Graffiti Origins

Daim; DAIM; his name is spelled differently every time I see it. This post’s spotlight doesn’t linger over Daim, but over his life’s work. Graffiti, most recognizable in downtown cities or back roads, or hidden neighborhoods. This art form can’t just be found in these places, but all over public streets, avenues, and boulevards in well known cities. Daim is a famous, well known graffiti artist who, to me, brought out the beauty the most.

Graffiti’s background began way back in the 1960s. At this time, This art was primarily used for gang identification and to mark territories. The subculture soon grew widespread publicly in 1971 when Taki 183 became recognized for his work in the subway. His excess time working in the subway became of use for his talent and passion. It was brought to attention in the New York Times. Taki, also known as Demetrius, was not the first to be known for being an artist and was not the founder of graffiti. According to HuntFor, “graffiti has existed at least since the days of ancient civilizations. Graffiti originally was the term used for inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs, or at Pompeii.” I guess we could now say that the founders of graffiti originated thousands of years ago.

There’s been a mild controversy between the thoughts about graffiti and tagging. It’s to be said now that tagging refers to the illegal prints of art or to be too vulgar for public view. While on the hand, graffiti is a creative, expressive opinion fine for the public and legal.

Wikipedia Definition:
“Writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.”

HuntFor Definition:
“Graffiti is a type of deliberate marking on property, both private and public. It can take the form of pictures, drawings, words, or any decorations inscribed on any surface usually outside walls and sidewalks.”

Personal Definition:
Your personal expression of your thoughts and feelings plastered on walls, streets, or ceilings. A creative way to identify your own handiwork.

Sources:
DaveyD
HuntFor
Wikipedia
“Wall Writers” photo

Street Art vs. Graffiti

Two fantastic artists; each hold a separate style; both share a similar interest. The two artists go by Daim and Kurt Wenner. Kurt specializes in anamorphic illusionistic style while Daim prefers his graffiti.

Daim is a professional German graffiti artist. He started his career in 1989 and has forever since then, explored the limits of his mind. His style and technique makes you feel like you’re lifting from your body, entering his realm of imagination. This quote will give a better descriptive explanation of his work. “His geometric figures and letters obey the laws of light and shadow but defy gravity and curve space. The beholder is sucked into the image or feels transported to new dimensions”

-DAIM graffiti art.

In a fairly recent post, I briefly mentioned Kurt’s connection to the modern anamorphic illusionistic style of art. After his venture to Italy, Kurt brought back the idea of 3D street art. He became America’s founder of this world historic treasure.

Both Kurt and Daim share their interest in the three dimensional world. They grew from their hobbies as amateurs to world renowned professionals. Geometry plays a vital role in both art forms. Kurt’s use of geometry and classicism gives a distortion making viewable from a specific angle. Daim’s use of it doesn’t give off as much of a distortion as Kurt. The last comment could be considered a difference too because their use of geometry is different, yet a similarity because it is vital for both to use it.

Their difference lies in the art forms themselves. The style of graffiti and street art in attraction and perception. Street art pulls a more realistic classicism and expresses its dimensions. Daim’s graffiti shoots for a more quick, fashionable appeal. If you look at graffiti at any angle, you can still see the dimensional jump from 2D to 3D. Street art relies on a perspective and only one viewpoint. If you were to draw a person on the ground in 3D, if you stand next it, all it is is a bunch colors added together. View it from the front, you can start to see the painting come alive.

Although these people share their differences, they still connect in a way with a few similarities. Both art fanatics still scour the globe spreading their passion and talent among everyone else.

Sources:

"Temple Fall" photo

"Abstract Graffiti" photo

Daim:
http://daim.org/site/en/about/
http://weburbanist.com/2008/06/29/top-10-3d-graffiti-artists-in-the-world/

Kurt:
http://www.kurtwenner.com/images/PDFs/Artist_Statement.pdf

Different Perspectives

For this post, I decided to get someone other opinions on art. I I scheduled interviews and got some insight on their thoughts.Three people were willing to sacrifice some free time to answer these questions.

People interviewed
Adam Coon
Kimberly Grigg

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First up, Adam is a fantastic artist and a current time blogger. He imaginative mind has a way of creating weird drawings and sometimes completely random. The blog he keeps track of is called “Draw-a-Day.”

Interview
“What are your thoughts on art?”
He answered, “It is crazy, interesting, and amazing.”

