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December 13, 2011
The annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle is meant to bring graffiti artists together from all over the world to showcase their skills.
This year, there were about 25 participating artists at the event, which took place Oct. 8 in West Oakland.
Every year, each artist is provided with spray cans and an 8-foot-by-10-foot canvas. The competition begins after competitors are assigned a four- to five-letter word to represent.
This year, the word was “proud.” Artists were then expected to develop a piece about being proud or what the word proud meant to them. They were given five hours. Then, the graffiti pieces were judged by legendary graffiti artists, who announced the winner at the end of the show.
“This year’s competitors were cool,” said Eric Montes, a student from Envision High School. “They all had their own style and flow to their art; each one was unique.”
One of the judges explained that youth today need to learn how to respect the art culture and not go up and down tagging wherever they desire. Destroying and vandalizing public property is what gives graffiti a bad reputation, he said.
A competitor who goes by the name “Amend” also is concerned about what taggers do to the art.
“Cats nowadays have no respect,” Amend said. “All they do is tag everywhere regardless of what it is. Back in the day, there were people like that, but they died out because all they did was simple tags on the walls. They never did any big pieces or murals. They need to show they have different styles and something to contribute to the world.”
Proponents say that graffiti is an art when done in the right place and that those who tag on public property and have “bomb wars” affect the reputation of graffiti artists who actually put a lot of work and dedication to their creations.
Supporters also say that, just like any other form of art, graffiti is a form of expression. When done right, it can be a beautiful thing. Although you most likely can find it anywhere, it is a practice that takes a lot of effort, technique and skill to master.
“The battle this year is pretty cool,” said Oakland High junior Omar Valdovinos. “There’s a lot of different styles.”
Some said the atmosphere of this year’s competition was really chill.
While artists were creating their pieces, other attendees could participate in a T-shirt stencil workshop, enter another battle designed for teens to show off their skills in a book with pens, markers and pencils, or skate at the local skating park.
Los Rakas, a rap group made up of former Oakland High students, also performed at the event.
“It was a good turnout,” said Montes. “I saw a lot of different styles that show Oakland Pride. They did the word ‘proud’ good.”
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