Difference Between Tagging and Graffiti

The creation of auditory and visual artworks has become more popular worldwide. To express an artist’s conceptual, imaginative or technical skills, artists engage in activities such as dance, music, painting, sculpture, performing arts as well as interactive media. Other common forms of artwork include tagging and graffiti. While both involve the placement of art in public as opposed to a gallery, they differ in terms of intent, technique, and function.

What is Tagging?

This is the act of creating some form of artwork on encroached properties such as walls, mailboxes, and doors. Common components of tags include cryptic messages that can be hard to comprehend, with most tags containing the artist’s initials. Tags are illegal as they are placed on personal property, and are considered as vandalism.

What is Graffiti?

These are drawings or writings made on a surface, mostly a wall as a form of expression and done within public view without permission. It ranges from simple worlds to wall painting, done with the use of marker pens and spray paints. Due to issues arising such as vandalism and damage of property, graffiti is illegal. It can, however, be performed in a controlled space, without problems from the authorities.

Some types of graffiti are:

• Gang graffiti- Often used to start violence, warn or mark territories among gangs
• Tagger graffiti- This mainly entails simple or complex street art
• Conventional graffiti- Can be vindictive or malicious youthful acts
• Ideological graffiti- This spreads hateful messages such as political, ethnic or racial slurs.

Similarities between Tagging and Graffiti

• Both involve the placement of art in public as opposed to a gallery
• Both are illegal

Differences between Tagging and Graffiti

Definition

Tagging refers to the act of creating some form of artwork on encroached properties such as walls, mailboxes, and doors. On the other hand, graffiti refers to drawings or writings made on a surface, mostly a wall as a form of expression and done within public view without permission.

Contents

While tags contain cryptic messages that can be hard to comprehend, with most tags containing the artist’s initials, graffiti contains wall painting with a message behind it.

Representation

Tagging mainly represents an individual while graffiti is a representation of social, political, religious matters among others.

Skill

While tagging does not require any skill, graffiti requires time and skill.

Tagging vs. Graffiti: Comparison Table

Summary of Tagging vs. Graffiti

Tagging refers to the act of creating some form of artwork on encroached properties such as walls, mailboxes, and doors. It contains cryptic messages that can be hard to comprehend, with most tags containing an artist’s initials, and does not require any skill. On the other hand, graffiti refers to drawings or writings made on a surface, mostly a wall as a form of expression and done within public view without permission. It carries a message behind it, be it social, political, religious matters among others, and requires time and skill. Both are, however, illegal. 

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