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One of the graffiti artists at work

Gaining respect through graffiti

Graffiti artists want respect

The Queensway area of Ipswich is often in the news because of problems with anti social behaviour, but some local teenagers have got together to try and change attitudes towards them.

After weeks of design work they've produced a graffiti wall on a boarded up shop. The project was completed over February half term, 2005, at QCAT and its theme was Respect.

Step 1 - Plan your design

Most of the young people say they're using the project to keep out of trouble, "Some people do horrible things in this area but they can't help it, because people don't give them any confidence or much of a chance". They hope the wall will help them get respect from their elders.

Fordy, one of the young people involved in the project, says, "I think this wall is a good thing for the area, people think we're a disgrace but we want to show them how good it can look instead of all the horrible writing that’s there at the moment".

Graffiti

Krie, a graffiti artist, has been helping the teenagers come up with designs and then showed them how to spray the paint.

"I got into graffiti through the whole hip hop culture back in the early 80’s", explains Krie, "I like being able to put my own ideas, creativity on walls for other people to see and enjoy. You have to plan what you want to do, what colours you want, and have idea of perspective so your design fits.  It's not just a question of spraying anyhow. You have to hold the can at a certain angle and to spray in short bursts, that way you don't end up with the paint running down the wall."

The wall is nearly finished

The graffiti wall was a joint project between Queensway Community Action Team and Suffolk County Council’s Youth Service.

Unfortunately the day after the graffiti wall was put up on the boarded up shop it was vandalised with yellow paint. The boards have been removed but can't be cleaned so the artwork will need to be redone.

last updated: 04/12/2008 at 11:32
created: 15/03/2005

Have Your Say

Is the graffiti wall a good idea? Have your say here.

The 91ȱ reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

jac
yeah graffiti should be legal.

clok aka easy
yeah i think graffiti walls are are cool. to all writers be careful out there but have fun.

nathan
yes i think graffiti wall are are very good

danny
artisnotacrime

jerk
u need to giv respect to graffiti not to the artists because at the end of the day its an art (if graffiti artists want respect they have to follow the rules of graffiti and get up)

bumblebee
This is a question for everyone: Do you think Graffiti can be used as a tool to encourage the yough generations to become more aware of current affaires?

T
I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE RESPECT AND GO TO LEGAL AREAS TO WRITE GRAFFITIAS I LIKE SOME GRAFFITI BUT AS LONG AS IT IS LEAGAL

David Owen
i think they should be aloud so they would have somewhere to tag

anon
a tag is the simplist and most condensed form of graffiti. a tag should reprsent all your style in one signature

mike
yes it gives artists a good place to throw up and not get in trouble or caught up

W-D,,
tagging is pointless, tagging is the art of a lowlife, graffiti however is art, graffiti is a form of expressing feelings and emotions. --W-D,,

ashlie
i think graffiti is a brilliant idea just not on the streets bt if sum1 wud help teenagers 2 find sumwer 2 graffiti den less criminal damage will be done nd az im onli 15 ma self i wud love it even thoo im a gurllxxx

christian
i got a lot of respect 4 graffiti artist

Cab-Oner
Yo man i love graff i got good sketches and stuff i paint good to but no one has every showed me how to paint and we dont have tips in va

Sneak One.BTD
A legal wall is a good idea but it won't stop illegal bombing. Graffiti aint graffiti if its legal. I mean its good to have a legal wall for burners and murals but when it comes to bombing it will still be done illegally nothing can stop us. Peace

Jon
i think graffeti is awsome its another expression of art

stephanie galante
i think that the graffiti wall is a good idea because you get to express your self and get to be artistic love sephanie galante xxxxx xxxxx

Tony
I think the graffiti wall is a really good idea, because if thier were walls thats it was actuelly leagal for thier to be graff art on then that would reduce the rate of graffiti in other places.... we need on in west oly..."lowlife"

SIK
graffiti is art y do yall not understand

maze
ye its a sik idea need more legal walls in east londonn zoop zoop

henza thomason
yeah its good for the graffers get there rep up show some skills

laura xx
i think is its a gd ider but it will acurg them to do lots more of it

?
i think graffiti on wall is a good think its not just scribal on stuff peopel are graffiti artist and in london there is not a lot of places to do it legaly so people have to do it in there endz and doing it legal you dont get painted over.

