates, so let me share that.  

Most of the comments were positive and they said that they are interested in our NPO. They caught the purpose of our NPO, so I think we communicated what we wanted to the audience. Through the feedbacks and our research, I found out there are very few information about graffiti in Japan. We had a comment that we should give examples in Japan. While doing research, it was very hard for us to find out statistics or surveys on graffiti in Japan. Thus, it might be necessary for our NPO to research that.

Sharing the survey result (Tomomi)

I would like to share my survey result as well!
20 people answered to my survey and most were teenage girl.



Q1 Please tell us about your…

Nationality: American 1   Japanese  19

Gender:  Male 5  Female  15

Age:  17→1   18→2  19→12  20→3  49→1  55→1

Q2 How much do you know about graffiti? Please write anything you know about it.

Don't know much  3

It is painted on walls/tunnels  11

Something illegal/bad  3

Know graffiti artists  2                                                                                        (1 did not answer)

Q3 What do you think graffiti is most similar to?

 Comments for other:

・ I think it is both →3 person

・Nuisance(troublesome behavior)

Q4 Do you think graffiti should be banned?

Q5 Choose the image closest to your image of graffiti from below

Q 6 Seeing the pictures above, has your image towards graffiti changed? If so, how?

It didn't change→ 5

It did (In a positive way)→ 12

                                                                                                                     (3 did not answer)

From the survey, I have found out that many people have a negative image towards graffiti without much knowledge. My survey was answered mainly by young people, but if I asked older generations I think they will have even more negative image towards it. I understand that graffiti sometimes have bad effects and I am not saying that all graffiti are god. But I personally think some has values as an art. Through the survey I felt that it would be better if there were more understandings towards graffiti.

Sharing the survey result

I did a survey regarding to graffiti and I got answers from 23 people.

Q1. Please tell me…

・Your nationality　Japan 21　America１　China 1

・Where you currently live Tokyo 6  Kanagawa 1  Saitama 2  Japan 16  Karamay 1

・Gender Female 18  Male 5

・Age 18→3  19→15  20→2  48→1  49→1  55→1

Q2.Have you done graffiti?

Q3.What image do you have toward graffiti?

Q4.Have you ever seen graffiti near (within about 10 minutes by walk) your house?

Q5. Do you know any graffiti artists? If you do, please name them.

   No 17 Yes 5 ( Banksy 2, Keith Haring2, Jean Michel Basquiat)

Q6. Do you think graffiti has a bad influence or good influence on society? Tell my why you think that.

For the reasons of the answers, I had...

It can be both, it’s artistic, it seems dangerous, it may damage environment, it is not impressive, etc.

One person did not answer the question because…

I can't answer this question because it 1) depends on the type of graffiti and, 2) depends on the context. Some graffiti (like Banksy's) makes an important social commentary, however, other graffiti is just a gang's territory "marking" or just done to damage property and to show distain. It also depends or whether it damages private property or provides some enhancement to public property.

Q7. What painting materials do you think is for graffiti?

Q8. Have you ever seen a Graffiti- related TV program? What type of program(News, Variety, etc.) was it? When did you watch it?

No 15 Yes 7( News 3, Musical 1, Traveling 1, Radio, 1Variety Show 1)

Q9. Has your property ever been damaged by graffiti? If yes, comment how it was damaged.

No 22 Yes 1

Comment

The "mansion" that I live in now has been graffittied many times. The home owners' association have to decide to paint over it or to just leave it alone. If it's left alone there's the danger that it will attract more graffiti and lower the property value. I think we should hold a graffiti writing championship and try to attract more highly skilled graffiti artists. My opinion isn't popular.

Mansion means apartment in Japan.

Q.10 Are there any actions to stop graffiti around you? If yes, comment what kind of actions are done.

Yes 3  No19

・Wall painting by school children

・ Installing surveillance cameras and clearly posting the penalties for doing graffiti.

Through the answers of the survey I found out that although many people think graffiti are environmentally bad, they don’t know much about it. In my opinion, as one person answered in question six, they have both bad and good sides. By spreading knowledge and people to know that graffiti have both sides, I think we can reduce misunderstandings on it and we can live together.

Answering Questions ⑦

I would like to answer to question 13, 14 and 15 !!



