Are there places were it is legal to post graffiti?

Answer 1

There are rare instances when a wall of a building is open to spray can art. The taggers, bombers, schemers, or whatever they are being called this month usually don't show up, however. That's because the art of a schemer is "different" that that of a spary can artist who puts work up on large surfaces. It's unfortunate that the talents of the bomber can't be displayed more often. Their work is generally smaller and less "functional" than, say, a mural or scene painted on the side of a structure. Some of the "posts" on things like subway cars and on stationary objects are quite good and reflect uncommon ability. But there are a number of things that inhibit the graffiti artist. One is that this person will often have his efforts lumped in with the simple crap that gang members post to mark turf. 'Nuf said there. Local codes and ordinances are pretty restrictive. And part of the motivation of someone who wants to scheme a bunch of the aforementioned subway cars in hopes of going "all city" to display his work is the thrill of the act. It's illegal. And knowingly and deliberately breaking the law bring heightened feelings to many, if not most people. The artist gets a rush sneaking into a yard and laying up schemes on a few cars and then making a break for it. Another idea is that the tag is "living art" and is painted over, either all or in part, in a perpetual display of evolving visual stimulation - or visual noise, if you look at it this way. The bottom line, to be more direct, is that there aren't a lot of places in or near urban areas where graffiti is welcome. It is only rarely that those who practice this art form have a legit canvas, like someone's old car or garage door. As an alternative, develop skills and abilities in the art, and then move on to spray painting murals or other displays. By having some skills so the piece looks "good" when you're done, you might be able to go around and convince some local folks to let you scheme their old truck or mailbox or whatever. That's about the best that can be hoped for. Good luck finding patrons of your art form.