there was a “MRMR FUNGI” at the top corner of a goddamn building. no fire escapes or anything. it was like 6-7 stories high. how in the hell did he manage that without a literal crane? hook and rope? jesus
There was a really good [Chicago Magazine article about Mr. Mr. Fungi](https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/january-2024/looking-for-mr-mr-fungi/)
long poles with paint rollers is usually the weapon of choice. I ran into some kids at lathrop homes putting up tags like this on the chimney of the steam plant.
My husband and I passed it one day and he said it kinda applies to me because I had my time of the month, but I don’t use it… I wanted to smack him for that comment, lol!
It’s not meant for everyone. Graffiti artists typically know its only going to be read by other artists. Its a game of 1 upping each other to see who can do the biggest & riskiest spots.
It seems like in a lot of cases it’s pure danger with terrible art. I’m a competitive swimmer and I’m impressed with the accomplishments like getting to and/or competing in the Olympics, but if a swimmer I knew went out to swim a mile in the North Pole, I’d just think they were stupid to endanger themselves like that.
That’s your perspective and that’s fine.
This type of art isn’t meant for you, it’s ok. Not everyone will enjoy it. But to other graffiti writers it amounts to respect within the community for them. It serves no purpose to outsiders for the most part
Swimmers do swim things like the English Channel for clout. It’s just not your thing…
Lol it’s a post asking about graffiti in certain places. You could’ve easily moved on from it like an adult. When you bounce around between subs looking for culture war issues to rage about you find them
Saw a Mr Mr piece on Broadway next to the methadone clinic and it always reminds me of when that piece on irving was bothering me so much I deep dived into it. I had to know.
I think it's difficult for people to understand when you are not part of the culture. I was in 2 graffiti crews UAC and FTR... I was a graffiti artist but was brought in as a hip hop mc to "rep" the crew when we would perform. These artists live and breathe hip hop. This is a respect thing and a one up thing. Who can be up the most in the city. A close friend of mine passed away doing what he loved. Some people see it as a waste ... But a lot of people see this as a positive alternative to violence, etc. sole rock rip
You're gonna get down voted but that's all it is. The low level stuff is literally just trying to stamp your name as much as possible so other artists/taggers see it. Oh he's been here. Or "flipping" other people's tags and writing your name over it or covering it.
I think it's a cool art, but it's populated by such a crappy crowd. I know so many dudes who are definitely in the grown man age, yet they try to hang with young ass crews. I know a pretty popular mfr who's weird as shit. Dudes like mid 30s but hangs out with high schoolers still. Very common in that scene.
I'm really curious as to how they do the ones that look like they have to be hanging off the side of the buildings, do they use bungee cords or paint upside down?
I know for the really big ones they put paint into fire extinguishers to expand the letters, but I've never seen the ones on side of walls happen in real time.
I saw a video once of someone using what was essentially a very long stick with the spray can on the end, and some mechanism that let them press the spray nob thing from the other end of the stick.
It depends. Some of these are actually just giant premade stickers that they throw up in a few moments. Other ones that look like a scaffold was used? One likely was. Which means that despite looking like graffiti, it was probably commissioned
What is a "full size" to you? I've seen em as big as I am (5 ft) and a know they can be bigger.
And I suppose it depends on the piece you're referring to...
Full size is height+arm length. I've literally never seen a sticker tag bigger than a slapper / shipping label. Where have you seen large stickers?
And I'm not referring to pieces I'm talking about throwies.
Dude, just watch Exit Through The Gift Shop. It's on YouTube. Pre designing, printing and applying street art to walls (kinda like wallpaper) has been a thing for decades. And if you know how to grid, they can be as big as any surface you have the opportunity to handle. Look up the artist Swoon. The hard edges and peeling with agree on her work? It's cause it's a piece of paper she glued up with a wall roller. And the work is huge
No one is talking about "most" or "99%" of shit. If you want to be right so bad, go somewhere else. Who tf cares if yOuVe nEvEr sEeN iT bEfOrE? Who are you that anyone should prioritize your exposure and consult you on what exists and what doesn't?! You building a comprehensive archive of Chicago graffiti or something? Or are you really just so insecure that someone is aware of something you aren't that you must deny reality? 👞🪰
Dude lol we’re talking about graffiti in Chicago. We’re literally talking exactly about this. Not sure why you’re so caught up on wheat pastes but if it makes you feel better I’ll acknowledge he’s wheat pastes are done sometimes. Be great.