>> HECK R.B <<
remz is right bombin on legal walls aint as gd as hittin up in other places lyke trains buses train tracks or just the streets u get a kind of rush out of bombing the streets and that ... legal walls are alright if u just wanna do a nice dub with out havin to worry about the hassle off not gettin cuaght ! reppin NORTH WEZZY !! HOLD TIGHT PASKSTAR ! AND ALL ME OTHER MANDEM !!

Charlie
I believe graffiti is a way to keep certain tennagers commiting other serious crimes. Unsure if looks good or not. There should be certain places in towns and cities where people can do them and where professoinals can do them as a town/city main feature.

u fassey boi
yea its gd still. we need 1 of dem in trowbrigde blud!!!!

david
yeaa im a tagger myself and i think havin a freewall is hella kool,cuz its a place were we can go taggin,peice up and not get busted,were im from Reno,NV we have a freewall and im there like all the time and its hella kool cuz i can do a peice and watch other taggers,so havin a freewal is the best thing to have.

harry andrews
i think its a great idea and im starting 2 do iy my self n i think its looks realy gd so far but im doing it on a bit of paper n its something that i like doing n enjoy so other kids shud try it 2 its real fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ME
it is a greate idear it will stop graff artists from comiting art crimes if there ar legal spots to place there work

singh
graffiti is not a crime it is a way of expressing urself if u takeaway graffiti u take away are feelings and emotions and are way of speaking to people,by writing on walls

**
Blud we need more legal graff spots in birmingham it there where more it wouldnt end up on sides of housing or on the underground pasings graff is life ya cant stop it!

camo tpm
art is art, graff is graff, dont get it twisted, take ur legals and ur canvases to the tate modern and let us stain sum panels in peacethe piece makers 2007

cravez
respect graf is part of life and for any police its beutifull art

MIGUEL
I want to lean how spray graffiti

VANE
No, vane isn't my real name, it's what i put up. We need a legal wall in orpington area to keep people out of trouble..

trane
respect to graffiti

trane
graffiti is not bad to some people its an art for me for example plus there is a meaning to some of the stuff they do plus there is all different styles to it

veronica
Hi,i'm an italian girl.i think that graffiti is a particular form of art and so it needs respect.in my opinion writers need an area where they could do graffiti whitout be considered criminals.

luke
i think that it is buzzin and they have my vote.if i could do it like that i say graffit more!

Katie
i think its excellent i wud lv to be able to graffiti like that!!!!!

NAE nad the tru crew
graffiti is r life and we will not b stopped police and the law is just an obstical what we can get around so BOMB THE WORLD ALL ARTISTS

waris
i fink that graffiti is very, very, very nice and i hav it all over my yard so y does it hav to be a bad thing ah????

PINKY-''MURDER''-DAVENTRY
!!!!! GRAFFITI !!!!! is life sum people live on graffiti it is art not crime cops should stay out of it if they have a problem keep it 2 urselfs.kids,teenages,people like to graff 2 express there-selfs i love graff its amazzing i cn look tatty yer but it cn look so good u think it is worth while keep it up graffers !!!!!!!!

ACF FAM
The fact that this was "vandalised" if thats the right word, after it was put up is the exact reason why theres no point getting a legal wall in ipswich. Kids would be lining burners as they have no knowledge of graff and they just want to paint "dave is fit," or sometihng like that. Theres no scene in ipswich either its tiny and full of kids. basically.

cypha
to be honest it would be good but it would be to dodgy for writers like me and coes etc because we would more than likely get knicked. they should allow the skate park to be painted as it is in the culture there, and most of the skater would appreciated it more.

Glen Joyce
Graffiti is awesome. My house is covered with it.

