jet sanchEz

botty kayer

jet sanchEz love the color of your Schwinn

seagrade 

The artwork is incredible (as are the bicycles) but the cynic in me wonders if Big Tobacco funded that of the first photo…!

SoCaled 

crusty graffiti in a crusty alley

steelbikeguy

This is more of a "bikes under bridges" photo than a graffiti photo.
It's also an example of finding the largest piece of debris to use to prop up your bike for a photo.
This is under a railroad bridge that crosses the Rock Island trail, north of Peoria.



Steve in Peoria

joesch

I found this interesting, its for the "graffiti abatement program" in Fort Worth

botty kayer

BTinNYC 

I know, the pre-demolition marking isn't graffiti.

curbtender

Physical Graffiti

Rocket-Sauce 

Honest question... Is a mural graffiti and at what point does graffiti become a mural?

curbtender

Good question. Some of these are unauthorized and usually done by a crew of artist. Some areas have walls open for painting to discourage it from showing up on businesses and private property. Then you have taggers that just make scribble that is for some sort of self promotion.

joesch

Rocket-Sauce If it is illegally painted on a wall, it's graffiti, even if it has artistic merit. If it is legally painted on a wall, it's a mural. It may be an excellent mural or a terrible one. But it's art and not graffiti by this definition.

SoCaled 

Valid question, I had the same thought recently (about my posts), not always so easily answered. I would say your have an accurate definition and generally true, but I would argue it can be a bit fuzzy. In most definitions of Graffiti, the words "usually illegal" are there as a qualifier. There are many places where Graffiti is tacitly or explicitly "allowed", a lot of Europe - Barcelona specifically, comes to mind, this makes for a very fuzzy line. How do you know who had permission? Then there is Graffiti the "act" and Graffiti the "art style(s)". Graffiti style and culture has become bigger than just the act. Graffiti is also known as one of the 5 elements/pillars of Hip-Hop, famously being done on trains and walls in NYC it was also done live (legally) at parties alongside DJ's, MC's and breakdancer's and beatboxer's. Graffiti has had Museum shows and been printed on products from toys to sneakers to bicycles. I would argue the images below would be considered "Graffiti" painted with or without permission.



To further muddy the waters here are two of my previous posts:

This is graffiti? I think most would say yes, classic example. Could he have had permission?


How about this one? Same "Graffiti" artist, but I happen to know this was "legally painted on the wall" so Mural? - 100 yards away same artist has classic "unauthorized" graffiti under a highway underpass


so this is obviously graffiti?

Unless the owner gave permission?

In San Francisco there were 2 abandoned walls on the corner of a vacant lot that for years were a known graffiti spot. When new development started to come in the owners hired artists to paint the walls that had been covered in graffiti, some of the artists hired were the same ones who had painted the walls illegally. With the walls now covered in commissioned "murals" some of the "Graffiti artists" who had previously had paint on the wall went back and painted over the new murals, reclaiming their territory. Now you had commissioned murals next to and peeking out from under "Graffiti", what is what? hard to tell.

In Miami's Wynnwood district 20-25 years ago graffiti artists found huge walls in an under used area that faced the 95 freeway, they covered them in colossal (illegal) Graffiti pieces that be seen by thousands of motorists a day. This area started to become known for these Graffiti pieces, more artists came and painted. Some businesses "ignored" their buildings being painted. Some saw an opportunity and had artists paint their buildings with "permission" maybe even pay. Fast forward to today and you have https://thewynwoodwalls.com/, a high end outdoor gallery, with built to paint walls, many painted by the same artists who had previously done their work illegally, some who still do. So what was/is Graffiti? Just the first illegal painting? is it a functional distinction?

So while I will agree with a general definition of Graffiti = Illegal/un-permitted & Mural = Legal/permitted, I will also say it may not always be that clear, and depending on the situation it may be an somewhat unknowable and arbitrary distinction.

Murals or Graffiti, I love the pics in this thread

botty kayer

I think the definition given is a good guide, but i am happy to see graffiti, murals and street art all posted together here. They mostly all are a big improvement on a blank concrete wall imo.

On this one the writing stretches the whole length of the road and reads 'smile more often', who i think are a crew as I've seen it posted before.

And some Snoop Dogg to finish....

ascherer 

I suppose it might have been my bike, albeit briefly.

curbtender

Basically it is all graffiti style, just matters who is paying for the paint...

downtube42

Ran across this while out on a coffeeneuring run.

botty kayer

SoCaled 

botty kayer

I"ve had no working internet at home for a few weeks, so here's a catch up of.my recent spots....

botty kayer

SoCaled 

Velo Mule

Is that Gary Fisher? Perhaps not, but there is a passing resemblance.

curbtender

Thought the same thing but hat is wrong.

botty kayer

Sorry I've got no idea if its Gary.