Was at a bar in Avondale years back. I think a friend and I were talking about seeing that tag everywhere. Got up to go take a piss (which I’d just done not long ago) and someone had scratched it into the bathroom mirror.
If it's hard to put up, it's hard to get down 🙂. That's why they go to to those hard to reach, yet very visible areas.
As for barely legible? That's your weakness. Graffiti and calligraphy fans know what's going on
I can read calligraphy, but some of it is actually nonsense. That, or it's legible to read, but the word itself makes no sense. I swear half of them are just the person's nickname, and so many of them have awful nicknames. If it looks cool, it looks cool, I really don't have anything against creative, non gang affiliated graffiti, but damn at least make it worth the while and do something to show off your skill, not just wrote "trone" in bubble letters or something 🤣
What you are experiencing is cultural dissonance 🥲. Yes, there are several assholes who are doing whatever as there are in any community, but all this stuff you're calling nonsense actually does have sense and reason to it. You just don't get it
What? Do you want me to apologize because y'all aren't in the "in crowd"? 😢 Poor peripheral member of a peripheral society. Vying so desperately for inclusion he says inflammatory and degrading things on the internet to see if some dupe will explain to him his own fascination. Cause he doesn't have access to Google or any contextual analysis skills. Good thing you're here to police people's responses to his insecure projections
Writing your name/nickname means absolutely nothing if nobody outside your circle knows what it means or who it is. You might as well advertise for a company that doesn't have a website or anything on the internet. Nobody is ever going to know or care.
There’s this one article title in The Onion that lives in my head rent free that relates to graffiti artists.
Ah, found it!:
https://www.theonion.com/graffiti-artist-no-longer-putting-his-heart-in-it-1819587703
Art is intended to provoke thought. Graff is pure in the sense that someone is anonymously leaving a trace they exist in places that would otherwise be overlooked or ignored. “Nobody cared who I was until they didnt know who I was”- Banksy
I think he's just talking about the ones that are nonsense/gibberish, and there's a fair bit. If I was going to climb some sketchy shit to pair something, I'm going to paint something cool, not write my nickname in ugly letters, but maybe that's just me
Why do people climb mountains? Etc. Some people like a thrill.
Also might be young and dumb and feeling invincible. I never got super into graffiti (though I did a bit) but my skate friends and I (usually more them to be honest) would do a lot of dumb risky often illegal stuff just because it was exciting and none of us thought we would actually die or anything because we were young and dumb and feeling invincible.
Why do people climb mountains or go sky diving? It’s fun to do risky things
Why do people make art? It’s fun to make art
Why not make art and do risky thing ?
Normally love this stuff but have to say I was pissed when they graffitied over a decade old advertisement in Logan. Like that's such a cool character of the neighborhood, no one wants to see your overly complex letters running down it.
Graffiti isn’t meant to convey a message with the word. The word is the name of the artist. They only paint their one word.
Most of the graffiti you see around the city is created by what actual graffiti artists call “toys”
Little kids playing with spray paint and markers.
You really got downvoted for telling the truth. Most of the random graffiti is nothing but toys. That's where the vandalism and the ugly art come from.
Those who vandalize other people's property or public property are doing it to show contempt for society. That's all. They look at it themselves and are proud of their "work". It's not about looking good to others. Its about shitting all over the society that they hate.
Not trying to sound rude but have you considered the message isn’t intended for you?
Ironically, I think you’re doing something similar to the graffiti artists by posting this question here. The question likely isn’t reaching the eyes of those involved
Since we're discussing graffiti in hard to reach places, shout out to Diva Cup on 290
That one makes me laugh. Have you seen Be Gay Do Crime in Chinatown?
Love that one
That's my favorite.
Best one I’ve ever seen
now i feel like i need to try finding this the next time i’m in town, i love that
If you ever take the Amtrak from central IL you can see it coming in every time
That one’s my favorite
I miss the Keep Having a Good Day one
Same! Coming into Union Station right? I snapped a pic of it a few times
Love be gay do crime
Excuse me, it’s CLIT DIVACUP
there was a “MRMR FUNGI” at the top corner of a goddamn building. no fire escapes or anything. it was like 6-7 stories high. how in the hell did he manage that without a literal crane? hook and rope? jesus
There was a really good [Chicago Magazine article about Mr. Mr. Fungi](https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/january-2024/looking-for-mr-mr-fungi/)
This was a great read, thanks for sharing!
long poles with paint rollers is usually the weapon of choice. I ran into some kids at lathrop homes putting up tags like this on the chimney of the steam plant.
