Art Crimes Front Page
Since about 200 years-ARCHAEOLOGISTS-have been looking at graffiti and colleted them to have ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR EVERYDAY life of ancient cultures. These data have been published in their very specific journals and few people ever read them.
At beginning of 20. century at VIENNA it was F. S. KRAUSS that started some "revolutionary" project named ANTHOPOPHYTEIA, the collection of "bad material" including graffiti. Antropophyteia was forerunner what is now MALEDICTA (PO box 12123, SANTA ROSA, CA 95402-6123) editor R. A. AMAN. Anyone publishing unusual material should contact this man for worldwide distribution (information) of his project.
After WWII there has been some quiet period. Some publications always, also concerning MODERN graffiti have been published. Only after 1968-revolution matters have been changing. Some new quality had been created. What is now GRAFFITI was started then and has been developing into some worldwide VISUAL MATRIX. Term GRAFFITI-RESEARCH was hardly been used before KASSEL GRAFFITI-ARCHIVE started publishing 1983 first volume of EINFUeHRUNG IN DIE grafitti-FORSCHUNG editing previously published articles on graffiti.
Same years GRAFFITTI-BIBLIOGRAPHIE/GRAFFITI-BIBLIOGRAPHY WAS DONE AT Kassel (Germany) holding about 2000 sources. At moment 4. edition is being prepared to hold 10 000 items. From beginning cooperation with Mr. Norbert SIEGL (Vienna Graffiti-Archive) was initiated by help of (famous) European sex-researcher ERNEST BORNEMAN. It soon was clear that some coordinated strategy was needed for following questions:
During years ca. 20 international authors have been providing articles that have been RE-PRINTED in our "EINFUeHRUNG/INTRODUCTION" which is shortcut of EINFUeRHUNG IN DIE GRAFFITTI-FORSCHUNG/INTRODUCTION TO GRAFFITI-RESEARCH we already have been doing 23 vols. of since 1983. No 24 will hold some INTERNET INFORMATION, after that any user might have to have some computer. . this browsing is taking too much time. Not to talk about costs. We definitely need printed data.
Soon it was to be seen-in order to understand totally confusing facts regarding what is going on in society-that there was need of some META-THEORY that would help to "fuse" contradicting information if you look at them from a HIGHER level of understanding. Here SOCIATRIC THEORY OF STATE started. Also some VOCABULARY OF GRAFFITI-RESEARCH was begun, alike writers have their very specific terminology.
Here we already see MIRRORING-PRINCIPLE we so often find in graffiti matters. What is moving society on national level is influencing people at personal level and ONE way of expression always has been WRITING ON THE WALL. Since we know from BIBLE: Mene tekel u pharsin that was some WARNING to some ancient king. From here I coined phrase MENETEKEL-FUNCTION to sum up what graffiti may stand for. EARLY WARNING SYSTEM as US-army has special graffiti squad to avoid racial conflicts.
Even in handbooks of counter-INSURGENCY etc. graffiti are looked into, another hint at their values. Also MANAGEMENT -research already accepts READING WALLS as one way to provide (relatively) UNCENSORED information. It is this-none censoring-that is allowing some FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION seldom to be found in society, and no wonder graffiti often have been totally forbidden as we know from dictatorships.
Over years it was necessary also to RE-PUBLISH articles concerning graffiti from all lexica we could lay our hands on and add them to material so to help any newcomer to be able to have DIRECT ACCESS. Here our RESEARCH is definitely SERVICE to SOCIETY, some motive also moving WRITERS as some have been stating using so rare words as "to serve society". In order to survive - that must be clear by now - you have to POSITIVELY IDENTIFY (one way or another) with society, in other words "find some place" where your existence is of some value.
So here we look at VITAL MATTERS that are in grave danger as SURPLUS LIVES have been coming into being, all those men that "murder" societies do not any more need, except as "perfect consumers". This, to us, is some other motive for graffiti-explosion after 1968. ONE generation AFTER atomic-bombs youth was able to "feel" that dramatic changes had taken place. Here PAHNER's analysis (re-published in no. 23 of EINFUeHRUNG/INTRODUCTION) might help anyone wanting to find out.
