Moss graffiti is a type of

street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant graff ...

that uses living

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

to write on the walls of public spaces. The art is made by growing moss on mats, cutting it into shapes and gluing it to a wall. By replacing the harmful chemicals found in paints (such as

methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...

, which damages the nervous system when consumed in large quantities) with plant matter, the artist can still create works without damaging the environment. After application, the moss grows, adding a new dimension to the art medium as well as extending the concept of

guerrilla gardening Guerrilla gardening is the act of gardening – raising food, plants, or flowers – on land that the gardeners do not have the legal rights to cultivate, such as abandoned sites, areas that are not being cared for, or private property. It enco ...

. There are many fake videos and articles online that claim moss graffiti can be created in a

blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...

. They claim by taking clumps of moss and blending them with water (sometimes

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most mod ...

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in t ...

, and

corn syrup Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn (called maize in many countries) and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to softe ...

you can create a thick liquid that can be painted on a wall by a brush. They claim that applications of the moss mixture or water may be needed to create a fuller effect. However, photos or time-lapse videos of the results are never shown. Many people have tried to replicate the process, but documentation that it succeeds is lacking. The paste was too thick to paint with a brush, it fell off after a few days or weeks and moss failed to grow.

References

Graffiti and unauthorised signage {{Art-technique-stub