What's the Difference Between Graffiti And Tagging

Over the past 30 years or so there has been a major decrease in the number of graffiti artists that are truly gifted in the craft. Most people will probably disagree but that's because they do not know what graffiti really is. There's a difference between graffiti and tagging.

I was actually surprised that Webster's New World dictionary has the correct definitions for both of these words in it. According to Webster's New World dictionary graffiti or graffito is defined as, an inscription or drawing on a wall or other public surface. A tag when relating it to this subject is defined as, a label. Now, to make the picture a lot clearer here, real graffiti involves a lot more work, colors, and meaning. People actually like to look at real graffiti. Though it does piss off our government because it is a form of vandalism, real graffiti is beautiful. A tag on the other hand, is the garbage you see sprayed all over town's and cities more often today.

The definition of a tag is a label, and that's exactly what it is. When you see a name or a series of names spray painted on a wall that you can't even read, that is a tag. Tags are ugly. People who do tags and call themselves graffiti artists are a disgrace. They are not graffiti artists at all. They are taggers. A lot of taggers can get creative with their colors and their lettering but that still doesn't make them graffiti artists. Most taggers are members of street gangs. Most of them do tags to mark their gang 's territory as well as other gang-related purposes. Someone who is a graffiti artists is not a gangster, though a gangster can be a graffiti artist. They are not one in the same.

Real graffiti artists paint murals. The character of Ramo in the movie Beat Street, is a great example of what a true graffiti artist really is. I personally don't condone vandalism in any way, but the train bombs he did in that movie were beautiful examples of a true graffiti artist's work. If there was a way that graffiti artists could practice their craft without vandalizing cities, I'm sure there would be a lot more graffiti artists today than taggers.

Professional painters probably consider graffiti art as not being real art, sort of the same way that ballet dancers used to look at break dancing. I think if there was a way that graffiti artists could have more freedom with their art, they would get a lot more respect for their art. Real graffiti artists use their talents to express themselves the same way that dancers, musicians, singers, and writers do.