Benchmark Project

     I have committed myself to Graffiti art

and trying to break the barriers of it's

vandalistic, defacing reputation. I

understand to most people graffiti art is a

criminal act and has no connection to art

or at least fine art, but I beg to differ. Art

wouldn't be here without graffiti. The first

written graffiti pieces weren't done on

Subway trains in New York City around

the late 1970's they were done in caves by

the most rawest artist ever, good old

Neanderthal. While cave paintings are

historical artifacts of the past, they

display the same concepts of graffiti,

because graffiti artists put up these

pieces to represent who they are, what

they can do and how they can do it.

Graffiti is a very expressive form of art,

it's a true art form that challenges the

limits of all art by painting what you want,

where you want and how ever way you

want to. I love graffiti for the pure fact that

it's different, because I don't believe in

what is considered fine art to amateur,

because what you can see the streets is

far from amateur and I bet many fine

artists who have tried spray painting have

all had issues mastering the infamous

can control that you must learn before

even writing your name.

     The tools I'm using from the fall

semester are just basic tools for research

and networking use. Right now, I'm just

trying to learn and understand the art

culture of graffiti. I just want to focus

primarily on the whole meaning and

fabric of graffiti. What makes the artist

tick? Why do they risk their life and

freedom for just a quick moment of

fame? Why do these artists put their heart

into an art form that only displays their

art for a short amount of time before it

reaches the infamous buff or getting

covered up. I've researched a group of

artists starting from the world famous

Seventh Letter Crew devised by the

collaboration of two graffiti crews known

as AWR (Angels Will Rise) and MSK (Mad

Society Kings). These two crews started a

movement by showing their art to the

world after countless runs with the law,

all these artists are now respected and

known for who they are and what they

can do. Which is honestly the whole point

of graffiti, getting recognition for your art. 

     What I will need to do to make sure

June brings a sense of triumph for me

would have to be to continue on my

research and to hopefully have my plans

and ideas either in the making or just

completed. I have a lot of plans and ideas

to show my art and bring the raw nature

of graffiti to life. I have already started

with my new art series called "Graffiti

Isn't Black & White", which in my drawings

depict images of graffiti art and graffiti

artists running in the streets and showing

what the underground lifestyle of graffiti

is like and how graffiti adds life and

culture to it's public canvas by displaying

everything in black and white. But the

graffiti art which is in vibrant open colors.

But I have one plan up my sleeve and that

is to leave this school with my artistic

mark on it. I want to take part in a mural

project on the school because I'm tired of

looking at the plain boring walls that

make Righetti High School. We need

some spirit, some fun, some creativity to

this school. Our colors are purple and

gold yet I hardly see purple and gold any

where? I want to get more information

and talk to the principal of Righetti to

hopefully see if they would be interested

in my plan.

     I love speaking about my project to

others, because it's so different yet full of

so much opportunity. I feel just by talking

to others about my project they already

can see the passion in my eyes when I

start talking about graffiti, and I know

they're listening because they can relate

to it and understand it after I break it

down and explain in detail. I'm very

talkative, so I don't mind explaining and

giving detail to those who are curious or

interested in my ideas. I've already gotten

feed back by others in my class and

everyone of them have told me something

that has shown that I love what my

project is and I'm passionate about it.

Like one time in class when we were

saying all our projects and when I talked

about mine, Shane Cheverez steps up and

agrees with what I say and expresses

how he can see that I'm well passionate

and very into what I'm pursuing and doing

for my project. But I do try to express how

my availability to collaboration, because

as a part of my project I want to expose

my art skills and talents to others by

offering collaboration like painting

posters or giving the artist's point of view

on something like Shane Cheverez's study

on what makes people so happy in what

they do and love.

     The steps it will take for me to get this

project up and rolling would be starting to

talk to more classmates on collaboration

and letting everyone know that they have

an artist whose up for free commission.

Another is getting connections with the

principal and other school officials and

talking to them about my school mural

idea and even speaking to the Santa

Maria art committee or mayor on another

huge project I have had in mind for quite

some time now. Which is developing

graffiti safe zones or what I would call

"Street Smart, Street Art Spots", which

just like the Venice Beach art walls, would

be open for young artists with the itch to

paint and to express their art on these

legal art walls or buildings or whatever

the city be willing to offer if accepted. I

just need to start talking and networking

with people, because my plans and ideas

can't get started on their own. So i'm

going to start drawing my plans and ideas

of what would look good for the school

murals and show our principal to see his

opinion on the subject and as for the

"Street Smart, Street Art Spot", I need to

find out who would be in charge of the art

activity in Santa Maria and anyone else

willing to help.

     For my personal learning network I

would need more artistic minded people

and those who are in power to help me

with my plans and ideas. I'd need to get to

know more people who are interested in

my project and that are willing to stand

behind me and help me in these

endeavors. But as a young artist I need to

start building an audience and fan base

for my art work. I need to start talking to

more people about letting me display my

art in their galleries, shows, or buildings.

I'm also trying to focus on small

businesses I can speak to about

commissioning art pieces to go up on

their establishments not just for art but

for commercial use as well. I know graffiti

art can be used in commercial use,

because my favorite graffiti artist AROE

MSK has already been commissioned to

paint a advertisement pieces for  the

movie "Planet of the Apes" and the DVD

release of the hit show "Breaking Bad". I

just want to stop talking about what I

want to do and start doing it, because I

know times ticking and I'm not going to let

another second slip away.

Work Cited

www.theseventhletter.com

www.aroemsk.com

Shane Cheverez (classmate I spoke to and got feed back about my project)

www.venicebeachartwalls.com

www.pbs.org, article "The History of American Graffiti:' From Subway Car to the Gallery" by Saskia De Melker