13) Are there any rules between graffiti artists?


I have found some on the Internet, but they probably have spread through artists to artists so all of them are without evidence.

As I have explained in the earlier post, there are rules that you can only paint over other's work if you can overcome its quality. I searched a little more and there were more specific rules with in it. Even with the quality, it doesn't mean that you can paint over everything. There are several types of graffiti such as tagging, throw up and piece. Tagging is a sign of a name written in one color. Throw up is work painted quickly using two colors. Piece use more than three colors and often requires techniques. You can paint throw up over tagging, but you can't tag over throw up. Same goes for piece. You can draw them over throw up, but you can't paint throw up over piece. The original level required is different with in each style. So you had to keep that in mind when you paint over other's graffiti.

There were also some rules that you can only use the spray that you stole.

These rules are rules in Japan. Artists in America for example, think that they are the rules and make up their own. It seemed that American artists are more free in painting than Japanese. Maybe rules are something cultural.


14) Why do some places have more graffiti than other?


In some places graffiti is legalized. For example in Mexico, the police helps artists to find walls for them to paint on. Some place use graffiti to decorate the city and use it as a sightseeing. Mexico has even ordered artists to paint the whole city which surprisingly reduced the crime rate.

15) Does graffiti have copyright?


Graffiti is some times illegal and often taken as a vandalism so many people feels uncomfortable with graffiti copyrights. Although copyright rules are different in each countries, most of them don't require its lawfulness.  Every original and artistic works can have copyright. So even if it was illegal, as long as it has originality and is artistic, it can have copyrights. But I think many artist do not care much about it.


＜Bibliography＞



グラフィティ暗黙のルール【Jimule】ブログ. (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2016, from http://www.jimule.com/blog/60.htm

ETSU, J. (n.d.). グラフィティのルールに縛られる日本人ライター | graffiti art jimule. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from http://jimule.jugem.jp/?eid=151

Eisinger, D. (n.d.). Police in Mexico City are Helping Street Artists Find Walls to Paint. Retrieved July 24, 2016, from http://www.complex.com/style/2014/01/street-art-in-mexico-city-police-help-artists

Mexican Government Asked Street Artists To Paint 200 Houses To Unite Community. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2016, from http://www.boredpanda.com/crew-germen-graffiti-town-mural-palmitas-mexico/

Illegal graffiti capable of copyright protection. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2016, from http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/articles/2595

Answering Questions ⑥

I would like to answer to question 11 & 12 !!!


11) Do styles of graffiti differ within the country?


The style of graffiti is different within each artist so it is very difficult to find the cultural differences in it. They might write it in their language. For example, Japanese painting in Kanji. But I think that is all.


12) Has graffiti changed within times?


When it started, graffiti was just tagging their names by spray. But as the time passed, different styles appeared. I would like to introduce some of the styles that has developed through times.


Stencil

Stencil graffiti is painting using stencils made of cardboard, paper and other more. It began in 1960's New York. Some of the famous stencil graffiti artists are John Fekner, Belk Le Rat, and Faile. It enables graffiti artists to put up complicated pieces very quickly, and also make it possible to paint much more detailed picture than just using spray can. Stencill graffiti was made popular by the likes of stelcil artist, Banksy, and has now spread through the world. It is thought to be associated with political and social issues more than other graffiti methods.

Wild style

Wild style is one of the most complicated forms of graffiti, developed by artist such as Stay high 149 and Tracy 168 in New York. It often contains arrows, curves, spikes and many other elements, which needs techniques. They are usually painted in 3D. Its form is very complex and stylized that it is hard for untrained people to read what it says.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster is a style used to cover a large area in a small amount of time. They are usually written in straight block bold simple letters. It is often painted with roller, which makes it faster and easier for them to paint. It is said to have been created to cover others work or to block somebody from writing in the same area.

＜Bibliography＞

"Graffiti Designs & Styles: Tagging, Bombing and Painting." WebUrbanist Graffiti Designs Styles Tagging Bombing and Painting Comments. N.p., 2009. Web. 20 July 2016.

"What Is Stencil Graffiti." What Is It. Sixtine Gurrey, n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.

"What Is Stencil Graffiti." What Is It. Sixtine Gurrey, n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.