KRiE 9my graf. name0
i wall would most likely suck, because cops would most likely wait and catch bombers there, like distinguish them by their peice and bring them in.

all dem boise
yeah some of the comments are cool.but at the end of it what would have hasppen if caveman did paint cave walls,putting a layer of paint on something dosent damage it .what about billboard advertising.i just wish i was given some respect the sukas didnt even pay up what they promised.(the joke continues)

fusion
im frm west london n i love graff i do it on paper and certian websites all the time. over the years i have got beter and beter. it started off as simple tags but now im really good and do lots of designs and really got the hang of it. ive graffed in brentford school for girls in 2004 and it was all organized by the school and the council and outhers and we learnt loads of things like how to graff really good useing diffrent types of caps and more. we had a police man come down as well to tell us what the risks are if you get caught doing it and things like that. and it was a realy good peice of art that 7-9 of us did also with help from the experts it looked like we didnt do it. it even got the the hounslow informer paper intrested so most of the school heard about it and said to me you wear in the paper things like that. im 15 now and i still do it its not just crap on paper its art and every one i know likes the things i do. and i want to carry on doing on it. maybe some day hounslow wil give us a legal graff wall coz i will be there first doin a dub straight up. i do tag but its crap and its all about dubs most people around hear dont understand that tags are mostley crap but dubs on the outher hand are art. thats what i think any way! hounslow please gt yr head round doing something like a legal wall coz its jus gona turn in to tagg's vill n even i dont want that. peace out west london!!!!

define
i lived in ipswich in 2001-02, is there any more writers now there was only nylon and don con doing anything serious, i noticed i provoked a few kids to start, shaker, never, frenzi, hope they all stuck at it, u shud all cum up to birmingham and see wah gwan these sides

THE REAL NAUT
IM THE REAL NAUT.. WHOVEVER SAUID THEY WERE ME WAS LYING. I WAS IN TCF AND I HAVE BEEN IN THE GAME FOR 6 YEARS NOT 13. here is what they wrote "I am NAUT! from L.A. and I say graffiti is your own way of letting people know how you feel. I am in tcf and i have beeen a graffiti artist for 13 years. NAUT!"

Rianna
I think it is a good idea, but we should like have big rooms made for doing graffiti, and they get cleaned every month or something. most people only do graffit of their graff(street Name), amd they only want people to know them. i agree Graffiti is Art.

beka
i think its a great idea because they have somewhere to do it instead of buildings so people cant complain

charlotte
graffiti is art

loko avp
no good taggers and toys are the ones giving graff a bad name tryin to get up but its the true kings doing full colour burners n mural work keeping graff up in northern cities like liverpool.keep it up everyone and all the toys if u wanna get up, do it in sumwer like the wirral, then come to liverpool when you know how to graff

robsa .don con
hopefully be back in action in june .plus this time jealous toys be warned youth projects are for the good of the community.so please no sukas with yellow paint

*SeAriXx*
I say keep it in the streets

scott
yes a graffiti walls would be a really good idea some ware artists of all ages can go and panit what they want instead of getting in to bother doing ti on streets

echo
graffiti is an art form no matter what you say it is an expression it can be good and it can be bad like any art but you can make it what you want i like mine to have an impact to have a meaning and if im just bombing i want to make it real i want it to be good art

HAVIC AKA DANK*M.A.S-->714
GRAFFITI IS N ART NOT A CRIME SO I DONT KNOW Y COPS R ALWAYZ TRYIN 2 PUT TAGGIN 2 N END

kathryn an sara
we our selfs are graffiti artists we think ur work is wicked nd u cld go very far xxxx

Areeza
graffiti is one way to express your feelings and is kind of kool but also you should respect the environment around you and also the people around you.if that place is not owned by you then dont do it be cause in the end its you whos got to pay!!!

NME
graf artist need a place to be able to chill take there time throw up some hot shyt and not get introuble..GRAFFITI IS ART NOT A CRIME [Lx2] 4 life enemy~

ZeN - NSG forevr
having places to graff it good , but it is bad for the writer cause he gets no street cred

mitchell lees
i think that it is a great way of bring local artists togather to share there talents with others , they should have / designate areas in all places to be able to have this work.

