涂鸦文化:街头艺术还是都市伤痕?

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  小兰 译
  1)Graffiti Culture: Street Art or Street Vandals?
  第一次接触涂鸦是在念初中的时候,班上一个捣蛋的男孩子常常偷偷摸摸地用马克笔在大院的居民楼墙壁上写着他讨厌的男生的名字以示报复,我们都觉得这种行为很不道德,而且很破坏城市容貌。后来在书上了解到涂鸦文化,看到那些街头艺术家忘我地创作,不禁为他们的艺术牺牲精神深表叹服。涂鸦作为一种产生于街头的艺术形式,当它被主流文化接纳以后,它是该继续坚持它原始的街头非法创作形式,还是转向合法的或者说是商业化的涂鸦创作形式呢?
  ——Lavender
  
  Gaffiti culture is a topic on which our society has long been 2)divided. Graffiti is either seen as a new form of urban expression, or an art form in its own right or mindless 3)vandalism, labeled as popular amongst 4)delinquents, a product of the unsuccessful lower classes.
  Graffiti has been a visible sub-culture since the 1970’s and has now turned into a part of modern youth culture. No amount of wall washing, it seems, will ever suppress the 5)spray paint culture, which appears as a brightly colored rainbow, weaving itself in and out of the gray tower block landscapes. However, graffiti culture, fuelled by mainstream interference, appears to be moving in two very different directions, which may never meet.
  Until recent years, the media’s 6)portrayal of graffiti was almost solely negative, concentrating on the cost of removal, vandalism and loss of property value. Rather than look at graffiti as a form of urban expression, it has generally been seen as a sign of urban 7)decay, the 8)decomposition of middle class values.
  This is, of course, until it became a commodity. The 9)influx of graffiti-inspired 10)catwalk collections three years ago was more than acceptable to mainstream values. We can be rest assured that 11)Louis Vuitton was not accused of 12)delinquency. The 13)coffee table books, favored by high society, featuring hundreds of 14)throw-ups, 15)tags, pieces and 16)murals, may make a 17)quirky conversation point, but let’s not forget that the artists would have potentially gone to prison for “vandalism” or “criminal damage”. Surely you cannot sell criminal damage?
  About four years ago, 18)Sprite employed street artist Temper to design limited edition graffiti cans and bottles, celebrating “the nation’s love affair with all things urban”. This seems to be one way in which graffiti culture is moving forward. Many modern crews, keen to develop the art form, are open to the possibilities of 19)pro-active strategies.
  This type of opportunity is incredibly rare and it may actually push artists who don’t have legal opportunities open to them into more traditional crews who focus on street art, concentrating mainly on attacks on the railway system and viewing legal opportunities as a sell-out. It is the more traditional crews that are likely to suffer most from this graffiti divide, as the police try to enforce a “zero tolerance” approach on street graffiti art, at a time when legal (or money-making) art has been elevated to the extent of inclusion in mainstream culture.
  Graffiti culture is rooted in the streets, although this is not to say it should stay there. It appears that mainstream culture is currently adopting half of an already fully developed culture, which simply can’t be done. How can we justify enforcing a “zero tolerance” approach on the streets and then 20)pluck a graffiti artist off the streets when they have reached a writing standard high enough to modify into a soda can or photo for a coffee book?
  A common point of view is that it’s the taggers who cause the most damage, by making a “mess” rather than attempting entire pieces. However, how are artists supposed to progress and improve to a standard high enough for society to begin to appreciate without adequate practice? Those at the top of the ladder in the world of graffiti started at the bottom; all artists begin by tagging and go from there. Talent, practice and style are the things that distinguish graffiti artists from each other. Theirs is a world free of economic discrimination, where you rely on your talent alone. Life is about progression; even 21)capitalism wouldn’t disagree with that.
  The main problem with this current divide within graffiti culture, between traditional crews, (those only involved with illegal activities) and 22)modernist crews (those who are more interested in the art form and are eager to participate in legal activities), is the possibility of increased “tagging wars”. Tagging wars occur when there is 23)rivalry between crews in the same area. With legal opportunities being few and far between, the chance to gain recognition for work may cause enough rivalry to start tagging wars.
  It needs to be decided whether as a society, we are to embrace graffiti as an art form, which would mean celebrating its use in advertising, fashion and modern art, but also in its rawest form: street. Tolerance rather than “zero-tolerance” would have to be employed, especially in the poorer areas where there aren’t yet enough community resources to provide writers with the opportunity to participate in legal art, such as community art murals.