This also clearly showing that understanding without study is impossible. It was necessary - over 20 years - to read and check thousands of articles, books and related documents. So THIS summing-up (and other data I provided to ART CRIMES: respect!!) was possible at all. Mankind is facing totally NEW CHALLENGES that have no forerunners and that shake men's value systems to grounds.
ONE reason so many get mentally ill. We know from psychosomatic research that amount of TOTALLY NEW matters you are to face over 30% per lifetime might crack strongest persons. It is question of COPING and this is some function of men's ADAPTIONAL ability that is endangered. This (invisible and in most cases totally UNCONSCIOUS) is making thema SURVIVAL one topic in "modern" times.
Industrialized societies not needing FUTURE=YOUTH any more create some "atmosphere" that is generating HATE between classes of persons as well inducing INTRA-PERSONAL hate, so SELF-DESTRUCTIVE as well as outward directed destruction is continual part of our lives. But any new generation must have their SPECIFIC ways of "getting into" society what ethnologists call "rites of passage" or psychosocial moratorium where you must be allowed to "play around" a little. This exactly has been time when certain young people started experimenting which is another way to say they have been CREATIVE.
We know from CREATIVE PROCESS it always is following 4 steps:
So, this way MODERN GRAFFITI; ESPECIALLY AMERICAN style came into being. From here - around 1968 - another explosion took place DIVERSIFYING graffiti into TAGS (rebirth of calligraphy) and STENCILS and what not.
Counting numbers of articles from allover the world - average let's say 10 per year - dramatically changed after 1968 and topped with hundreds of them, slowly again going down, but we only have some part pf material. Worldwide there must be 100 000 and more articles and millions of pictures showing graffiti.
A whole INDUSTRY started with them - only "writers" - allover the planet being persecuted and EXPROPRIATED. Specialists of all kinds make money ON THEIR BACKS and they get their butts kicked. . . what a life. . .
Research in graffiti needs some HISTORICAL orientation as well as SOCIAL one, this means we must know where mankind started from and what BASIC needs exist, and what kind of living-style is necessary to be able to grow up some trusting being.
Today we are being confronted with HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT manmade. This needs some specific tool for analysis, and one way to get there is graffiti-RESEARCH because writing on walls are "words by prophets". So we may say certain aspects of THINGS TO COME (=future) are kind of being RETRO-SHADOWED, name it RETRO-JECTION. In other words we look at some PROBABILISTIC social field that is being projected onto walls of our planet. In a way we do some kind of FUTURE STUDIES.
Two years ago Mr. Bart BOSMANS from Belgium joined our group, a really hard working man that has been a valuable support since. Our guide to graffiti-RESEARCH is result of this cooperation as well as many articles he has written, already working with graffiti for some years and at moment doing doctoral dissertation at Brussels.
NETWORKING is important matter in all aspects of human life and here as well, it needs continual DATA-EXCHANGE and I consider COMMUNICATION equally vital as food and water. If you DEPRIVE men of communication he will die. So also from COMMUNICATION-THEORY (sensory deprivation-experiments) we know about value of communication and graffiti are PART of it. As well as other "subcultural" communication-lines as well.
In line BIBLIOGRAPHY you will find some of our publications so you will know what we have been doing during 20 years. Some of them are out of print and may only be obtained via library-exchange, graffiti is a field that really could be named TRANS-DISCIPLINARYbecause here many scientific departments meet: archaeology, communication, psychology, sociology, politics, psychiatry, art-therapy, languages, subcultural studies and what not. This alone might show you importance of some medium that is inviting so much controversies because graffiti is some highly ambivalent matter. This is EMOTIONAL impact having some many-facetted aspects showing that things in life are not just "black-white".
Being adult also should include being able to tolerate ambivalences without becoming threatened by them. So from public discussion "art vs. vandalism" we see that most people cannot stand strain that is integral part of ambivalence. There is no "absolute good" and opposite, too. We are dealing myth value-system like scales that may be moved.
Now I do not want to say graffiti may not be used as very anti-democratic matter. Do not forget 3. Reich in germany when Jewish stores have been DEFACED with swastikas. Today's youth in Germany feeling/knowing that this sign - they often know almost nothing about it except it is POWERFUL - are using to provoke people. That POWER, which in other words translated might mean FAME has been used I found in one book where some writer named himself HITLER 2 only knowing no. 1 was well known.
