I spoke to self proclaimed 'vandal' PAIK and street artist ESKA, about the difference between art and defacement
PAIK is stood on a grassy bank, shaking his can of pinks pray paint and staring intensely at the partially completed tag he has left on the wall in front of him. He appears deep in thought, like he is mapping out in his head where to place the paint next. Moments later, he will announce that he ‘is a vandal’. How one could give themself such a pejorative title, when clearly so much consideration had been put into the construction of the word in front of him, is quite puzzling.
ESKA, a surrealist painter, also based in Hackney Wick, would identify as a street artist: ‘I have never identified as a vandal, that is a term that is imposed on artists like me who just want to express themselves’. His murals look 3D from a distance, carefully planned, detailed, and all different from one another. They are a vastly different style to PAIK’s repeated tag, but does that make him more of an artist?
The graffiti scene in Hackney Wick began in the 1990s, when deindustrialisation bought young creatives into the area, attracted by the affordable rents and studio spaces. Ever since, the pocket of East London has been decorated in colourful paint: the legacies of the artists who have lived there.The debate of whether Graffiti and Street Art are forms of art or vandalism is one that has been present since their conception, but PAIK appears to reclaim the term ‘vandal’. He notes that ‘there is a difference between street art and vandalism’ but, ‘I feel like there’s art in vandalism’.
The categorisation of graffiti as art depends on the definition of ‘Art’ itself. Some argue that art is about intention, and thus if the intention is to decorate as opposed to destroy, then that action is art. The street painters hold differing opinions on the matter: PAIK explains his paintings are art because to successfully paint a tag ‘takes years of skill’, while ESKA focuses on meaning: ‘Each piece is a is a demonstration of the battle of positive over negative thinking. The strength we have inside of ourselves and subconscious to reach the level of knowledge and peace that we need to get through this life’.
If you believe that art must hold some sort of meaning, then perhaps PAIK is right in his self-proclaimed label of ‘vandal’, but arguably the history and tradition behind his craft is what makes it meaningful. ESKA explains that ‘Graffiti is a community and often pieces are used to communicate with other artists from that community and the wider public’. He notes that he started with traditional Graffiti style writing’, similar to PAIK’s style of work, and that it is the rich culture around the style that gives it worth.
Both painters agreed that the practice clears their heads, and that Hackney Wick is an ideal location to ‘paint without issues’ (ESKA). The pair also share the opinion that Graffiti and Street Art make a place more creative.
ESKA and PAIK, while holding unique opinions as to what makes their work art, and identifying with different labels, have the same goal: to add colour and interest to our infrastructure. While PAIK may identify as a vandal, to him the label is not a negative one. While he wouldn’t identify as a street artist, he still views his vandalism as an art form.
While some may believe that public property is no place for someone to paint, the street is a place where art is accessible to all, and therefore is the perfect canvas to leave social or political statements--- key themes in the street art of many. In Hackney Wick specifically, the Graffiti is a key aspect of what makes the location individual. The increase in new infrastructure from developers in the area has led to Graffiti and Street Art being lost, and whether that work was made by a ‘vandal’ or a ‘street artist’,it is important, and needs to be preserved.