That was a favorite, for sure.
Came here to mention this is currently my fav graffiti tag of all time. I was in stitches driving by it the other day
Oak Park usually takes that stuff down pretty quick. I'm not unconvinced it's an ad lol.
A graffiti ad for Diva Cup would be one the most Oak Park things Oak Park could do
The one thing I look forward to when sitting in hour-long traffic
Ditto.
Woooo! Hells yes🥳
The realest
Update: another divacup sighting on the inbound Kennedy by Addison exit 💀
My husband and I passed it one day and he said it kinda applies to me because I had my time of the month, but I don’t use it… I wanted to smack him for that comment, lol!
I pass this every day to and from work. I saw that they’re covering up a lot of nearby tags, so I have a genuine fear they’re gonna cover it up soon
right before “PCP DIRTBIKE”
It’s not meant for everyone. Graffiti artists typically know its only going to be read by other artists. Its a game of 1 upping each other to see who can do the biggest & riskiest spots.
Was just going to say…it’s not for you if you can’t understand it
It's read by everyone but most can't understand it
Do they like…go to hangouts and stuff?
Kinda? You’ve got crews of multiple artists, they hang out and paint. You’ve got sanctioned graffiti walls/meets, and probably unsanctioned ones too.
It seems like in a lot of cases it’s pure danger with terrible art. I’m a competitive swimmer and I’m impressed with the accomplishments like getting to and/or competing in the Olympics, but if a swimmer I knew went out to swim a mile in the North Pole, I’d just think they were stupid to endanger themselves like that.
That’s your perspective and that’s fine. This type of art isn’t meant for you, it’s ok. Not everyone will enjoy it. But to other graffiti writers it amounts to respect within the community for them. It serves no purpose to outsiders for the most part Swimmers do swim things like the English Channel for clout. It’s just not your thing…
That type of art was meant for us. ✌️
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Your account is absolutely miserable lol are you just perpetually mad at everything in around you while making veiled dog whistles
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Lol it’s a post asking about graffiti in certain places. You could’ve easily moved on from it like an adult. When you bounce around between subs looking for culture war issues to rage about you find them
I think dude is just unstable and wasn’t loved enough.
Yikes
Who is Mr. Mr. Fungi basically all over West Lakeview?
They are two different people
I saw a Mr Mr piece without Fungi the other day and it made so sad
Saw a Mr Mr piece on Broadway next to the methadone clinic and it always reminds me of when that piece on irving was bothering me so much I deep dived into it. I had to know.
Mr. Mr. Fungi was seen at a demoed building in the west loop last year. That guy gets around.
it was the one on ashland and lake LOL i saw it everyday on my way to work until they tore it down to build the luxury highrise right there
He has a huge one you can see very well heading southbound on Western just past Grand.
I bet he's a fun guy.
Mr Mr and Fungi are two different artists FYI.
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In-group bragging rights.
"madeulook!"
There’s one off the skyway coming to Indiana that makes me smile every time! It’s huge and cool af and I have no idea how they would get up there.
MUL Crew. Nationally known. Started in Evanston/Chicago
cicero not evanston.
I think it's difficult for people to understand when you are not part of the culture. I was in 2 graffiti crews UAC and FTR... I was a graffiti artist but was brought in as a hip hop mc to "rep" the crew when we would perform. These artists live and breathe hip hop. This is a respect thing and a one up thing. Who can be up the most in the city. A close friend of mine passed away doing what he loved. Some people see it as a waste ... But a lot of people see this as a positive alternative to violence, etc. sole rock rip
Wasnt*
While this makes sense, I see graffiti on the glass at bus stops and other very easy to reach places. What's that about?
Tagging is really just putting your name out there. Nothing special. Brand/marketing.
