After teaching my students about the work of artists like Banksy & Robbo & discussing the validity of graffiti as an art, students were given their own graffiti-style platform.
Students discussed the legal issues surrounding graffiti as well as topics of ownership, plagiarism & freedom of expression. They also explored traditional art making methods & contrasted those with socially driven works meant to incite change.
For their own piece, they were directed to take a digital photo of themselves. They translated this photo into a design using only negative and positive space. Like graffiti which may be political but can be simply decorative, the students were instructed to use their image to inspire a particular mood or feeling in its viewer. It could send a literal message or simply create an atmosphere.
This project uses self-adhesive vinyl so students can mount large scale work directly onto any wall creating the effect of graffiti without incurring the damage of vandalism.