“How long have you been interested in art?”
He answered, “I’ve been interested in art for fourteen and a half years. That is basically my whole life.”

“What is your most favorable art style?”
He answered, “I favor painting, and drawing sketches with pencils. I also like using water colors.”

Based on Adam’s responses, I conclude that he can interact with art in a different way others may feel. His personality reflects on art to inspire him through each passing day.

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Now for our second interview. Kimberly is an Early College facilitator at a Bessemer City High School. She helps with advice needed by curious students. I thought she would provide me with great responses on her perspective outlook. As I predicted, she provided something different from Adam.

Interview
“What do you value most in art?”
She answered, “I value the differences in different artists.”

“How do you think art impacts life today?”
She answered, “It gives you an appreciation for life through visual images and styles.”

Thanks to Kimberly, I feel like I connected with her responses and how they would apply to me as well;however, they wouldn’t be my only answers if I were asked these questions. Her insights on art were mostly different from what Adam said.

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Thanks to these two opposite views on our imaginative, creative culture, I was able to see things I didn’t see in art. They allowed me to open up a little more and notice things I haven’t before.

Sources:

Kimberly Grigg

Adam Coon (Draw-a-Day)

Anamorphic Illusionistic ~ 3D Street Art?

Street art; something that appeals to everybody. This art form has come as a great way for expression and a perfect portrayal of depth and dimension. I find this a my most favorite style; using the street and surroundings as your personal art gallery. Today’s post will discuss brief history of street art.

All that is Interesting says, “though the medium is widely regarded as a modern art, street art traces its origins back to the Renaissance.” Of everything I heard about this art form, I never heard about it’s origins in the Renaissance.

Kurt Wenner could be classified as today’s modern street art founder. The key words are could and modern. The reason I say this is because he was not the first person to start this style, for he was born until the 1900s. He traveled to Rome, Italy in 1982 to discover the madonnari unique form of art. After his return the U.S., he traveled to Santa Barbara Museum of Art to introduce his findings; thus, becoming the founder of the American style.

Mentioned before, “madonnari were italians that traveled between festivals that lived off of coins simply thrown to the side due to their visual talents.” They were the first founders of street art and they prospered in the time of the Renaissance. Madonnari wasn’t a family or person’s name, it was the title branded to a type of people based on occupation.

Kurt combined today’s modern style of street art with classical style painting to create his own form, now known as 3D street art. The original name of this style is called anamorphic illusionistic.


His painting and drawings have now become a sensation and discussed in at least a dozen different broadcasts, magazines, newspapers, and blogs since his return from Italy. Down below are two examples of Anamorphic Illusionistic style drawings.

Sources:

"Street Gone" photo

"Temple Fall" photo

"Waterfall" photo

How-To-Draw: First Point Perspective Room

Have you ever wondered how to draw making something looking 3D? Well this style of art is called perspective. There's one, two, and three point perspective. The difficulty for each one follows in that same order, easiest, intermediate, and hard. Gif Peanut Butter says “first point perspective is not that much different from two. It’s a little simpler and straightforward.” This will be my how-to post for first point perspective of a room.

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First Step:
The first thing you need to do is find the center of your paper. To do this, just measure half the length of your paper and draw a horizontal line. Then find half the width and draw a vertical line. Draw a dot/circle where they meet and erase excess markings. This now becomes your vanishing point(VP).

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Second Step:
Draw an even square/rectangle around your VP. Keep in mind that this shape becomes the back wall of the room.

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Third Step:
Draw a line from one inner corner of your box to the one opposite it. Repeat for the remaining two corners.

Line your ruler up with one of the diagonal lines, then continue each end of the line until it reaches the edge of your paper. Repeat for the other diagonal line. Erase the diagonal lines that are inside your box. You then will have a box with four diagonal lines on the outside. If done correctly, you now have a layout for your room.

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Fourth Step:
Now, lets start with a dresser. Put your pencil somewhere on a bottom diagonal line(I would say around the middle of the line). From this spot, draw a line up, then a line horizontal toward the other diagonal line. These lines shouldn’t be drawn to high or too far left/right, depending on which diagonal you chose.

Finish drawing the rest of the box and erase the diagonal line in the box. Resulting in this:

Now, Draw a line from each corner to the VP(never draw a line from the farthest corner from the VP for it will be hidden behind the object). These lines going to the VP are receding lines.

