Graffiti 塗鴉

I don’t know anything about graffiti, but the good ones make me stop to admire, as if in a gallery. Some are amazing not only due to its artistic merits, but the fact that the artists don’t expect reward or recognition for their masterpieces. Even Banksy’s identity remains a mystery. A good piece of graffiti often makes me curious. What does the artist do for a living? Is this person gravity proof? Does he or she plan and practise on the living room wall first, before on-site execution? How many nights does it take to do something this size?

我對塗鴉沒有研究，但一幅好的塗鴉，往往會令我駐足欣賞，如同身在畫廊。好的塗鴉除了藝術價值，還有創作者的心態。哪麼辛苦完成的作品，沒有揚名求利的動機，也算一種清高吧。連舉世知名的 Banksy 的身份，到現在還是個謎。 有水準的塗鴉，會令我好奇。如此藝術高人，冒著地心吸力之險，月黑風高爬外牆噴漆為啥呢？哪麼大的壁畫，他之前有沒有在家裡大廳牆壁預習一次呢？一共要搞幾個晚上才完成呢？

Of course, a lot of street doodling is garbage. Simpleminded atrocities such as gang slogans, misspelled political messages or fatuous declaration of love may seem worthless. But they somehow accentuate the despair and social failure which have given birth to their brand of vandalism.

當然，佳作始終是少數。更多的是粗口錯白字，童黨標語，到此一游，或豬彪愛阿嬌之類的垃圾。但這些低檔次塗鴉，在破舊橫街和貧民窟，卻頗添氣氛，也是社會某方面失敗的見證