Graffiti is a rightful appropriation of public spaces (similar in spirit to Schwitters' Merzbilden) that, in my view, can add a degree of artistic beauty to what will be an otherwise dreary cityscape. I recently saw graffiti art in Spain to equal, in energy & individuality, Joan Miró's art logo (such as the one at Barcelona's biggest bank, La Caixa) and public installations: in fact, compared to it even Miró may look bourgeois, perhaps even outdated (ironically, the very criticism he'd leveled against his rival Picasso). Portuguese street artist Odeith's wall murals are remarkably striking creations, and though his work's found in the slums of Lisbon, they seem as much a part of the urban aesthetics as the ports, cathedrals and glazed facades. This contemporary work by the new masters has the distinctive feel of both art and social protest.
Remarkable as the graffiti sketched and sprayed on walls, city barriers & highway overpasses is, there are also the hundreds of abandoned farm houses strewn along the countryside whose walls have been turned into a living canvas. The arid landscape, rather than being violated in any way, drew a vitality from the colorful lettering and designs. The real Prado resides here. Needless to say, the result proved to be particularly inspiring to me.
Despite the language difficulties, I've constructed a series of 'graffiti haiku' comprised of actual graffiti (in italics) and the usual commercial adverts posted everywhere in English & Spanish. Their juxtaposition was too tempting to overlook. Haiku purists might object that authorial 'vision' is here haphazard or that I'd imposed authorial 'intention' where none existed. Nonetheless, it's an interesting confluence of graffiti and commerce I saw in 2011: art and the economic basis on which cultural productions grow. And where they do arise together there's bound to be tension.
To capture some of that prevailing 'social protest' tension is a prerequisite to what I've tried to do here.
sonar tzar—
pont du Diable
Olae!—
olae! olae! olae!
Tzar!—
Nitrato de Chile
spore—
prats de rei
Ibex—
torrente del Martí
Crux—
merci, gracias, thank you!
Hank—
la seu d'urgell
Koooors—
abierto dies y noches
Rabia trick—
Mc Auto
Game 1492—
hotel
AKA Topa—
zona de servicios
Poeas suck—
Cars & Cars