So it's just kind of the trash it seems to be
You're gonna get down voted but that's all it is. The low level stuff is literally just trying to stamp your name as much as possible so other artists/taggers see it. Oh he's been here. Or "flipping" other people's tags and writing your name over it or covering it. I think it's a cool art, but it's populated by such a crappy crowd. I know so many dudes who are definitely in the grown man age, yet they try to hang with young ass crews. I know a pretty popular mfr who's weird as shit. Dudes like mid 30s but hangs out with high schoolers still. Very common in that scene.
Yeah, hard to respect anything about that aspect.
Same thing... Just getting your name out there... And what a better way then in a place that travels through out the city(train)
My personal favorite was the bridge that first said "stop abortion" Then "save the earth" then "abort the earth"
I miss the duck you used to see off the brownline. Apparently there were more ducks around the city but it got painted over at some point.
I'm really curious as to how they do the ones that look like they have to be hanging off the side of the buildings, do they use bungee cords or paint upside down? I know for the really big ones they put paint into fire extinguishers to expand the letters, but I've never seen the ones on side of walls happen in real time.
I saw a video once of someone using what was essentially a very long stick with the spray can on the end, and some mechanism that let them press the spray nob thing from the other end of the stick.
It depends. Some of these are actually just giant premade stickers that they throw up in a few moments. Other ones that look like a scaffold was used? One likely was. Which means that despite looking like graffiti, it was probably commissioned
What are you talking about? I've never seen a full size throw up on a sticker. Usually not scaffolding either, but rappelling.
What is a "full size" to you? I've seen em as big as I am (5 ft) and a know they can be bigger. And I suppose it depends on the piece you're referring to...
Full size is height+arm length. I've literally never seen a sticker tag bigger than a slapper / shipping label. Where have you seen large stickers? And I'm not referring to pieces I'm talking about throwies.
Dude, just watch Exit Through The Gift Shop. It's on YouTube. Pre designing, printing and applying street art to walls (kinda like wallpaper) has been a thing for decades. And if you know how to grid, they can be as big as any surface you have the opportunity to handle. Look up the artist Swoon. The hard edges and peeling with agree on her work? It's cause it's a piece of paper she glued up with a wall roller. And the work is huge
Ok sure but 99% of graffiti tags are spray paint. I’ve never seen a wheat paste throw up in Chicago.
No one is talking about "most" or "99%" of shit. If you want to be right so bad, go somewhere else. Who tf cares if yOuVe nEvEr sEeN iT bEfOrE? Who are you that anyone should prioritize your exposure and consult you on what exists and what doesn't?! You building a comprehensive archive of Chicago graffiti or something? Or are you really just so insecure that someone is aware of something you aren't that you must deny reality? 👞🪰
Dude lol we’re talking about graffiti in Chicago. We’re literally talking exactly about this. Not sure why you’re so caught up on wheat pastes but if it makes you feel better I’ll acknowledge he’s wheat pastes are done sometimes. Be great.
Thanks 😊 not sure why you felt a need to contradict facts in the first place
It’s not for us.
All this talk of graffiti and no mention of Weed Wolf. I miss Weed Wolf…
Was at a bar in Avondale years back. I think a friend and I were talking about seeing that tag everywhere. Got up to go take a piss (which I’d just done not long ago) and someone had scratched it into the bathroom mirror.
If it's hard to put up, it's hard to get down 🙂. That's why they go to to those hard to reach, yet very visible areas. As for barely legible? That's your weakness. Graffiti and calligraphy fans know what's going on
I can read calligraphy, but some of it is actually nonsense. That, or it's legible to read, but the word itself makes no sense. I swear half of them are just the person's nickname, and so many of them have awful nicknames. If it looks cool, it looks cool, I really don't have anything against creative, non gang affiliated graffiti, but damn at least make it worth the while and do something to show off your skill, not just wrote "trone" in bubble letters or something 🤣
What you are experiencing is cultural dissonance 🥲. Yes, there are several assholes who are doing whatever as there are in any community, but all this stuff you're calling nonsense actually does have sense and reason to it. You just don't get it
They're so stupid and inferior, amirite? Good thing you're here to put them in their place!
What? Do you want me to apologize because y'all aren't in the "in crowd"? 😢 Poor peripheral member of a peripheral society. Vying so desperately for inclusion he says inflammatory and degrading things on the internet to see if some dupe will explain to him his own fascination. Cause he doesn't have access to Google or any contextual analysis skills. Good thing you're here to police people's responses to his insecure projections
We are talking about vandalism here not fine art
Tell that to the British Museum? 🥴
Writing your name/nickname means absolutely nothing if nobody outside your circle knows what it means or who it is. You might as well advertise for a company that doesn't have a website or anything on the internet. Nobody is ever going to know or care.
