Grafitti tags

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What are common graffiti tags in your city, town or area?

In Edinburgh the one you'll see most often is "OE". This is absolutely everywhere.

Also very common are "YEAH" and "MR VIBE". I have noticed that "YEAH" seems to go in for particularly huge lettered tags in prominent places taking up much of the side of a building.

To a lesser extent there is "MATE" and "DEBT".

I don't really see a pattern in the city's graffiti.

fortunately, our town does not have any "tags" yet

No, I am Not going to name that town

Though I will give a hint

Our cemetery population is much larger than the jail

Usually, when you see the same tag all over the place, it's a gang symbol used to mark that gang's territory (or "turf"). This is especially the case when you see the tag sprayed over an existing tag. If this is not a gang symbol, it's either a single enemy of the gang, or some teenage kid trying to seem cool who is oblivious to the fact that each one he does is bringing him one step closer to having the living s**t beaten out of him by a swarm of gang members with bats.

I always thought it was just graffiti artists, there's some unwritten rule where, if your piece is better than what's on the wall, you can paint over it.


The only word I've seen here a lot is 'oncle' or something. I guess it's a tag from an individual.

isnt "tagging" very 90's?

:b

in trondheim theres tons of tags and graffiti but theyre all old and in forgotten corners. new ones gets removed pretty quickly.
there really arent any spots i guess, all the typical places are colored down from the 90s..

and i have no idea what "crew" tags the most, why is that interesting btw? :S

"OE" "YEAH" and "MR VIBE" is only really interesting to edinburgh police, if they havent allready contacted these people and fined them...

strange thread, but strange enough for a reply!

normally impaired; in the entire country of norway, tags are simply boredom. we have no gangs. theyre just making up "crews" who tag certain signs, and thats about it. if someone paints it over all you get is some whimpering and badmouthing.
in bigger places, i dunno about america, but probably there too, i only know specifically from spain, they will compete about elaborate works, and there are photo compilation-magazines in shops, of collected walls around spanish cities.
(my uncle collects them )

In the cities in the USA (or America for you Europeans who can't distinguish between one country and a whole continent) the urban areas often have the gangs that put up gang tags to show what parts of the area they control. In the more rural areas it's just bored kids wasting paint. Then there's the artists who risk life and limb to get their awe-inspiring art into highly visible areas where most people wouldn't go (subway tunnels, highway bridges, etc.).

The most popular thing to tag here is railroad cars since their art won't stay stationary, and anybody who's stopped at a railroad crossing will see it. Railroad tagging is a felony offense since it's considered interfering with interstate commerce, especially when people paint over the markings on the cars that tell the train crews what they can and can't do with those cars, or what's in them. It seems like it's only conventional freight cars that get the bulk of it since intermodal wellcars don't have as much surface areas and intermodal facilities usually have decent security.

As far as the idea that you can paint over an existing tag if yours is better, who's to decide which is better? An egotistical kid is going to think that painting a swear word will be better than a well thought out work of art. You see big elaborate and often downright beautiful artwork covered up with simple initials and other uninspiring quick swipes of a spray can all the time.

BAD WOLF

Sorry for upping this thread after so long. But I caught "OE" in the act a few minutes ago. Evidently they're still going strong.

You're from Edinburgh...so am I I think I know the graffiti you mean. I notice posters more than graffiti, although there is quite a lot of both in Leith where my family live. I'm just quite delighted that there is another Edinburgh person here, I'm not sure why. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now

Crips and Bloods.

A group of teenagers got killed in this city (Montreal) a few years ago when they were doing graff in one of the train tunnels. Their "tags" around the city then became well known, with people also tagging "Remember Whatshisface" along train tracks and such, even in the tunnel where they were killed. WTF? STAY OUT OF THE TUNNEL, KIDS!! !

A variety of words and artwork. Graffiti tags keep businesses and city officials in my town busy painting over them. Actually I really like some Graffiti as it shows a lot of artistic talent. That is why I always love to see train cars with it on. I've also done that kind of artwork, but only on my own paper or in my paint program on my computer.