Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
graffiti, street art and AR provides us with a complex socially and technologically
encoded interface that has the potential to combine the first-hand experience of
public space, digital media and creative practice in a hybrid composition. I will
begin by looking at the tradition of graffiti and street art, followed by an investigation
into the philosophical implications for the digital augmentation of this type of work.
A number of key techniques and technologies for AR graffiti will then be explored,
and discussed through the use of two case studies.
11.2
Definition and History of Graffiti
The idea of graffiti in its conventional sense conjures up images of painted words
or drawings, sprayed on a wall, possibly offensive, illegal certainly. Where as the
notion of 'street art' suggests a more urbane, legitimized activity with perhaps a
greater level of artistic merit and community buy-in; we are increasingly seeing
more examples of assigned wall spaces and public commissions for street art. For
the purposes of this chapter I use the terms graffiti and street art as a shorthand to
describe the range of (non-corporate) visual languages we typically encounter in
the urban landscape. However this chapter does not attempt to justify or establish
a position on a set of activities, which are seen to be by degree sanctioned and
unsanctioned, legal and illegal. Indeed the legitimacy and cultural acceptance of
graffiti and street art varies quite dramatically and is still very much under debate
(Macdonald
2001
; Rowe and Hutton
2012
), while the works of some well know
artists fetch high prices in the art world, other works are regarded as illegal acts.
What we are interested in here is the way that graffiti and street art forms part of a
shared visual language, and how this language can be adapted and developed in an
increasingly technologised society.
It is useful however, to briefly consider how the visual language of graffiti
and street art has developed, as a precursor to thinking about how creative
practitioners utilizing the potentials of AR technologies might begin to work with
these conventions. Anna Wacławek traces the rise of contemporary graffiti back to
the signatures, letters and words created by artists on the east coast of America
in the 1960s (Wacławek
2011
). By the mid 1970s these 'tags', which tended to
be quickly created, single colour forms had also developed into more elaborate
typographical designs called 'throw-ups' or 'throwies'. These in turn led to the
further development of larger more complex 'pieces' or murals, often incorporating
figurative elements and involved compositions (Wacławek
2011
). These highly
illustrative works are more closely associated with the idea of 'street art', visually
elaborate combinations of colour, shading, typography, graphic symbols, abstract
patterns, cartoon elements and realistically drawn images, used in the formation of
carefully constructed designs. As the visual languages of graffiti and street art have
continued to expand so have the materials and techniques used to create the works.
The traditional use of spray cans, and broad-tipped markers has been extended with
amongst other things the introduction of paper and cardboard stencils, which are
