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Tag , Throw-Up & Dubs Graffiti Wall Shoreditch V McGarvey cc |
Graffiti: drawings or writing done on a wall, etc. in a public place without permission
Graffiti: 1851, "ancient wall inscriptions found in the ruins of Pompeii," from Italian graffiti, plural of graffito "a scribbling," a diminutive formation from graffio "a scratch or scribble," from graffiare "to scribble," ultimately from Greek graphein "to scratch, draw, write" (see -graphy). They are found in many ancient places, but the habit was especially popular among the Romans. Sense extended 1877 to recently made crude drawings and scribbling in public places.
Throw-Up or ‘throwie’ is a widely referenced graffiti term, most commonly used to describe tag-like drawings of bubble letters designed for quick execution and usually consisting of artist’s name and only two colors.
Tag (scribble) A stylized signature, normally done in one colour. The simplest and most prevalent type of graffiti, a tag is often done in a colour that contrasts sharply with its background
Dubs London/UK style of graffiti executed in silver or chrome paint. Usually, on railway walls or street locations, it is done quickly by a crew or group of writers.
I recently got together with a small group of friends in London to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of the group. An art walk through Spitalfields, Shoreditch, and Brick Lane was one of the presents. After celebrating with one too many the previous night we managed to drag ourselves out of bed for our mid-morning rendezvous with our guide in front of Kenny Hunter's aluminum statue I Goat at Spitalfields, which Kenny says is
“a symbol for the various waves of migration that have found sanctuary in Spitalfields and helped to shape it. The goat, as an image of persecution and sacrifice, reflects how each successive group of immigrants have faced their own combination of conflict, oppression and poverty, all eventually finding a new home in London.” https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/i-goat
As we introduced ourselves to the other members of the walking party we were reassured that we were not the only people with hangovers, despite this, we all were equally enthusiastic to find out more about the street art in this fascinating part of London's East End.
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| Kenny Hunter I Goat McGarvey CC |
There are examples of urban art around each corner, especially off Brick Lane but unless you have a guide bringing your attention to it you tend to assimilate it as part of the background trappings of the area. As we wandered through the terraced streets of Spitalfields that had originally been occupied by the Huguenots (French Protestants who followed the teachings of theologian John Calvin) then a Jewish community, our informative guide pointed out the subtle unimposing artworks. For example work of the sculptor Jonesy, whose art can be found at the top of street signs.
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| Jonesy Elephant V McGarvey cc |
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| Jonesy Mythical Looking Creature V McGarvey cc |
Look up London provides a concise Guide to Best of Shoreditch Street Art, so I recommend it as a pre or post-walk read, as it is a bit of challenge keeping up with the names of the artists, especially if your cognition is impaired by the predictable effects of too much fizz. The real education for me was the language and people of graffiti. Unless you have been in hiding underneath a bench installation I would be very surprised if you had not heard of possibly the most famous of all graffiti artists Bansky, whose work we saw on this tour. The group was also introduced to other graffiti artists, Elmo Hood, Ben Eine, Alex Arnell, Clet Abraham, King Robo, Carleen de Sozer, Dreph and Ben Wilson who uses chewing gum as his canvas.
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| Ben Wilson Art V McGarvey cc |
The guide also integrated graffiti, terms such, as tagging, throw up and dubs (definitions above) burner (an elaborate piece) bomb or bombing (painting lots of surfaces in an area) and pareidolia (finding hidden faces in street art). By the end of the tour, our collective hangover had been distracted by the expressions of our new language of graffiti.
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| Benn Eine Love V McGarvey cc |
As a complete novice when it comes to graffiti art this tour definitely made me want to find out more. and if you are a novice like me here are some excellent sites about the artists and the terminology:
From the City Shoreditch 25 Street Artists
Wides Walls Female Street Artists We Admire
Shoreditch's 10 Best Streets to See Stree Art
Street Art and Grafitti Words the Ultimate Glossary
Also if you want to see an alternative tour of the area take a look at my blog Hoxton to Spitalfields Without a Bonnet