It is only recently that graffiti and the street art scene have been viewed as something more than just an underground artistic movement. The image of the lone writer has been transformed from a deviant character to someone who should be showcased and promoted for his or her talents.
With the emergence of street art collectives such as Cable Street, Scrawl Collective and Monorex, a niche has opened in the market for popular graffiti. Almost every night in London, a gallery space or bar is exhibiting the work of an individual graffiti artist. From the world-famous to the new and upcoming, it has never been easier to promote your talents as an artist.
Take Secret Wars, for example, one of the many creations sprung from the London-based company, Monorex. It is a dedicated street art event hosted in Shoreditch, east London, and is designed to showcase the art of approximately 16 artists from around the country, through the medium of a battle. Following in the path of previous battle events such as Jump Off and Throwdown (which are solely about beat boxing, rapping and break dancing), Secret Wars has stretched the concept of street art even further by using the event to broaden interest in graffiti and character art.
Designed like an FA Cup knockout competition, every event sees two artists chucked out of the tournament. The night has had such amazing feedback that almost double the number of artists have requested to be involved in series 2 in late 2007. Even a European tour is in the pipeline. Although numerous attractive prizes are on offer, it is without a doubt the coveted title of Secret Wars champion that spurs the artists on and draws the crowds each month.
Even without events like Secret Wars to boost its popularity, graffiti is making a name for itself with popular brand companies seeking the services of art collectives like Monorex to help promote their latest products. If companies want to target a younger crowd, the successful marketing and branding of a product is key.
Graffiti and everything associated with it, from the music to the fashion, is the new cool. The once vilified vandals now have fan bases the size of a pop star's. People in all four corners of the earth have heard of the likes of Banksy and D*face. Magazines are quick to pick up on the next big thing, and often request interviews with upcoming art collectives or selected artists. Vinyl toy designers celebrate the talent of graffiti and often produce limited-edition toy designs by the next big name in graff.
With graffiti becoming ever more popular, some people believe that its eventual demise is inevitable. However, if the artists stay true to what graffiti is about then it can undoubtedly still prosper on an underground level even when the big brands move on to the next latest craze. Graffiti is really about the art and that's how it will always be appreciated, no matter how popular it gets.