But maybe it is a myth which we have so many in field of graffiti, that being some real BASIC DEMOCRATIC MEANS of communication is some "battle-field" for any ideological fights. Since graffiti dare to touch PROPERTY it is very difficult to establish some communication among experts that might find some way to a more DISTANCED way of treatment of graffiti.
Millions are being spent for PREVENTION that only helps specialists to make much money and nothing else. In times where SOCIAL COSTS are being cut this needs to be re-discussed. here we see one of our goals to provide adequate KNOWLEDGE and INFORMATION to provide data you need to really know what might be what and where you do not get caught by some ideological "traps" and more like well-known DIVISION into "good" and "bad guys". Legal and illegal matters. If times change what is legal today will be illegal tomorrow to be changed again day after. But you as citizen expected to obey all there matters that are manipulations at their best.
We find graffiti as communicative system in prisons, "funny farms" and any other "total institution" (!!) and during political insecure times via graffiti (todays research) might get insights other ways you will not get. You found here communicative lines of HOMOSEXUALS in states and at times when persecution was high, addresses of abortion clinics and any "specialized" data that normal populace has been in need of all times.
We find then in languages written we do not know nor can understand, from religions via love-matters to politics and so on. Language games, children's nonsense and what not. Some have been encrypted on purpose and it was RAMMELLZEE who wrote some very intelligent analysis on how to use writing done so "estranged" that any "straight" would be unable to read it.
So you might find yourself standing in front of some huge text and be - literally - unable to "read". Some of psychological effect being "stopping" you. So, today we - again - could be met by some MENETEKEL and not be able to understand. Translation. Help via communication needed.
Writers have their specific expressions as do graffiti-researchers that still have to invent some of their vocabulary. Finding a specified language always is some hint at some "expert systems" that have fully been developed. Identical principle in all kinds of jobs and professions. It IS symbol of PROFESSIONALISATION.
Seldom "writers" themselves write books and/or articles. famous (French) Resti de la Bretonne (Mes inscriptions) being some exception as (Swiss) Harald Naegeli (Zurich sprayer). For understandable reasons this - in many cases - must be (persecution).
Some books and articles collect graffiti at certain places (famous monuments etc. ) and provide data that might be processes by science. Only a minimal part of available sources has been collected, stored and analyzed. Worldwide there could be 1 million articles (all included) since many are being re-printed (press agencies) and are of PERMUTATIVE value: they "spread the word" about graffiti. One way or another.
Some are being done at university level (exam-papers, theses, dissertations etc. ) but almost none deal with industrial graffiti. Very few authors stay with subject graffiti (en vogue) and so research is very slow in growing. So it was KASSEL GRAFFITI-ARCHIVE (starting 1976) that began 1983 issuing of first (now: 23) part of EINFUeHRUNG IN DIE GRAFFITTI-FORSCHUNG that now carries 400 pages each issue and began with 30.
Here we try to fuse all knowledge, systematize and PUBLISH in order to provide society with data about its "backside". If you include pictures (PICTURE-FUNDUS) as well as WORD WIDE WEB (WWW) and CD-ROMs you might run up to 2 million items that you might look into. Clearly beyond work of any single person and some DIRECT hint at some INTERNATIONALLY COORDINATED RESEARCH-PROJECT. For analysis you have to invite other parts from scientific community as there are: psychology, sociology, ethnology, ethology, criminology, psychiatry, art-therapy and so on and data from all these sub-categories might generate some UNIFIED FIELD-THEORY of graffiti.
Next we need some META-THEORY from where we might "look down" onto contradictory results that confuse so many people (art vs. vandalism)
Allover where man has been treading we find them. From tops of mountains (Charly was here) to caves (Alfred also. . . ) some (crazy graffiti) have been applied onto places with danger to life of writers, some have become famous (Daniel Boone) and even in sewer-pipes they may be found.
There is no way not to accept that graffiti TRANSMIT information, so they are COMMUNICATION, especially of "lower elements" that - in "normal" history would not be transmitted (for different reasons). This way they represent communicative aspects of SUB-CULTURES with their specific languages and traditions (race-conflicts) and even have been used by PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE.