WAKE
hells yea. graffiti is an expression of your soul, and it looks cool.

gifted
yes graff is art..but location of the hit should be resonable

Ask
graffiti is an art but now in our days is an urban art,so graffiti must be accepted by "inteligent" peoples! the walls must be painted!;)

Crane
Me laten ......tan xidos!!!

tom colze
yes because it will stop graffiti on other places like shops and taal buildings

fraser
yeh it is, graf artists need a place to show their work

0lly
people see graf n all they see is vandalism, Graff artists put time n effort into all there work, just like all yooze stuck up top class peeps who sit behind a desk all day, and turn this art into vandalism with ur mindless comments,Graf is about talent n bein creative, big respect to all da real writers who know wot its about...

Josh
yea i think it is a good idea. Let these Queensway area homies show there work.im an artist my self but only on paper

toni
ye its wkd y nt its art init

SEAN
I think there should be a area for graffiti art (not signitures)because it is nice art.

andy
grafiti is da bomb innit

Sk-D
yeye its a graffiti artist from north west tru say graffin on wall is a crime but tru say its proper good express your feeling like but tru say experiment on clothes n cars dats kl like!

che
bomb the world!!!u cant stop the artists!!

remz
it is a good idead.....however part of the reason bombing walls is so fun, is because its illegal and its not just me with this opinion many writers think this, juat visit a reasonably popular graffiti site or forum and ask this question and many people will share the same thought as me.

marchuck
yea.. to many people are getting busted for doin art on walls when to cops its distruction. they dont look at the real deal. so yea put that wall up cause it gunna turn heads

Bob Marley (this really is my name)
I believe in the power of graffiti as infuential and powerful and the graffiti wall recognizes that and allows anyone to speak out and put the word out there visually.

aker the true graffer
a graffiti wall is a good idea. on the streets there no where legal to graff so we have to do ilgeals

W0k3`s0Tcrew
Grffiti culture never gonna die!

Taylor
Yes i think the graffiti wall is an excellant idea, being a local writer i think it is important others understand writers and they're motives.

Luis Hernadez
Yes, cuz it is a way of showing how u feel and showing ur talent.

Real aka y.timer
I think people graff because they wanna get known and get big! I think there shud be more legal walls in south east london brappp! 3joint...3best!

Sticky Mattise
I think its a great idea. Its just people trying to express their feelings in a way that everyone can see.

rachel
yes it brings colour into the streets of britain

fuzzn9ne
i think its the best idea im a toy grafur and im trying 2 get better i juss dont like the fact that peeps put west side or east thats not wut graffiti is about keep up the awsome work

jack
YOU VANDALS ARE WORTHLESS AND YALL ARE A BUNCH OF LOW CLASS PUNKS WHO NEED TO ___ OFF. HOW ABOUT I COME AND GRAFITTI UP YOUR HOUSE. HOW WOULD FEEL IF I DID THAT?

winston
i think graffiti is whack of the wall dogs, its a great passtime and one of which i think a sicko time can be had by all gangstas and gangstes' from the ruffest to the most pleasent of estates

Abbi Biggs aka lady fremz
i think graffing is good i know sooooooooooooooooooooooo manyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy people who graff i know some top graffiti artists like 2much and renz they are top graffers in Bromley.

HERCO D1S
yes this is a good idea, there should be respect for all kinds of art in this world; many people think that graffiti is a crime but they are wrong it is a life style we live from it. And people should know that this kind of art form will NEVER die out. By making legal places for artist to write on will help them get known for their art and also recive the respect that we need. This idea is good and respectful.GRAFFITI WILL NEVER DIE. LIVE AND LOVE THE OLDSCHOOL.REAST IN PEACE TO ALL OLDSCHOOL WRITERS.HERCO1

paula
i fink graffiti iz sik n a graffiti wall iz a gdd idea

ajust
i think that it is art and should not be seen defrent to eny other art it takes skill and time that most peope dont have

