Graffiti, or graf as it is also known, with its vibrancy and pointed messages, not only enlivens the landscape but also brings a new dimension to an otherwise often sterile urban environment. It is so much more than just spray-painted images and letters or “tags” (to use gang slang). It’s a unique art form unto itself, and conveys the political messages of youth, who often have no other means of expressing themselves or making their voices heard.

Graffitti can stimulate constructive discussion about important social issues and can serve as a catalyst for necessary social change. Many would argue that today’s Tainted Landscape has really been created by the likes of McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and dozens of other corporations with enough money to plaster their corporate logos (tags) everywhere. Even their concrete bunker buildings that dominate the landscape are depressing testimonials to ugliness. Captured throughout the past year in Vancouver, Montréal and New York by Canadian photographer Kent Waddington, these images depict one of the more despised urban art forms in a far different, and certainly more colourful, light.

www.kentwaddington.com