Shine a Light

The Hacktory brings new meaning to the impermanence of graffiti.

by Julia Askenase

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Published: Oct 6, 2010

The Hacktory TAG, YOU'RE IT: "Illuminating Graffiti" offers a glimpse at the art form's rarely seen, often clandestine process of creation. (More DesignPhiladelphia coverage on p. 24.)

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Philadelphia has a storied, if controversial, graffiti past — from Cornbread's pioneering scrawls in the '60s to Steve Powers' charming, uplifting "Love Letter" Mural Arts Project series finished last winter. It's a history filled with tension and compromise between what is considered graffiti and mural, vandalism and art.

To celebrate the medium, the Hacktory is partnering with UArts' College of Media and Communication for "Illuminating Graffiti," a project that embraces video and laser technology.

"We do love art, especially public art. At the Hacktory, we're interested in using technology to stretch art forms," says Georgia Guthrie, Hacktory director. "We don't condone vandalism, but [we] think graffiti is a valid art form, and want to find ways to appreciate it."

"Illuminating Graffiti," part of this year's DesignPhiladelphia, is a two-pronged multimedia affair involving projection onto buildings from The Design Lot across from the Kimmel Center.

The first part includes three video projections of individual graffiti writers meant to look as though they are working side-by-side. The writers — who have also worked on murals — collaborated via Wiki page, e-mail and phone to pool ideas for common themes, color and letter forms, and then filmed themselves at their respective locations: two in Philadelphia, one in Oakland, Calif. The videos offer a glimpse at the rarely seen, clandestine process of creating graffiti, not just its ephemeral aftermath. "It's backing up that most graffiti is this temporary thing," says project co-manager Jake Wells. "It's not a just a visual thing, it's also an act. It happens and then it's gone."

Then, organizers will turn over the spray can, so to speak, to audience members. Except instead of paint, the medium is laser technology. Hacktory staff downloaded open-source computer software that employs a video camera, projector and laser pointer to create the essence of drawing graffiti on a building. The program even features a "drips mode" with adjustable settings to control how runny the faux paint will appear. "I think everyone who's seen graffiti would love to one day paint their name really big," says Guthrie. "And you may never do that, but with a laser you can. It won't stay there, but it's still really fun.

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Plus,"Illuminating Graffiti" brings to the fore one of the city's long-standing subcultural practices. "Some argue that graffiti was born here — modern-day graffiti, the concept of a 'tag,'" says Wells.

It also sheds light on conflicted views of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, established in 1984, which created the spin-off Mural Arts Program. Some still take issue with PAGN's policy of power-washing or painting over graffiti-laden walls. "It's nice that they make murals now, but it feels like they took a lot away from the graffiti," says Wells. "I feel there's a lot that could be given back to the graffiti community."

(editorial@citypaper.net)

Thu., Oct. 7, 8-10 p.m., free, The Design Lot, 313 S. Broad St., thehacktory.org.

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