Module 1B Dirty Transport Graffiti: Crime or Urban Art? Graffiti is a term that refers to any kind of public marking, generally written words or sometimes more elaborate wall paintings Political movements use them as a means of expressing their point of view, lovers show their devotion to each other on walls and monuments, and others simply damage the city by writing unkind words Such is the case of gangs expressing rivalry or just marking their territory In most countries, covering any wall with graffiti without the owner’s consent is considered vandalism, which is illegal Writing or painting graffiti is not the real crime, but trespassing and / or damaging private property is There are probably few people who know that graffiti dates from ancient times, with examples in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire While many consider it as unsightly scribbling that only shows ignorance and disrespect, to some people graffiti sometimes communicates social and political messages, and to others, it is even a form of art There are many different types and styles of graffiti The most popular is the spray paint graffiti, but some artists use other methods, such as the stencil graffiti which is created by cutting out shapes and designs from a piece of cardboard and placed on a wall where spray paint is applied until the image appears on the surface This method is very popular because it is quick and time is always an important factor when you are trying to avoid the police! Another quick technique is the throw-up or bombing which is normally painted with two or three colours, but with less attractive results Although graffiti is invading our public spaces and is generally heartbreaking to look at it, some depict very original and complex works of art that come from real inspiration Graffiti is representative of our pop culture and is here to stay! English Toolkit - Art Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 Graffiti is widely popular in any city Buildings and public transportation are covered with these inscriptions and everybody can see them but generally, nobody does anything about them Module 1B Activities 1 Scan the text and answer the following questions a What is graffiti? b What can people express through a piece of graffiti? c Which is the most popular type of graffiti? d Why is stencil graffiti so popular? a to describe something or someone in writing or speech, or to show them in a painting, picture, etc : b to destroy something completely and deliberately: c to go onto or to use someone’s private property without their permission: d ugly or unpleasant to look at: 3 In pairs, discuss the following questions Share your answers with the rest of the class a What measures would you take in your city to avoid graffiti? b Think of possible solutions to this problem 4 Design a leaflet including the actions you would take to avoid graffiti after the discussion in the previous activity Try to use If / will If gangs in the streets paint walls with graffiti we will… English Toolkit - Art Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 2 Find in the text words for these definitions