Graffiti Art in Los Angeles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Graffiti Art in Los Angeles - Research Paper Example While he began in these small venues, today Crash is recognized as one of the fathers of the graffiti art movement, and has had a tremendous influence on Los Angeles artists. In addition to being a highly influential graffiti artist, Crash curated the seminal 1980 Graffiti Art Success for America at Fashion MODA (Chang 2005). This exhibition launched the 1980s graffiti art movement that would spread its influence to Los Angeles. Another seminal graffiti artist that emerged from New York and would go on to influence Los Angeles artists was Fab Five Freddy. Fab Five Freddy was a member of the New York graffiti group the Fabulous Five. Freddy got his name for his consistent tagging on the number five on subway walls. Freddy became a part of the seminal New York film Downtown 81, as well as a number of other seminal pop art projects (Loos 2006). While New York foregrounded many of the aesthetic elements, Los Angeles would adopt these elements and implement them into their own unique styl e. In large part Los Angeles graffiti took on gang connotations. With the sprawling urban populace, gangland delineation became a prevalent issue and in many ways graffiti art was used to mark territory. Still, there also exists a wide variety of Los Angeles graffiti artists that are producing positive and cutting-edge graffiti art. Among the seminal Los Angeles graffiti crews are WISK, SER, CHAKA, SKEEZ, TRIAX and GESO (50mm Los Angeles, 2006). One of the prevalent artists in these regards is Riskyone. Riskyone started making graffiti art in the early 1980s and has continued until the present day. His style is brash and bright, and one can detect an influence by artists such as Keith Haring and New York graffiti artists. Prime-K2S is another prominent Los Angeles artist. Prime-K2S... While New York foregrounded many of the aesthetic elements, Los Angeles would adopt these elements and implement them into their own unique style. In large part Los Angeles graffiti took on gang connotations. With the sprawling urban populace, gangland delineation became a prevalent issue and in many ways graffiti art was used to mark territory. Still, there also exists a wide variety of Los Angeles graffiti artists that are producing positive and cutting-edge graffiti art. Among the seminal Los Angeles graffiti crews are WISK, SER, CHAKA, SKEEZ, TRIAX and GESO. One of the prevalent artists in these regards is Riskyone. Riskyone started making graffiti art in the early 1980s and has continued until the present day. His style is brash and bright, and one can detect an influence by artists such as Keith Haring and New York graffiti artists. Prime-K2S is another prominent Los Angeles artist. Prime-K2S exhibits a style influenced by modern computer technology, with much of his tagging be ing indicative of the typeface that word-processors demonstrate. In these regards, it’s a uniquely modern feel that distinguishes his work from other Los Angeles artists. Finally, Tolse, who is recently deceased, is also another seminal Los Angeles graffiti artist. While Tolse style is highly exuberant, he is perhaps most recognized for finding unique areas to tag. It’s clear that while New York foreground the graffiti art movement, Los Angeles artists adopted these styles and implemented them in their own work.