This is a typical tag-wall. Here graffiti writers put up their tags, in a non organized manner and not tactically chosen spot. When I go for a night of tagging (or just a strawl through the city), I always try to pass one of these spots. To check if my own tag(s) is(are) still fresh and to check for others, sometimes a specific person. You can see who's new or passing through, new styles are tested there, it's where writers gather without seeing eachother in person. I see it as a hub to meeting people, how silly that may sound. Example: when I meet a writer for the first time, I always ask for their handles. By knowing those spots, I then know what he/she is about and start the conversation from there, along the likes of "Yeah, I saw that name a few times on those spots. You were crossed pretty quickly. Got some beef or is it a matter of style?" It breaks the inevitable ice pretty quick. :-)
Looking at the photo (and knowing Brussels), I know now there's zero beef, a few alliances and a lot of newbies crying for attention. At least in that part of town. :-) The wall serves this purpose for quite some time also, looking at the faded tags, but refreshed regularly, looking at the new tags. The letters in the upperright corner (yellow fill in, dark outline) are the next big thing on this wall: to emphasize your name, you need to stand out. According to this wall, you just can see a fine example of how graffiti evolves. :-)
can someone provide some context here?
This is a typical tag-wall. Here graffiti writers put up their tags, in a non organized manner and not tactically chosen spot. When I go for a night of tagging (or just a strawl through the city), I always try to pass one of these spots. To check if my own tag(s) is(are) still fresh and to check for others, sometimes a specific person. You can see who's new or passing through, new styles are tested there, it's where writers gather without seeing eachother in person. I see it as a hub to meeting people, how silly that may sound. Example: when I meet a writer for the first time, I always ask for their handles. By knowing those spots, I then know what he/she is about and start the conversation from there, along the likes of "Yeah, I saw that name a few times on those spots. You were crossed pretty quickly. Got some beef or is it a matter of style?" It breaks the inevitable ice pretty quick. :-)
Looking at the photo (and knowing Brussels), I know now there's zero beef, a few alliances and a lot of newbies crying for attention. At least in that part of town. :-) The wall serves this purpose for quite some time also, looking at the faded tags, but refreshed regularly, looking at the new tags. The letters in the upperright corner (yellow fill in, dark outline) are the next big thing on this wall: to emphasize your name, you need to stand out. According to this wall, you just can see a fine example of how graffiti evolves. :-)
Great post and a nice question also. :-)
Thanks for the insights. I never would have thought that there's so much going on behind a simple tag wall.