Urban Pyschogeography

I have actually and unknowingly walked through the assigned area multiple times. I have noticed that everything is actually pretty close to each other and the rue’s are getting easier to distinct and know.

This assignment, regarding the graffiti is actually something I have had a large question or just even thoughts about.

I recall in my freshman year at New School. I was taking Screen Studies and I had to watch “Exit through the Gift Shop.” It’s a documentary type film; it follows a couple of known and upcoming graffiti artists and the widely known and popular Banksy. 

However, Banksy is not what made me recall that film, it is actually a graffiti artist named Invader, who I’ve noticed has left his signature 1970’s-1980’s styled video game graffiti art all around Paris. His work is entirely recognizable, because of the 8 bit video game characters he puts up repeatedly, which he mostly accomplishes by using mosaic tiles, thereby re-creating that pixelated imaging of those beloved characters.

I spotted his work on one of the assigned streets, Rue Vielle du Temple. One of the “invaders” from the game Space Invaders was on the wall. 

Until this assignment I entirely disregarded or even overlooked his work. I thought he was another American graffiti artist, however, this assignment guided me to research him and his work more. This led me to learn that he is actually indeed a native French urban artist.

Seeing his work all over Paris does seem to contrast with the antique and historic Paris, at first.

Personally when I see Paris I see a lot of grey tones. Yes, I came during a winter time, but I have been here in summer and I have always had this opinion. However, something I’ve noticed about most of the people here and there attire and style is that they are either in all black or all in retro-ish or colored attire.

This assignment also just came at a perfect time for me, because I have recently just returned from Milan, and if anyone has ever had the chance to visit Milan they will notice that it is a city a tad similar to Paris, and just as filled, if not more, with graffiti.

I have a love/hate relationship with graffiti. I, at times, don’t see the reason why to ruin your city, especially one as beautifully designed as Paris. Paris, luckily, is not as ruined or demolished by its peoples graffiti. I understand people like Invader or Banksy, they are doing work, but people who simply tag and write words or names is such a waste, to me. Milan is filled with tags and names and just horrific graffiti, and to me, that’s why I’m not a fan. 

Places where graffiti is encouraged, like Miami, has actually developed itself into such a newly beautiful city. That is probably why it is becoming such a spot for artists now, because any form of art is so welcome. I feel that places like Miami can achieve this look, because the sense of history is not as old as Paris’s and Milan’s.

The reason I feel so strongly against these two cities being ruined by graffiti, is that it just seems so depressing. When I was in Milan, I just felt like I was in an ugly place. I wanted to leave and the whole point of me being there was for me to heal and get better, but seeing the city overrun by this brute art called “graffiti,” made me grey.

 I know I veered into a full thought process and almost argument about graffiti, but this was a topic that was in my mind so when I saw this topic as an assignment. I thought this would be the perfect time to vent or speak my mind regarding this topic. 

Especially with my recent visit, because I thought comparisons from other cities and from other locations such as from Italy to France is a benefit only from studying abroad in Paris or other Europeans countries can do.