One new advantageous method of advertising that seems to have taken popularity with marketers has been with the use of reverse graffiti. Reverse graffiti is the concept of a non-damaging form of graffiti (i.e.: Reversible). It allows for people to leave messages, without the defacement of any property. Many of these forms of graffiti are literally cleaning art into surfaces.
It creates art, while cleaning the environment.
It makes an important statement.
There are many forms for this reverse graffiti, and I will discuss some of the more common methods below. Please note that these forms of graffiti are simply described here for informational purposes. It is intended that if you use this information to create your own street art, you do so on your own property, or you receive permission to do this on another’s property.
Dust Tagging
Perhaps the most popular of all of the forms of reverse graffiti, dust tagging involves removing dust/grime from surfaces, typically with a cloth and some soapy water. Basically, an artistic dusting, as you literally clean your images into the surfaces of objects. Dust tagging has also evolved to include cleaning compacted dirt that layers on roads, though the dirt is typically packed onto the road more tightly – a power washer is required to lift up an image.
Dust tagging is common to be placed on opaque walls, or transparent surfaces, allowing for the dust vs. clean to really contrast with each other.
Moss Graffiti
Horticulturists discovered a way to create a “moss paint” to paint on surfaces. This paint once prepared, paints a layer of moss and nutrients on any surface. Under the proper growing conditions (shady and moist areas), the moss paint grows out to a fully grown moss, in 2 weeks. It also keeps the original design of what you painted! The texture adds a sharp contrast to any design, and it remains a fantastic, eco-friendly way to create graffiti.
Smog Graffiti
This form of reverse graffiti has been around since around 1991, and involves leaving stencils on buildings for long amounts of time (2 months or longer). It is a stencil art, without the paint. This is mainly a “city-only” type of graffiti, as cities are typically the only places with consistent amounts of smog to layer up on the sidewalks and streets. When you finally remove the stencil, there is a contrasting design of all the smog pile-up vs. the cleaner surface of the covered building.