Tyree Holmes
Yes I think it is a good idea because it is a powerful culture a religion to hip hop. It is an art not a crime.If it is a crime howcome it goes on today because it is an culture to the hip hop youth. IT just dont go on in just the South Bronx but it goes on everywhere.I am only 13 years old but graffiti is in my body,blood,mind and soul because graffiti is only what we do but HipHop is what we live. If I got locked up in cuffs for graffiting I would say are you locking me for drawing and doing my culture.every body has an appinion so only mine is graffiti is a figure of speech only in an amagionational and colorful way of doing it so HipHop dont stop let yo body rock and them spraycans spay.Ilike to give a graffiti shotout to Lady pink.Terrible Tkid Kat and most ove all my dad Tyrone Michael Holmes.

big joe
graffiti is art and it is good to look at and graffiti is the bomb.

NAUT!
I am NAUT! from L.A. and I say graffiti is your own way of letting people know how you feel. I am in tcf and i have beeen a graffiti artist for 13 years.

kat
i think that the work you have done is very well created an i recon you could go far in your art work!!!

å(ԴǰɲԴdzٳ峾𲹱Բ󲹳󲹳岹󲹳󲹳
i think graffiti is a god idea becouse im doing it self and its cool and fun keep up painting thoze wallls yha.cia

------>2°°5׺°”˜`”°º&;#1103;&;#971;ß&;#947;©º°”˜`”°º×
i live 4 graffiti it is a way of life 4 me. i like getting my art seen. that probably y i do it on the walls. i understand y graffiti is lookd down on as there are some types of graf such as tagging which do not go down well withe the older members of society. graff should be taken seriously and be recognised as art. if u are eva dwn ilfrd chek out rubys graff in the ilford hall of fame

clok one
i think graffiti is great i do it myself i can express my self through it =CLOK=

harley
graffiti looks good anywere just along as itsdone properly

rosemarie garland
i think graffiti should stop and it should be band

harvey
i think graffiti is an exellent way for people to express themselvesas long as they do not do it on places where it is illegal

barr
ennit bois kp da graff up it safe dawg dnt dis it ,gd job lads crry on

TRUMP2
GRAFF IS A GREAT ART KEEP HITTING UP EVERY WALL STREET SIGN AND TRASH CAN

kieran fisher
ye its cool i is a graff artist as well and there under supervision

Samurai | Graffiti Artist
The Graffiti is a good way of keeping these young fellows, and talented at that, out of trouble. I recomend more paint. Keep it up guys. - Ghost Painter, Samurai -

Ben
I think graffiti is gud. its like music, its a way for ppl to express themself. ppl take it the wrong way and dnt realise its true art,they dnt c that these ppl hav real talent in what they r doin. today i got suspened from skool for 3 dayz coz of graffiti and the teacher doesnt understand y i do it.. its crazy they just c me as some criminal up to no gud. they dnt c it as art.. GRAFFITI ROX!!! NSD= NEVA STAND DOWN

nicola,liverpool
i use grafiti art it is a way 2 express yourself

Carmen
They need to chill out on these artist.I think the wall is a good idea because on the real the artist have a good way to show their art but not in a bad way and people need to learn to respect their talents.

Council ...lighten up
The walls a definite way of releasing the pressure and letting the views of the people be herd, without making it illegal an giving writers who dont need it a bad name, we're all good people

DORRIS DAY
I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE CERTAIN WALLS WHERE THEY CAN DRAW.

anthony
dont diss graffiti man

me
graffitti is a good thing in many ways so just lay off.....

eddie
graffitti shud b cherished jus like every pieces of art.i wish i cud b a graffitti artist...