They are being looked at and into by "special squads" (US-army, police) and in dictatorships their application would kill any person getting caught. Their prevention has been costing hundreds of millions (in all currencies) but effects are almost nil.
Specific jobs and institutions (also see: drug control) have been created and specific technology (vandal-ex) or prevention. It is big business. In advertisement worldwide billions are being made via graffiti and I know almost no material that has not been brought into contact with (name and/or picture) of graffiti: from candies to crackers, cars and clothes, covers, bags and so on. In difference to archeology (time as "cordon sanitaire") today's graffiti being something "political" there is great reluctance to (academically) look into them (danger to any career).
If you do you must look at distribution of influences, money, ownership and so on. Walls being "private property" making any analysis some dangerous voyage. In public there is some undulating policy (pro-contra) that is even increasing confusion in populace.
Since graffiti are such ambivalent matters that always induce SPLITTING processes in those dealing with them, there almost is no coordinated research, people who work in that field do not know about each other, documents are seldom known about so continually matters are being re-invented again and again.
On the other side it needs some daring mentality to be able to cope with them because they also are connected with SEXUAL matters and invisible "TOILET SMELL" is hanging about them and this needs some peculiar personality, "outsider" ones that might be rather stubborn characters.
So one might understand that communication is not too easy. But - on the other hand - we have been trying again and again and slowly things are changing. These changes also come about because more and more people see and understand - or feel - that there might be something "special" about graffiti and here our 20 years of PREPARATORY work might be coming in.
So to anyone NOW wanting to start our GUIDE TO GRAFFITI-RESEARCH (ISBN 90-802903-1-9) just being printed in Belgium might be some valuable help. It is one of results that we could offer. Our GRAFFITTI-BIBLIOGRAPHY (ISBN 3-923548-33-8) was revised in 3. edition in 1986 and will come out again with 10 000 items.
Graffiti archive Kassel started with a book depicting certain graffiti on outside walls and this is out of print: GRAFFITTI IN KASSEL (ISBN 3-923548-00-1).
Next we did FIRST inquiry into graffiti (toilet) comparing KASSEL UNIVERSITY with some big factory (VOLKSWAGEN plant at Baunatal, near Kassel). Still we only know about 3 researches into industry-graffiti. Most being done at universities. This one was SPRUeCHE UND KOMMUNIKATION VON DAMEN und HERRENTOILETTEN, also out of print.
Since we started from sexual point of view next was SICH ENDLICH EINMAL IN RUHE UND UNGESTOeRT AUSDRUeCKEN KOeNNE (ISBN 3-923548-02-8) looking at EXPRESSIVE and CREATIVE aspect of wall-writing. How students with their specific mentality come in here was done nect WIR WOLLEN UNS UN DIE ARMEN BEFREIEN UND LEGEN USN IMMER STAeRKERE FESSELN AN (ISBN 3-923548-03-6).
Follow up was DA KANN EINEM JA FUeR IMMER DIE LUST VERGEHEN (ISBN 3-923548-04-4) some continuation of questions we ran into. EINE ANDERE THEORIE SOZIALER MOBILITAeT (ISBN 3-923548-05-2) was looking into how come people move from one place to another.
SPAGHETTI. . . KONFETTI. . . GRAFFITI?!! (ISBN 3-923548-06-0) was struck by spelling mix and tried to find out what it all was about graffiti, some summing up try. Since we have been looking at sexual aspect we ran into ads looking for partners (contacts) so JEDER TOPF FINDET IRGENDWANN SEIN DECKELCHEN (ISBN 3-923548-07-9) looked at contradiction of these ads trying to find matrix of courting-behavior.
STUDIEN ZUR MENSCHLICHEN SEXUALITAeT (ISBN 3-923548-08-7) were finishing this first run where we proposed some theory of creativity we could derive from graffiti. That graffiti had some DEPPER layers was soon to be seen so small inquiries have been done UNTERSUCHUNG VON GRAFFITTI UNTER EINSATZ DER TECHNIK DER "FREIEN ASSOZIATION" (Teil 1) and its follow-up (Teil 2) where I looked at certain signs/symbols and adult students helped in writing their associations. Walls of some study center being covered with commentaries etc. invited also to look at them KREATIVES UNBEHAGEN (ISBN 3-92354818-4).
