Graffiti Guys

Graffiti as Culture Jamming

Graffiti, in its contemporary form, first appeared in the 1960s throughout the streets and subways of New York City. The early “writers,” mostly poor minority kids from the inner city, prided themselves on “tagging” public spaces with their names for all citizens of New York to see. Their motive was mainly to make their presence known in the fast moving world around them. As the art form became more prevalent, different types of writers emerged with different agendas: gangs marked their territory with their names and symbolism, political activists and social critics spread their messages on blank surfaces, such as the western face of the Berlin Wall, and in 1977, a group that would come to be known as the Billboard Liberation Front (BLF), “improved” its first billboard, which was a Revlon advertisement for a moisturizing lotion. In the years since, the use of graffiti as a means to critique mass consumption has become widespread. In fact, it has become so popular that many advertisers have co-opted the style to sell their wares and, even more disturbingly, some of the works themselves have been sold at astronomical prices. The question remains whether or not graffiti remains a relevant method of critiquing modern consumer culture.

Central to the BLF’s approach was the use of humor. Rewording a Marlboro cigarettes advertisement to read “Marlbore,” complete with the word “yawn” coming out of the Marlboro Man’s mouth, or adding a pink brassiere to a bare-chested man on a Camel cigarettes billboard, via non-destructive methods, were ways to attract public attention without causing any permanent damage to the advertisements. Ballyhoo, the short-lived satirical magazine that was first published in 1931, could have been a direct influence on the founders of the BLF. In addition to overtly encouraging culture jamming by way of graffiti (painting mustaches on women in cigarette ads), the magazine ran parody ads and cartoons suggesting that advertisers thought themselves superior to consumers (Klein 305). Lying outside of mainstream readers’ interests, Ballyhoo successfully garnered a readership of 1.5 million before its eventual demise (McGovern 242). The BLF extends the audience of the satirical ad by placing it in a public place, to be seen by those who may not typically be critical of advertising.

The globetrotting English graffiti artist, Banksy, whose real identity is unknown, has become (in)famous for his graffiti criticizing social and political norms interlinked with mass consumer culture. By spray-painting the text “Fat Lane” along a beachfront pedestrian walkway or an image of a rat writing “Yuk” on a wall next to an ad for The Gap, he can successfully draw public attention to the world around them. The theme of anti-consumerism spills over to his paintings as well: natives can be seen holding their spears to defend themselves from oncoming shopping carts; nuns are brought to their knees in front of a “sale ends today” placard; shopping carts and fluorescent traffic cones litter the water beneath one of Monet’s bridge paintings.

Ironically, many of these paintings and prints of his stenciled graffiti are currently fetching upwards of $500,000 in art auctions through Sotheby’s (The New Yorker 5/14/07). Though the effectiveness of the artist’s statement against consumption comes into question as his art becomes a commodity, the fact remains that the intended audience, the general public, can still absorb the message, so long as it remains intact as graffiti. Reinforcing his reputation a bonafide critic, he responds to these outrageous prices with additional pieces criticizing the purchasers. It seems that in the end, Banksy has found a way to finance his travels and continue spreading his message to the masses.

No stranger to tapping into what is considered hip or rebellious and spreading it to the mainstream, advertisers have used the popularity of graffiti to their advantage. One needs to look no further than billboards advertising the markedly un-hip Washington State Lottery to see quotes such as, “I can’t believe how bald (crossed out and replaced with “rich”) he is.” Slightly more hip, and available nationwide at Macy’s, clothing by Marc Ecko sports its logo in a graffiti-inspired font and currently offers the “Ecko Reactions Track Jacket,” complete with an image of a graffiti writer in action on the back. On the company’s website (http://www.ecko.com), graffiti writers can upload home videos of their tagging escapades. By creating a style and forum for a graffiti artist community that focuses on self-expression and braggadocio, rather than critiques of consumption or sociopolitical issues, the company can create legions of walking advertisements. These young artists think of their actions and style as rebellion when they are really operating within parameters set by a clothing company.

This co-optation of popular youth culture can be traced back to the creative revolution of the 1960s, namely to the ads of the Doyle Dayne Bernbach (DDB) advertising agency. For example, an advertisement for Avis rental cars features a picture of a hand forming the universal peace sign; the text above the picture reads, “Avis is only No. 2 in rent a cars. So why go with us?” By combining a popular hand gesture of the time with an advertisement, the ad attempts to appeal to a certain market segment. Pepsi and Volkswagen, among others, also attempted to carve out a committed market share during this era by emphasizing youth and independence, respectively.

It would be shortsighted to say that culture jamming through graffiti is either an effective critique of mass consumption or a futile undertaking. In fact, one would likely find more resemblances between urban graffiti and advertising than either group would care to admit. It would be valid to say that the early graffiti writers were advertising themselves by writing their names on the subway trains of New York City. The same could be said for Banksy’s work: becoming a public figure through his graffiti and criticism has made him on of art’s most sought after names and rewarded him financially. Both advertising and graffiti are easily visible in public areas, are placed without the consent of the public, and both attempt to influence the viewer. However, the advertising industry is likely to remain unfazed by the culture jamming movement since they are the accepted mainstream form of public display.

The future success of graffiti as a form of culture jamming depends on the continued efforts of writers/artists like Banksy, who, with his newfound popularity, is in a position to influence a much greater audience. Additionally, collective underground movements such as the Billboard Liberation Front, the Anti-Advertising Agency, Wooster Collective, Adbusters, and the Graffiti Research Lab, serve as headquarters for those interested in organizing and reshaping modern consumer culture.