  It is possible to modify crew behavior to that of the modernist persuasion. However, for this to work effectively community resources need to be constantly available. The problem of tagging can be addressed by workshops, run by respected top graffiti writers to enhance ability and encourage the attempt of whole pieces and murals rather than a series of messy tags.
  Space needs to be 24)allocated for murals, so that the streets are not the only supply of fresh 25)canvas. The provision of community resources invites those in graffiti culture into their local society, from which they usually feel excluded. Community projects, where members of different crews work together, can also lead to a decrease in “tagging wars” as the rivalry is no longer felt.
  The next step towards welcoming modern graffiti culture into society needs to be taken. As the song goes, “now you’ve had the best of me, come on and take the rest of me.”
  
  一直以来,大众对涂鸦文化的看法莫衷一是:既有人将涂鸦视为都市文化表达的一种新方式,一种自成一派的艺术形式;也有人认为涂鸦是一种不用脑子的破坏行为,在小混混当中普遍流行,是不得志的下层阶级的手笔。
  上个世纪七十年代开始,涂鸦作为一种视觉亚文化引起了人们的关注,现在更成为现代青少年文化的一部分。当局对墙上的涂鸦见一个抹一个,也似乎依然无法压制这种喷漆文化。一幅幅涂鸦作品就像绚烂夺目的彩虹,在灰暗林立的大厦墙壁上蜿蜒曲折。然而,在主流文化的干预下,涂鸦文化似乎正朝两个截然相反的方向分化。
  一直以来,媒体对涂鸦的评价几乎是完全否定的,它们全把注意力集中在涂鸦的负面影响上,譬如人们要斥巨资洗掉涂鸦作品,涂鸦是一种蓄意破坏行为,被涂鸦的建筑物会贬值等等。这些看法和态度直到最近几年才发生变化。媒体本来并不把涂鸦视为张扬都市个性的一种表达方式,而把它看成城市堕落的一种标志,看成中产阶级价值观崩溃的体现。
  当然,涂鸦变成一种商品之后,人们的态度就发生了质的变化。三年前,受涂鸦启发和影响的T台流行箱包展示就得到了主流价值观的赞赏。很肯定的一点是,对于路易斯·威登这个品牌,没有人会指责它搞破坏;那些受上流社会青睐的画册里不乏成百上千幅白描涂鸦、名字涂鸦、整幅涂鸦及壁画涂鸦,这些书可能会激发起想入非非、妙语连珠的社交对话。但我们别忘了,这些涂鸦的创作者是极有可能因为“毁坏公物”或“违法破坏”的罪名而锒铛入狱的。你肯定不会出售违法者搞破坏的“成果”吧?
  大约四年前,雪碧聘请街头艺术家坦珀设计限量版的涂鸦饮料罐和饮料瓶,讴歌“美国对一切都市文化的迷恋”。这似乎是涂鸦文化的发展方向之一。有志发扬这种艺术形式的当代涂鸦团体,纷纷采取了寻找机遇、主动出击的策略。
  这种机遇非常罕有,因此它有可能最终会使那些得不到合法创作机遇的艺术家向更加传统的极端靠拢,那就是只专注于街头艺术,以地铁为主要涂鸦对象,并且将接受合法创作的机遇视为对涂鸦文化的背叛。在涂鸦文化走向分化的过程中,那些坚持传统的涂鸦艺术家可能受创至深,因为在合法的(或者说是商业化的)涂鸦艺术已经登堂入室,被主流文化所接纳之际,警方正试图对街头涂鸦艺术采取“零宽容”的打击。
  涂鸦文化植根于街头巷尾,但这并不是说它们永远不得登大雅之堂。现在,主流文化似乎正在把一种已经发展成熟的文化对半切开,把一半挪为己用,这是绝对让人无法接受的。当街头艺术家的造诣已达到一定的高度,其作品经改良足以用在饮料罐身的设计上,或被拍下来收进画册的时候,我们却采取“零宽容”的打击,禁止他们在街头作画,这怎么说得过去?
