
Take, for instance, a recent series of messages painted throughout New Jersey's Hudson County. This unknown artist has taken to quoting Bob Dylan and obscure foreign films. Some of his more prolific include, "Your Days of Plenty are Numbered" and "Dear Hoboken, don't follow leaders, watch your parking meters". While cryptic, it also gives one cause to stop, think and interpret the real meaning of the message - question authority? stick it to the man? wake up, people? No one is quite sure and this, for me, is the appeal. You can read more at the Cliffview Pilot website.


It's artists such as these that have become part of the core inspiration to Bad Monkey Designs' collection of graffiti inspired urban wear. Creative minds like Borf and others before him make the average passer-by stop and think. While most people look at graffiti artists as vandals, there are others that see many as talented minds and "urban prophets". For those that question, just look at how different graffiti styles have become more and more mainstream. The Obey campaign, started by Shepard Fairey has become one of the most popular (and commercially successful) urban art "exhibits" while the works of Bansky have sold for tens of thousands of dollars all over the world.
Whether commercially successful or not, all of these taggers started with one common goal - to make people think....to make people question....to make people wake up. These artisits, and others like them, continue to inspire me and thousands of others. So, while communities continue to "battle graffiti" there will always be an underground movement that believe "Art is Not a Crime".