Many may see the collage of bright, bold shapes that cover many parts of the city as reckless acts of vandalism, but Samuel Varela views it as self-expression through art.
The graphic design junior plans to take the grungy style of graffiti from the wall to the polished confines of a canvas with a collection of paintings for a project he calls a “graffiti canvas.”
Varela said he developed a knack for graffiti in grade school and was excited to recreate the unique art form with a fine-arts approach in college.
“Graffiti is an art form I’ve been drawn to since I was in middle school,” he said. “One day I just started sketching words, and it turned into graffiti.”
He said his process for creating graffiti art is spontaneous. He begins with a short gaze at a paper’s orientation, which he said usually induces a creative thought.
“A lot of times, the first letter kind of comes to me, and I just map it out on the page.” Varela said. “It’s kind of interesting looking at the page, and it just shows up.”
Letters are chosen based on how they curve and complement the conjoining letter, he said. Color patterns for his work are also selected at random for most of his pieces.
While most of his work does not showcase one particular style, he said he appreciates the different styles of his fellow graffiti artists.
Some graffiti artists create recurring characters and messages, while others paint figures that are indicative of their culture. Although rare, Varela said he has created some works that paid homage to his Hispanic culture.
As graffiti is a contentious art style, Varela said he understands why many people don’t share his passion.
He said graffiti has the potential to be a “beautiful art form” when done correctly. Those who irreverently paint obscenities are not graffiti artists in his opinion, instead making a mockery of the skill as a whole.
“It makes me wonder. If you don’t have the talent or you’re not willing putting in the time, why do it?” he said.
Varela considers graffiti to be an elaborate piece of work that involves creativity and time.
Tagging, which he said is most often associated with vandalism, is a quickly sketched simple form of graffiti. In a public setting, he said tagging is not always negative because a good tag can complement a larger piece of work.
But LSUPD spokesman Capt. Corey Lalonde said any form of graffiti in a public place is considered vandalism and is punishable by law.
“It’s a criminal act.” Lalonde said. “If you deface someone’s property, you can be arrested.”
Lalonde said the legal implications of vandalism may vary depending on the amount of damage. Any damage costing more than $500 will be considered a felony and result in arrest. Damage under $500 will result in a misdemeanor and a summons.
Varela said although he only uses paper now, he did dabble in wall graffiti in high school. He said he understands why most graffiti artists stray away from the confines of paper.
“It’s an interesting feeling,” he said. “Just the idea of leaving your mark somewhere for everyone to see – it’s exciting.”
Varela said he does not plan to become a professional graffiti artist, but graffiti will always be a part of his work. He said he even finds graffiti script forming in his personal signature.
In the future, Varela said he plans to indirectly use his graffiti styles as a graphic designer.
 
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Contact David Jones at [email protected]