Find the receding lines that are coming from the top two corners of the small box. Draw a horizontal line connecting the two lines. The spot where the receding and horizontal line meet(on the side closest to the middle of the paper), draw a vertical line down to the other receding line.  Now erase the remaining receding lines from where you drew to the VP and any marks inside your box. Resulting in this:

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Fifth Step:
It’s time for one last step, the window. On one wall of your room, draw two vertical lines parallel to each other. The distance separating them are up to you. First, draw a receding line from the line farthest the VP going to it. Repeat for the other end of the same line. If the inner vertical line was long enough, you should now have a rectangle on your wall. Erase extra lines not needed and excess receding lines. Resulting in this:

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Sixth and Remaining Steps:
Now, it’s your turn to figure the rest out.

Sources:
Drawing photos courtesy of yours truly, Chris~Anonymous

Arts Impact On Success

People have always been wondering how to improve success. How can you? If the kid doesn't try, people punish to give them a fearful motive. Have you ever tried a tutor?


According to Brett Zongker, Charlotte Observer, two actresses plan to help the Obama Administration turn schools around with the arts. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kerry Washington pledged to use this strategy to transform eight specific schools.

Research is going to be demonstrated to prove art can change behavior problems and increase success. Its going to be a two-year initiative focusing on eight poverty struck elementary and middle schools.

They are located in New Orleans; Boston; Washington; Des Moines; Iowa; Portland, Ore; Bridgeport, Conn.; and Lame Deer, Mont. Half of the dropout rate is due to fifteen percent of the nation's schools. Yet fifty percent is less likely to even offer the classes that may help increase the overall academic skills.

Artists from the president's committee plan to bring in programs and raise funds to continue their reign of success after the two years. Spoken with inspiration in mind, Dana Gioia said:

Art is an Irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world. There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories, or songs, or images. Art delights, instructs, consoles. It educates our emotions.

For more information, visit: Turn Around: Arts

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Learning in and through the arts is foundational to early childhood education. MCFHC is comprised primarily of children from families with multiple challenges that typically are identified as indicators of poor student achievement. The mission of Arts Impact and PSESD is to eliminate the achievement gap by 2020 and insure access to quality education for ALL children. Partnering with MCFHC helps us fulfill that mission. MCFHC has a family centered culture: a place where parents, teachers, and older siblings are involved in a collaborative way to help insure that the pre-school children will be ready for kindergarten. This collaborative approach to education fits well with the Arts Impact model of integrating multiple ways of knowing and showing.

--Sibyl Barnum, Arts Impact Program Director

MCFHC stands for "Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center" and is a non-profit human services agency. The MCFHC is providing support to children and families with any type of background.

Sources:

"Arts Impact" photo (Arts Impacts)

Charlotte Observer

Sharp Brains

Arts Impact

Stereographic Animated GIFs

Stereographic Animated GIFs is an unusual form of art that predates the internet itself. GIF stands for “Graphics Interchange Format” and is a photography animation where two pictures are merged to form an endless cycle of wiggling or twitching. GIFs create a 3-dimensional perspective to 2D photos. 

GIFs were first seen in 1987, but its popularity first exploded in the 1990’s. There’s also something called the wobble image. The difference between The wobble image and GIFs is that in wobble image, both the foreground and the background move like something would look like if you shook your head side to side. 

Dain Fagerholm introduced his first stereographic sketches. Instead of using realistic photos, he has given his own hand-drawn monsters a sense of depth while in reality, they are 2-dimensional. He gave them the chance to live a 3-dimensional life. According to the Daily Dot, Dain said “these ‘characters’ are all creatures that live on Mystery Planet” and "they are my friends." He draws most of his characters with pen and markers and at least half contain gems in them.

Stereographic animations have been around before the internet, as stated before, and arose to extreme heights thanks to the web. Sites like Tumblr and Twitter have been using GIFs for a while because they create a sense of fun, excitement, and enjoyment. 


Since the first GIF was seen, it now celebrates its 25th anniversary. These image file aren’t just for entertainment or personal amusement, but also for businesses and advertising. Instead of GIF, most people have been wondering whether they are pronouncing it right or not. Its been pronounced as “Jiff” with a “J” sound or “Giff” with a “G” sound. The Graphics Interchange Format was introduced by CompuServe back in 1987 and was terrible for photography then.

Watch this video to see a history layout for GIFs!

Sources:

"Friends" photo (two monsters sitting)

"Creature With Amethyst Gem" photo (gemstone monster)

"Animated GIFs: The Birth of a Medium" video (dinosaur dressed cat)