Stranded

Ella Hickford

Absolution Tattoo and Body Piercing
The Arts Centre, 28 Worcester Blvd, Shop 17, Christchurch

Opening Thursday, 5 November, 2020 at 6 pm

In contemporary life, especially in Christchurch, graffiti has become synonymous with large, spray- painted murals and tags that decorate the urban environment. These are either commissioned by open-minded property owners or done illegally under the cover of darkness. The history of graffiti, however, extends much farther back than this modern expression.

The term graffiti itself is derived from the Italian word ‘graffio,’ which means ‘to scratch’ and, for at least the last 40,000 years, humans have drawn, painted, and carved signifiers of their presence in the world onto any appropriate canvas. Like small children armed with crayons and enticed by blank walls, the desire to leave a mark on the world around us seems to be an intrinsic part of the human experience.

The marks we leave on our environment range from the mundane, “I was here,” to the artistic, and at times, offensive. In a similar fashion to social media, the relative anonymity (and illegality) of graffiti can lead creators to express thoughts and sentiments that challenge societal norms or attempt to lend weight to objectionable behaviour. Predominantly, however, graffiti is a way to connect with strangers and friends, to say “I am here, and this is what is important to me,” and to allow those messages to resonate for a longer time than if they were simply spoken aloud. By imparting our presence on the landscape, we indulge our desire to be seen by and to engage with others and to establish identity within spaces that are inherently not our own.

Ella Hickford is a Christchurch based photographer whose artistic practise is largely dedicated to exploring human influence on the natural environment and chronicling the often-overlooked narratives that can be found within the landscape. She is an alumnus of Ilam School of Fine Arts, graduating in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) in photography.

www.ellakhickford.com