physical washroom graffiti: the act

  • There are many reasons as to why one would commit the act of graffiti. A list of reasons is compiled in the reason page of "digital graffiti".  Similar reasons apply to washroom graffiti.

political

  • People are able to freely express their political opinion, ideals and feelings while they are in the private space of a bathroom stall.

  • At the same time, the bathroom stall is a public space which allows the political message written on the stalls to be visible to all those who enter the particular bathroom stall.

  • As a result, the graffiti creator takes advantage of this public space to promote and create awareness of his/her's political beliefs

  • (Right) - Politic opinions are expressed in regards to a riot for the 2010 Olympics.
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Women's washroom stall located on the 2nd floor in Buchanan D at UBC  (1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC) - Picture taken on July 17, 2010 by Anita Cheong

Fame & Popularity

  • Fame and popularity can be gained through creating graffiti on washroom stalls. This reason for creating washroom graffiti is related to the subculture of graffiti.
  • Those who know the creator of a certain graffiti work in the washroom stalls, often through the recognition of "tags" form a type of community. This community share the knowledge of who the graffiti artist is. 
  • As more and more people recognize certain graffiti types, the popularity and fame of the artist will rise as well. However, this rise to popularity can be viewed as both positive and negative. Positive amongst the subculture, while negative to those who own the properties in which the graffiti is drawn on.
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Women's washroom stall located on the 3nd floor in Buchanan D at UBC  (1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC) - Picture taken on July 17, 2010 by Anita Cheong
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Women's washroom stall located on the 2nd floor in Buchanan B at UBC  (1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC) - Picture taken on July 17, 2010 by Anita Cheong
A graffiti's artist work found in various washroom stalls located on the UBC Point Grey Campus.

expression of the self

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Women's washroom stall located in Woodward at UBC Point Grey Campus (2198 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC)
- Picture taken on July 17, 2010 by Anita Cheong
  • Due to the fact that the washroom stall is a private space when one is using it, one can also feel comfortable in expressing in this medium.

  • The need to express the self can stem from many reasons, such as the desire to let out certain opinions, fear, hopes, dreams, and questions.

  • In addition, since many public washrooms are divided amongst the genders, there is also a sense of acceptance that is anticipated by the graffiti artist when he/she writes down their opinion, due to the fact that those of the same gender can relate easier to each other. 

  • (Left) The creator of this washroom graffiti reveals a secret that relates to the community who would view the secret because those who see a "gynecologist" are women.

culture of generosity

  • A term coined by Clay Shirky, which is how the internet creates a culture of generosity, where information is made public and shared amongst all users. Watch the video here.
  • Clay Shirky believes this to be a "cognitive surplus," which represents the ability of the world population to volunteer and to contribute and collaborate on sometimes large, global projects.
  • Applying the same concept, graffiti can exist purely to support, encourage, and provide positive messages to those who read it. The graffiti artist gains nothing from the artwork, as they often remain anonymous. However, the impact of the message can change the feelings and emotions of those who view it.
  • This type of graffiti has what what Clay Shirky calls "civic value," which is something that is "created by the participants but is enjoyed by society as a whole."
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Women's washroom stall located on the 3rd floor in the  Scarfe Building
at UBC Point Grey Campus (2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC)
- Picture taken on July 17, 2010 by Anita Cheong