Tag 1970

Here we see a tag by TAKI 183, applied directly onto a tiled surface, likely sometime in the 1970s. The artist’s name sprawls across the wall in a bold yet decaying manner. Notice how the choice of line and form rejects traditional notions of artistic skill, instead embracing immediacy and directness. The spray paint bleeds slightly into the porous surface, a visual echo of how these markings seep into the urban landscape, altering its texture. The grid of the tiles offers a structured background against the unruly freedom of the tag, setting up a binary between order and chaos, control and rebellion. The crude application of the paint challenges the clean lines of sanctioned public space. This act of marking transforms the wall into a canvas for unsanctioned expression, questioning established notions of property, aesthetics, and communication.