As long as we are constantly debating the differences between graffiti and tags... and tags and tiles... and tiles and stencils... there is another form of graffiti that exists in Buffalo. It's called wheat paste graffiti - the piece shown here is an example that I found on Allen Street. From what I have gathered, the process of wheat paste became popular when political activists began looking for a way to post political posters. The reason that some people prefer to use this technique is threefold (or more). First off, it looks different than traditional pieces and tags. The paste used is cheap and easy to make in large quantities. It's also tough to remove a wheat paste piece.
Many people do not look at wheat paste art as a type of graffiti, but for all intents and purposes it is in the same category. Wheatpasting may not be as popular as more traditional forms of graffiti... the posters are pre-prepared and then applied at a site much like wallpaper. This gives the piece a three dimensional quality and appearance. Some of the posters are original and created by hand, while others are stock and reproduced images. Whether you are a fan of graffiti or an opponent, knowing about the different styles of graffiti can be helpful in order to identify it in your neighborhood.