Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Graffiti from the Back Wall


Here's some of the graffiti I shot with Dave on Sunday. A lot of people ask what I look for when I shoot graffiti -- what distinguishes a good piece from a bad piece?

This is admittedly somewhat subjective, but generally I look for cleanliness of design, depth and color, and inventiveness. These pieces are a little short on color, but they're very clean and the shading and outlines are great. I like the fizzy spots in the Joce piece above.



Good Morning to you, Gaw!


Cola, as you can see, made his lettering a bit more complex, which is always cool. Some artists are so complex you can't read their work.

My guess is those two middle guys painted the wall in a single night -- which is why they both used grey, black and white paint. It's probably what they had on hand. In fact, all of this could have been done in one night -- it's hard to tell. Some of these could even be the same person, because sometimes a single artist uses different names.

Who knows? I just take the pictures!

6 comments:

Barbara said...

I think you should attempt to do a piece of graffiti just to get the full effect of the experience. What do you think? You certainly know how to find the right "canvases". So there's your challenge: feature your own graffiti in your Blog!

Steve Reed said...

What are you trying to do, Barbara, get me arrested?? :P

Barbara said...

If you haven't gotten arrested yet taking pictures of graffiti in "difficult" places, I'm sure you could manage to do some art without getting caught. After all, evading the authorities must be part of the experience as well!

Reya Mellicker said...

I think your pictures make the graffiti look so much better than they do in "real" life.

Was thinking about you in San Francisco - PLENTY of street art there!

e said...

Well, I don't think you'd get arrested...You could do your graffiti on found objects like old boards or other things, out on your sidewalk or in a park...the possibilities are endless...Besides, think of all the really interesting things you might do in handcuffs...

I hope you caught up on your sleep. Best to Dave and the doggies.

mouse (aka kimy) said...

I think you NEED to come to cleveland for a graffiti safari....and I need a partner...am hesitant to go to the places with the really good stuff alone!