Graffiti

Graffiti in Madrid, Calle Olivar (above)


I love photographing graffiti, so you can expect to see different graffiti images appear occasionally on this blog. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, the images I plan to post will also be relevant to the topic at hand. That is to say, graffiti is a perfect example of a cultural similarity existing between Madrid and Boston. For both Madrilenos and Bostonians, graffiti seems to be a means of public artistic expression. In my opinion, however, the Spanish style differs slightly from the Boston one. In Madrid, the graffiti is generally more imaginative. At first glance, the images appear strange and seemingly out of place. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the artist was expressing their inner consciousness in a way only they could fully understand. I realize that some of you might think this observation is a bit out there, but my experience with Spanish graffiti has been that it is especially personal and expressive. In Boston, the graffiti seems to be more humanistic and is often culturally relevant (e.g. in Chinatown, there are many images of the yin-yang, etc.) As a result,it's a bit easier to understand the artist's message (if there is one).

Obviously these are just my impressions. As time goes by, I will post more images so that you can draw your own conclusions. Regardless of your unique interpretations, you'll have to agree that graffiti is an art form that has transcended cultural borders for much of history.