1983 started GRAFFITTI-BIBLIOGRAPHIE I already noted. German magazine DER SPIEGEL struck me with its use of graffiti (in streets) always depicting "chaotic" context with young persons (on one side) and "rightist" pictures looking (in comparison) so orderly so I soon found about aspect of INDOCTRINATION and IDEOLOGY (GRAFFITTI IM MAGAZIN "DER SPIEGEL", ISBN 3-923548-35-4) and from then on EINFUeHRUNG IN DIE GRAFFITTI-FORSCHUNG (ISBN 3-923548-37-0, part 1) soon was to be begun. Here previous articles were re-printed to help find material already available.
Having read about tries in US to use (paper-covered walls) in psychiatric clinics I summed these findings up for Germany to make GRAFFITTI IN PSYCHIATRISCHEN KLINIKEN DER USW (ISBN 3-9923548-43-5) to make these facts known in Germany. Here INTER-ACTIVE (inviting) charakter was clearly to be seen. DIALOGUE-principle.
Today we are preparing no. 24 of our (meanwhile international) EINFUeHRUNG IN DIE GRAFFITTI-FORSCHUNG/INTRODUCTION TO GRAFFITI-RESEARCH and I know of no other place where you find some concentration like these volumes that started with 30 pages and now have 400. But, there is no other way in times of data-explosion as doing CONSPECTS, BIBLIOGRAPHIES, SUMMARIES, LECIXA and so on.
INVENTORIES are being needed-and ART CRIMES being one of them - because from HERE you might find YOUR WAY if you get relevant date and information. In times with INDOCTRINATION ("vandalism" - "art" - discussion. . . ) and PROPAGANDA graffiti-research is showing aspects of PROPAGANDA-ANALYSIS and as far as we could show it is a SOCIAL CRIME how societies treat part of their most CREATIVE youths: as criminals, This equals some PSYCHOLOGICAL ABORTION via LEGAL MATTERS and is accelerating splitting - processes (we already have "split - personalities" =multiples. . ) societies are being faced with and that are provoking " SECURITY " which - as one result - again is accelerating generation of HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS. So, if this is being continued civil and/or other wars must be outcomes.
MIRRORING PRINCIPLE is what strikes most with graffiti-societies having ALWAYS some OFFICIAL (inside) level and OUTSIDE one where we find our messages on walls and at other places (e. g. oral history). This means whatever is going on in society is being REFLECTED and DOCUMENTED via graffiti, and here especially REPRESSED and/or UNWANTED aspects. So we also might say graffiti carry and transport UNCONSCIOUS messages and we know from ART-THERAPY IMPORTANCE and value of being able to express oneself.
Bringing OUTSIDE what has been INSIDE, so a change of PERSPECTIVE may take place. What is being gotten rid of - you step back and look at it - might have become a FACE as we know from many fairy tales where some "ghost" is terrorizing some haunted castle and once some "hero" is asking: WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT. . . . . phhhhh it is gone.
Same applies to graffiti. Doing them is some DIRECT psycho-hygienic act of REDUCTION of PRESSURE and TENSION. Safety-valve we named this function and you might know what might happen to any pressure-cooker you close that valve. . . BOOM.
Same with societies. So we know that being able to AIR what is "bugging" you might help you stay sane and NOT go nuts. And, no wonder, in graffiti we find all themes you could probably think of, especially matters that are UNWANTED as parts of populace are UNWANTED ones (surplus lives).
So via graffiti some society may be looked at closely FROM BELOW and no wonder folk-science is claiming graffiti to be theirs. It's none's and all may work here and it only is a matter of sharing information that we might be able to move certain matters.
In our GUIDE TO GRAFFITI-RESEARCH centered are 7 topics: PROBLEMS IN RESEARCH (splitting) how to store them, documentation, auxiliary sciences, starting networking, problems of cooperation and so on. Next: overall bibliography, 3. annotated BASIC BOOKS with bibliography, 4. bibliography of students papers, theses and dissertations, 5. annotated FANZINES (as far as we know) 6. archives and their addresses etc., researchers and what projects they pursue. So any newcomer get right into matters.
Anyone wanting to cooperate should contact http://www.graffitiforschung.tk/.
| Art Crimes Front Page
|