Vee Challenge – to meet graffiti artist 8 Ball
Name – Isabel Meacher
Age – 26
Job – researcher
From – Hertfordshire
Vee TV asked me to go out and meet 8 Ball, a graffiti artist to learn the art of the spraycan. As a fine art student, I was initially apprehensive, but then warmed to the idea as this is not something I have ever done before. Graffiti is a freestyle method and I am used to pencils and oil pastels. Graffiti artists prefer to be known as ‘writers’ because of lettering fonts they leave behind on walls as an identity.
I looked at 8 Ball’s website, and found his work to be very distinctive and brilliant. I was very excited about meeting him. 8 Ball was keen to keep his identity hidden since graffiti has always been associated with vandalism. I believe that is a shame as I consider graffiti as a form of art, not vandalism but I do understand why people think that way, because the ‘graffiti look’ harms the public image, such as public places and public properties. I believe graffiti is misunderstood – people think it is just mindless destruction, but in reality a lot of graffiti is beautiful and a lot of time and effort has been put into it.
I really enjoyed being a reporter, and spraying on canvas. I hope to continue and create some graffiti canvas myself when I have the time. I am looking forward to that as I have many ideas of what I could do.
Since this experience, my eyes have opened up more in terms of looking while I am walking around urban cities and am always on the look out for any graffiti on walls and discovering new ones every time. I am even more in awe of graffiti these days.
Name – Isabel Meacher
Age – 26
Job – researcher
From – Hertfordshire
Vee TV asked me to go out and meet 8 Ball, a graffiti artist to learn the art of the spraycan. As a fine art student, I was initially apprehensive, but then warmed to the idea as this is not something I have ever done before. Graffiti is a freestyle method and I am used to pencils and oil pastels. Graffiti artists prefer to be known as ‘writers’ because of lettering fonts they leave behind on walls as an identity.
I looked at 8 Ball’s website, and found his work to be very distinctive and brilliant. I was very excited about meeting him. 8 Ball was keen to keep his identity hidden since graffiti has always been associated with vandalism. I believe that is a shame as I consider graffiti as a form of art, not vandalism but I do understand why people think that way, because the ‘graffiti look’ harms the public image, such as public places and public properties. I believe graffiti is misunderstood – people think it is just mindless destruction, but in reality a lot of graffiti is beautiful and a lot of time and effort has been put into it.
I really enjoyed being a reporter, and spraying on canvas. I hope to continue and create some graffiti canvas myself when I have the time. I am looking forward to that as I have many ideas of what I could do.
Since this experience, my eyes have opened up more in terms of looking while I am walking around urban cities and am always on the look out for any graffiti on walls and discovering new ones every time. I am even more in awe of graffiti these days.