Tags

Tags are names or nicknames created by a graffiti artist or his crew, which the artist writes in a personalized stylistic manner. Tags are the quickest and the least elaborate form of graffiti. Tagging is also the easiest form of graffiti to get away with. Tags can be done with markers (preferably fat-tipped), spray paint, etching tools, or stickers that are tagged before they are placed. The artist usually participates in tagging in order to get his name known as well as gain respect in the graffiti/ hip-hop community. Tagging is usually done in places that other graffiti writers frequent, such as trains, streets, alleys, and bus stops.

Throw-Ups

A combination of tagging and piecing is what graffiti artisits call "throw-ups." Throw-ups tend to be more colorful and stylized artistic tags. Often the writer uses colors that they find appealing. Also, many throw-ups are found in large groups which are usually all painted at the same time. There are crews which get together, find a large wall, and do a crew throw-up, as well as individual member throw-ups. Throw-ups are usually done with spray paint and are mostly painted on public walls to be seen by the graffiti community. Throw-ups, unlike tags, include extra aesthetic qualities, such as shapes and symbols, which add to their complexity.

Pieces

Piecing is an artistic form of graffiti in which the graffiti artist uses a larger surface to do a drawing instead of a tag or throw-up. Pieces or Murals usually include a scene or idea that pertains to the neighborhood it is located in and the social and political happenings in that neighborhood. For example, when we had our tour in Humboldt Park, all of the pieces we viewed had something on them that related to gentrification, the Hispanic community, the Puerto Rican community, feminism in that community, or the feeling of “enslavement” that these communities feel. Also, many of the storefronts in Humboldt Park as well as garbage cans and planters were painted with Puerto Rican flags or the name of the store

Gang Graffiti

Gang Graffiti is usually the most disliked form of graffiti. Gangs use graffiti to claim a piece of property or a certain neighborhood. Each gang has particular symbols that represent different beliefs and feelings towards other gangs, neighborhoods, and cities that they have poor relations with. Examples of gang graffiti include the five pointed crown or sometimes the three pointed crown which represents the Latin Kings. The Folks are a group of different gangs who come together through their beliefs and rivalries with similar gangs in their area. The Folks use a pitchfork as one of their gang symbols. The rivals of the Folks are known as the People. The People mainly use a five pointed star as their group symbol.

Dissing

Dissing is a practice used by gangs to disrespect and put-down rival gangs. Usually when a gang is dissing another gang they don't use their own symbols: Instead, they reverse or cover over their rivals' symbols or pieces. Dissing commonly leads to violence between the rival groups, especially if the gang being dissed cathces the gang who is dissing them. Normally the gang that is doing the dissing leaves their own symbols to let the gang who is being dissed know who is responsible for the disrespect. The image to the right is an example of dissing between gangs. The symbols are an upside-down five-pointed crown and two backwards "K's" which in turn diss the Latin Kings.

Senn High School (Adam)

My experience at Senn High School was amazing. From the first moment I walked into the school’s gymnasium, I became obsessed with the hip-hop culture. This was the first time I had ever seen a group of people break dancing as a recreational activity. I had seen break dancers in music videos on MTV, but never had I seen the real world version of this art form. I found great pleasure in learning a lot of break dancing moves. I was taught the six step, the switch, back spin, and several other moves. I was surprised at the progress I made through the course of my 10 service hours. I felt it was odd that my time spent there was referred to as service hours though. This feeling was mostly due to the fact that I was not directly servicing anyone. And I think my learning of break dancing was only a small fraction of my greater learning experience. Even my learning of what real hip-hop is, as opposed to what the masses are shown on MTV still was a smaller part of my greater lesson. The main service which occurred at Senn for me, was my learning that city kids aren’t much different than suburban kids. I have lived in the suburbs for my entire life, and due to this fact, I entered this high school with certain stereotypes. What was a truly magnificent experience for me was that I left Senn without these stereotypes in my mind. I learned that urban kids, regardless of their environment, still adhere to the fundamental components of what I had only thought of the suburban youth. The kids at Senn were all helpful, friendly, social, and were always in the pursuit of having a good time. They didn’t talk the way urban people are portrayed in movies and on T.V. The kids weren’t violent or rude. And by the time I left Senn, I felt somewhat ashamed of myself for ever possessing these stereotypes. I am sure that the other suburban students, who worked at other service sites, had similar experiences. Yet, I feel at Senn I was able to learn this lesson the best, because I was always interacting with kids my age and older. I made really strong connections with a few kids in particular. Oddly enough, I can only reference them by their b-boy names since those were the only names we used. Aeronautics, my good friend, taught me all the moves I know. He and I got along right from the start. I think this was partly due to the fact that we both liked hitting the gym a lot. We talked about working out, and different power moves for my break dancing routines, which required significant upper-body strength. He also showed me his athletic ability by doing front and back flips, along with running along the wall like in the movie “Matrix”. I found my service experience extremely helpful in my growth as a student and as a person. I sincerely hope this hip-hop program continues forever, and the connection between the program and DePaul strengthens even more.

Alternatives (Lena)

Alternatives was located off the Lawrence stop on the red line, near the Aragon theater, and about 25 minutes away from the DePaul Lincoln Park campus. I went to Alternatives about every other Saturday from 1:30-3:30. Alternatives was a large theater type building, there were several offices in the front of the building and a pretty garden in the back. In the garden there were stepping-stones that were covered in bits of mirror, glass, tile, and beads; they were made by several of the students that attended Alternatives in the past. I mainly spent my time at Alternatives talking to the other kids, coloring, and painting. I really enjoyed going to Alternatives, I found that it got me away from my stress and gave me time to relax.

Marquette Park (Jennie)

My service was primarily done at Marquette Park where I was intended to help teach/supervise kids who were breakdancing as an after-school activity. My first time there, I was intimidated. There were little nine-year olds breaking and doing things I could never imagine myself attempting. I met some awesome people--both my age and much younger--who were really helpful in showing me the basics of breakdancing. They basically ended up teaching me more than I taught them. The best part of the service came at the end of the day when everyone would sit in a circle and people would battle, two at a time. The service gave me a chance to experience something I otherwise never would have and gave me a deep appreciation for hip hop.

Lena

In my Photo Essay I described and defined the terms, concepts, and ideals that we had learned throughout the Graffiti in Chicago Explore class. I then contrasted what we learned in class and how we defined graffiti to the way one of my favorite artists, Keith Haring, saw and defined graffiti, and how he began his artistic career and gained his fame through his graffiti. Haring had a very positive influence on many people in the world; he sent messages to everyone through his artwork...something many graffiti artists today lack.

Jennie

The main subject of my photo essay was the debate over whether graffiti is art or vandalism. I took my pictures to the CTA platform where I surveyed people, asking them which pictures they considered to be art and which were thought to be vandalism. I then researched several sources, giving an anti-graffiti organization's perspective as well as opinions of actual graffiti writers. The essay was a worthwhile project because it made me think and come up with my own ideas rather than paraphrasing and interpreting something I'd read or heard. It allowed me to personalize my work, which made it more fun to work with.

Adam

My photo essay analyzed tags, throw-ups, and pieces. I defined all these terms so a person unfamiliar with these terms could understand what I was talking about. I then compared the graffiti images I included with famous artwork from the 19th century, due to the fact that this is my favorite period of art. I compared my graffiti images to artists like Goya, Constable, and Turner. This was an enjoyable experience because I discovered similarities which did not occur to me at first glace. I believe my photo essay shows justification for graffiti being a legitimate art form, and persuades the reader to believe graffiti is a valid form of art.