  许多人觉得,正是那些“签名者”严重地破坏了涂鸦的名声,他们是在把城市弄得一塌糊涂,而不是要创作完整的作品。然而,如果没有前期大量的练习,试问这些街头艺术家又怎能不断进步,并最终达到一个让全社会欣赏的高度呢?在涂鸦的世界里,所有那些攀爬到云梯之巅的人,都是从梯子的最底层开始的;所有的涂鸦艺术家都是从名字涂鸦起步的。涂鸦艺术家之间的区别在于才华、实践和风格。涂鸦艺术家所在的圈子不以金钱分等级,才华是唯一的依凭。生命是一个不断进步的过程,这一点,就连资本主义也不会否认。
  目前涂鸦艺术本身出现了传统涂鸦艺术家(那些只从事非法活动的人)与现代主义涂鸦艺术家(那些对发展涂鸦这种艺术形式更感兴趣,并且积极参与合法涂鸦活动的人)的分化,这种分化带来的主要问题可能令“签名大战”升级。同一个地区不同的涂鸦团体之间出现敌对时,“签名大战”就会出现。涂鸦获得的合法机会寥寥无几,为了使自己的作品得到认可,“签名大战”此起彼伏就不足为奇了。
  社会是否应该欢迎涂鸦这种艺术形式,是一个需要经讨论决定的问题。如果说应该,那么我们不仅要肯定涂鸦在广告、时尚以及现代艺术等领域的应用,还要接受它最原始的一面:充斥街头。那么,“零宽容”的态度就应该被“宽容”取而代之,尤其在比较贫穷的地方,那里的社区仍不足以让涂鸦艺术家得到合法创作的机会,譬如提供墙壁之类。
  纠正涂鸦艺术家们的行为,使其更符合现代主义涂鸦艺术家所推崇的那些准则是有可能的。然而,要让它行之有效,我们就要长期为涂鸦者们提供社区资源。“签名”的问题可以通过创建工作坊来解决:由名望高的顶级涂鸦作者主持工作坊,以便提高涂鸦者的艺术造诣,鼓励大家去创作完整的、画在墙壁上的涂鸦,捐弃零零碎碎的影响市容的名字涂鸦。
  我们应该为涂鸦者提供一些专门用于创作的墙壁,这样街道就不会是他们唯一的画布了。社区提供资源,涂鸦者会被吸引到所属的社区里,而不是像现在这样被孤立和排斥。在开展社区项目时,不同的涂鸦作者群之间合作,彼此不再敌对,从而有利于“签名大战”的减少。
  我们应该要进一步采取措施帮助现代涂鸦文化融入我们的社会。就如某首歌唱的那样:“你已经拥有了我最好的一面,加油,来把我整个占有吧!”
  
  涂鸦词典
   All-city: 当涂鸦者或者涂鸦团体在一个城市的主要地铁线路都创作过涂鸦时,就称这种创作为All-city
   Bench: 涂鸦创作者的聚集地,一般是指集体创作涂鸦的地方
   Bite: 抄袭人家的作品
   Bomb: 涂鸦
   Buff: 清除涂鸦
   Bumer: 从涂鸦竞赛里获胜的人
   Burn: 与其他涂鸦创作者竞争,比谁的作品好,也作style wars
   Burner: 指那些超棒的作品,一般是Wild Style的
   Caps: 涂鸦专用喷头,有fat、skinny、German thin三种
   Crew: 由涂鸦画家组成的团体
   Crossing out: 涂改或覆盖某人的名字
   Designs: 在底色上加上如闪光或彩斑之类的小花样,好坏一般由作者的想象力和技术决定
   Dope: 称赞某人的作品
   DT: 指便衣警察和侦探
   Families: 指碰到与别人Throw-up的名字相同的尴尬情况
   Fill-in: 上色
   Final outline: 在上色和Designs完成后,为了修整作品的轮廓,要再勾一次边
   Getting up: 你的名字涂在许多地方时,你的知名度就高了,这就叫Getting up
   Getting over: 后起之秀
   Hand style: 一般指Tag的形式或手写风格
   Hit: 指Tag、throw-up或一幅作品
   King: 最牛的涂鸦画家
   Marker Pen: 马克笔,一种上色工具,有油性和水性两种。油性的一般用于玻璃、塑料等,水性的一般用于纸张
   Outline: 勾边
   Piece: 指一幅涂鸦
   Production: 大型涂鸦,精细而且还有图案的,一般在高大的建筑物上
   The Buff: 指纽约铁路总局的涂鸦清除计划
   Throw-up: 只勾边不上色的简单涂鸦,或者上单色调,如白色
   Toy: 指技巧不成熟或画作不得体
   Wak:不合格的涂鸦
   Writer: 涂鸦者,玩涂鸦的聚居地
  注释
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