Jenny
Yeh its a good idea its jus a way for ppl 2 x-press themselves Lay off...

bob
long live graffiti, graffiti rules, its an ok idea

AVEK TNS crew
graffiti plays a BIG part in my life i love it its away of expressiong inner art and you cant place all of that self expression in a legalised arsea wich will get took away graff artist want to be seen and earn rexpect u get more repect going out on the streets on the trainlines 4-5 in the morning thats hardcore comitment but this is a good idea but illegal graff will never get worn away

themo
yea fat idea they shud do it im more places like london

xavier
it looks awesome and shows off some skills

SHAZ
GRAFFITTI IS A GOOD IDEA IF IT IS IN THE WRIGHT PLACE BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DO IT IS BECOZ THEY WANT TO MAKE THEIR MARK..

sarah
yer in a way coz it stops people from doing other criminal things. but when it comes to people fighting over graffs then thats when i think graffiti should stop!!

mrs.d.donaldson
I think that this is a great idea for the young youths of your town and i hope that other towns follow your example. well done

daniel norman
I think graffiti is sick but insteade of every one doing it on the streets we should have a place to do it.

ian burns
its a good idea

REBZA
yeah i was one of the artists who painted .I thought the idea was a good one.I have done commisions before but never letting youths paint,the week we painted wasnt exactly the best weather either so i think it was deffinetly a positive thing.It was a great pity it was destroyed hopefully the boards could be painted again.

Danny
I THINK DAT IF GRAFF WRITERS COME HERE THEY CAN GET TO DO THEIR WORK IN PEACE WITHOUT THE VANDAL SQUAD OR POLICE.THE ONLY BAD THING IS THAT THE GRAFF WRITERS WOULD NOT GET NOTICE OUT OF THAT SPOT. TO GET FAME THEY HAVE TO BE ALL AROUND DIFFERENT NEIGHBORS AND GET NOTICE BY EVERYONE.IF YOU GO TO THIS GRAFF WALL YOU WILL ONLY MEET PEOPLE THAT BOMB THEIR AND EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO GO OVER EACH OTHER.YOU CAN GET SOME GRAFF WRITERS THAT ARE CRAZY AND IF THEY DO THIER WORK AND THE NEXT DAY SOMEONE WENT OVER THEM. YOU SHOULD MAKE THE AREA BIGGER AND PUT MORE OBJECTS TO WRITE ON OTHER THAN BOARDS.YOU SHOULD PLACE DUMPSTERS BECAUSE IT WILL BE A PLACE TO THROW AWAY THEIR CANS AND U CAN CATCH FILLS OR OUTLINES.

chrissie
hey i think graffiti is nang but it depends were its dun n wot type it is like if it wz tagging then that it cn sumtimes look unattractive but graff pieces can look very nice and can be concidered as art but this depends on wer its done and how wot style and wot coulous are used.

nikki
yes its a very good idea because then kids wont do it as much on other walls

Ron
Self expression of any culture is wanted and a good idea, The bordom of bland walls is releaved by artistic expression of some fantastic work. The only people against them are the rightess do gooders that cant see art unless its valued at millions of pounds

mary from the Feild
hey, i think graffiti is a wonderful idea if it has a reason for being there it is colorful and vibrant. keep making the world believe life is colorful. $Mary$

jerome
I think there is nothing wrong with graffiti because I do it my self and people should respect there talent

cleaning isnt fun dont do it....... NSG
i think that graffiti wall are a good idea buti think that people are being tricked because as soon as you are seen putting your tag up BAM ur nicked

scazza
i think the fiti wall iz a wicked idea, cuz we have got one on our street and it has stopped me from gettin' into trouble. i always used to get pulled by cops for doing graffiti on walls down town and stuff.

weed man
heavy walls sounds gd init gd idea

Paulina, Poland
graffiti wall?! fun, art and no room for anti-social behaviour! splendid!

charlotte turnock
i think graffiti is a way of expressing feelings as art. i love graffiti

Bex
The idea is good, they just need support. The streets of your cummunity being an art gallery in their own right that's pretty cool.

HASNA BEGUM
YES I DO THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT CAN BE LOOKED AT AS ART.

andrew, Ipswich
the fact that this work was vandalised underlined the scale of the task young people face in feeling they have a stake in the neighbourhood they live in. Why can't the Police fund a proper graffiti area ? Money is found to police football matches, and park and ride schemes which no-one much uses

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