L.E.S Virtual Graffiti Posted on December 17th
** Work in Porgress in collaboration with Tonio jung
L.E.S. Virtual Graffiti is a web-based community through which users can draw graffiti in various languages on the walls of virtual versions of buildings from Manhattan’s Lower East Side. L.E.S. Virtual Graffiti enables users from different linguistic backgrounds to learn about, and consequently, respect each other’s cultures by sharing in the act of artistic creation.
Graffiti in Various Languages
Since the early 1970s, graffiti has been a symbol of youth culture in New York City. Tags (signatures) and artistic renderings made with spray paint have become part of the landscape— first in New York City, then in other urban areas worldwide. In the past several decades, graffiti has covered city walls, buses, and subway trains, offering the individual an opportunity for fame (or infamy). Artists, urban youth, and graffiti enthusiasts utilize the medium in an effort to assert their freedom of expression and promote their unique aesthetic. Language is not only a means of verbal and written communication, it also reveals hints of the lifestyles of those who speak it. By enabling users to create graffiti in various languages, we hope to honor the diverse cultures that comprise the city’s fabric.
Archiving Artifacts
As if writing a poem, one leaves his concise and cryptic mark on the building of his choosing. In real life, these marks are often considered to be acts of vandalism and are removed by building owners and city sanitation crews. L.E.S. Virtual Graffiti is an effort to preserve these artifacts, as they are in constant danger of disappearing with only a faint trace left behind. The concept of digitally-rendered graffiti allows for the archiving of this form of art. L.E.S Virtual Graffiti will serve as an archive of digital graffiti created by individuals of diverse nationalities. These artifacts will be preserved for viewing in the long-term.
The interactive virtual map
The interactive virtual map of the Lower East Side allows the user to navigate the area and learn a brief history through a tour. Such a simulation will expand interest in the L.E.S. and enhance the experience of walking through the actual, physical L.E.S. neighborhood. Through the virtual map, the user can look at the graffiti on the buildings created by other users. She can also interact by engaging with the ‘reply’ or ‘comment’ function. L.E.S. Virtual Graffiti promotes the sense of a community growing in a playful, artistic manner. L.E.S. Virtual Graffiti will be a Flash-based online application that features a virtual 3D environment. Flash ActionScript, MySQL, PHP and Maya modeling will be used in the implementation of the project.
