Graffiti Lives 3-2 Response

In Graffiti Lives, Snyder offers a unique perspective which may be easily undervalued.  The case where any subculture, particularly those which involve illegal activity, can be infiltrated, explored, and reported upon is quite rare.  Anyone can take down observations, identify patterns, and develop theories based upon their own experiences and careful experimentation.  This, however, is not what Snyder did.  Snyder held genuine interest in the subculture of graffiti as well as genuine interest in relaying the reality of this world to those outside of it.  Starting as an outsider himself, Snyder had to learn how to interact with insiders, develop connections, and obtain accurate information while creating records with as little “outside” distortion as possible.

It should be noted that Snyder eventually became part of the culture itself which offers warrant to what he discovers.  This is what truly makes his account rare and of great value.  Quite surprisingly, even when Snyder attempts to identify himself as someone conducting a study or merely seeking information, he is disbelieved by insiders and simply regarded as being necessarily paranoid.  In some ways, those wary of Snyder simply conducting a study were proven to have passed proper judgment as time progressed and Snyder became a writer himself under the name GWIZ.  Snyder was aware that if he was to truly understand the culture, he had to be immersed in it entirely.  In doing so, urges of excitement, pride, disapproval, criticism, progress, and more were made available in a manner which could not be communicated otherwise. 

            Despite his great achievements, there were many flaws or areas which could be greatly improved upon in his published book.  Parts such as the section titled “My Voice” begin offering useful background and making important points only to be followed by what I can only identify as useless biographical information.  It is important, for instance, to mention typical relationships and interactions between Snyder and other writers but it is not at all relevant that Snyder “grew up in an Irish-Catholic household in Green Bay, Wisconsin,” whose “parents moved there from Utica, New York, in 1973, when I [Snyder] was five years old.”  If included in this book at all, this kind of information ought to be in the back of the book under a section titled, “Useless Biographical Information About the Author.”  A second criticism worth mentioning is the way the actual documented graffiti is presented.  Throughout the entire reading, I try to imagine vivid colors which stand out and command attention but seem to be presented only with dull grayscales lacking in luster.  Only once I get past the 132 page am I finally rewarded with the true images which have remained mere shadows until this point.  Neither of these criticisms are exactly faults on Snyder’s research, work, or findings, but rather on construction and presentation.