Time and Space in the Organization of Online Graffiti Art Image Collections

The research presented herein provides insight into the use of chronological and geographical organization in the management of noninstitutional graffiti art image collections online. The use of smartphones and other GPS-enabled technology may lead one to expect precision in the geographic location of images, but this is not the norm when image galleries are often based on submissions from a large variety of sources, a small percentage of which may include the artists of the original works. The fact that graffiti art is very often carried out illegally influences the granularity of geographic information provided by those who submit photos to online graffiti art websites, as well as the willingness of those managing the websites to divulge precise information. Concerning the element of time, images added to the websites also lack precision in the differentiation of when a work was completed, modified, painted over, buffed or otherwise removed, photographed, or added to the image collection. Despite these challenges, time and, even more so, space remain commonly encountered organizational divisions used by those who manage online image galleries of graffiti art.