Role of Graffiti

Graffiti is the words, colors, and shapes drawn or scratched on buildings, overpasses, train cars, desks, and other surfaces. The term graffiti comes from the Greek word graphein, which means, "to write." Graffiti today ranges from simple, one-color monikers (like a nickname), called "tags", repeated on many surfaces to complex compositions of several colors. Lets analyze how is used this form of nonverbal communication in four differents Latin-American countries: Colombia, Honduras, Argentina and Brazil.

In colombia, problems and situations that the media ignore and which they turn away, they are exposed to light by graffiti. It exists to make public the hidden matters, so that everyone can access it and learn about the different opinions and viewpoints that are woven into the center of an effective democracy that sometimes seems to vanish in the creation of "threads "leaders, favoritism and manipulative.

However, in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, graffiti is being elevated to a new level, turning the streets into an open air art gallery, people accept it and think that it gives light to the city. Artists also represent political and social stamens critics in their creations.

On the contrary, in the case of Tegucigalpa, Honduras graffiti artists work is illegal, dangerous and seen as vandalism, this place is considered one of the world's deadliest cities. They also use it as a protest form to critize politicians and corruption. They certainly believe that can fight the intolerance and violence with art.

Another country where is graffiti is seen as art expression is Brazil, graffittis can now be found in cities all over the world. In Rio de Janeiro, the street art is omnipresent, it exists in all corners of the city from the favela to upper class neighborhoods, from residential to institutional. Vitché whose work is featured in “The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti,” began making street art he was protesting the destruction of nature in favor of big cities. Now their art is influenced by the political climate and corruption in Brazil.

Comparing those countries with Northern África, its possible to see that exist a conection between them because they use these forms of verbal and non-verbal communication (In the case of Northern África using blogs) to trasmit and to persuade society about the problems like corruption, political problems and poverty in order to fight against these troubling issues.