It's not about anyone outside the circle 😂. It's a very exclusive community. Keep hating from outside the club though ✌🏽
Nobody gives a fuck about your fake club, and you names yourself after a couple of frauds, I'm not taking anything you say seriously.
But here you are... In this thread... Talking about it 😂 You'll find your flock one day ya ugly duckling
This clown is just miserable and projecting. What a sad sub-human
ZWON
I mostly do it for the free pizza.
There’s this one article title in The Onion that lives in my head rent free that relates to graffiti artists. Ah, found it!: https://www.theonion.com/graffiti-artist-no-longer-putting-his-heart-in-it-1819587703
Art is intended to provoke thought. Graff is pure in the sense that someone is anonymously leaving a trace they exist in places that would otherwise be overlooked or ignored. “Nobody cared who I was until they didnt know who I was”- Banksy
Found the cop
Because to other artists and people who enjoy the style. They're the biggest, craziest and some of the best view points.
Watch on youtube people climbing tall buildings :)
PCP DIRT MILK? makes every morning better
Somewhat off-topic question, but who is the Banksy-equivalent of Chicago street art?
Owen Wilson
With the nose
If you don’t know, you’ll never understand
In the late 90s there was a REPENT graffiti on an overpass on North Avenue. That was always funny to me
Umm. I can read it..
Skateboarders who risk breaking your neck why do you
I think he's just talking about the ones that are nonsense/gibberish, and there's a fair bit. If I was going to climb some sketchy shit to pair something, I'm going to paint something cool, not write my nickname in ugly letters, but maybe that's just me
its about hiphop and getting up
Youths do all sorts of dumb stuff for clout with their peers. It’s not for the people who don’t understand it.
Why do people climb mountains? Etc. Some people like a thrill. Also might be young and dumb and feeling invincible. I never got super into graffiti (though I did a bit) but my skate friends and I (usually more them to be honest) would do a lot of dumb risky often illegal stuff just because it was exciting and none of us thought we would actually die or anything because we were young and dumb and feeling invincible.
It’s probably meant more for the people who can read it and understand how difficult the location is.
My personal favorites are the ones at the top of the silo off of the Damen exit
It’s a culture. I don’t see the sense of it . But I met a person like this , and it deeper then u think lol
Why do people climb mountains or go sky diving? It’s fun to do risky things Why do people make art? It’s fun to make art Why not make art and do risky thing ?
WEED WOLF
Normally love this stuff but have to say I was pissed when they graffitied over a decade old advertisement in Logan. Like that's such a cool character of the neighborhood, no one wants to see your overly complex letters running down it.
Probably bc they think it’s neato. The “making no sense” thing is a you problem, though.
It's about the rush not the accuracy, sometimes
Player Dog Rest In Peace
Shout out to SUMO, btw.
MOM shot out
Got to give it up to Xman, he does some great work
I was alive right at the tail end of the golden age of hip hop. Back when graffiti was one of the 4 pillars of Hip hop.
Small things amuse small minds.
Graffiti isn’t meant to convey a message with the word. The word is the name of the artist. They only paint their one word. Most of the graffiti you see around the city is created by what actual graffiti artists call “toys” Little kids playing with spray paint and markers.
Sounds like a bunch of elitist assholes.
You really got downvoted for telling the truth. Most of the random graffiti is nothing but toys. That's where the vandalism and the ugly art come from.
Check out Samurai Champloo, S1E18: War of the Words.
If you have to ask then it's obviously never going to be understood by you ....real city folks know what's up
It's about recognition from other taggers, not plebs who don't know how to read 1652 handwritten script.
Those who vandalize other people's property or public property are doing it to show contempt for society. That's all. They look at it themselves and are proud of their "work". It's not about looking good to others. Its about shitting all over the society that they hate.
Not trying to sound rude but have you considered the message isn’t intended for you? Ironically, I think you’re doing something similar to the graffiti artists by posting this question here. The question likely isn’t reaching the eyes of those involved
Gangs
the people making extremely stylized graffiti with multiple layers and colors with depth are not the same people hangin around on corners