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Essays on "is graffiti art?
Essays on "is graffiti art?
Graffiti vs vandalism
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Graffiti should it be considered vandalism or art? Does it matter where the graffiti is drawn or who by or, is it as simple as its on a public building and no matter how artistic it looks it's vandalism.
There are many views on whether graffiti should be considered art. Graffiti is becoming more acceptable in the modern day with over eighty percent of teenagers now thinking its a valid form of self expression. Furthermore there are amny people who belive that, " An artist that has made use of a rundown building to create their art is in fact using his/her enviroment to its full potential. It is giving the building of neglect a new purpose" said by Anon. Another online commentator suggested that : "Graffiti that is art, like well-drawn pictures that enhance a building's plain wall is acceptable. If it is used to disguise an ugly piece of architecture or an eyesore is certainly going to enchance the area" by Mikki T.
These views come from a wide selection of grown men and women and not your typical teenagers who vandlise public property. It shows how widely Graffiti affects people and ...
Webster defines graffiti as an inscription or drawing made on some public surface. Graffiti is often thought of as gang-related, because gangs have traditionally painted their identifying symbols in places to mark their turf.
Mention the word graffiti and what typically comes to mind is something unpleasant and distasteful like indecent language scribbled on a wall of a store or crude pictures. Most graffiti is characterized as vandalism on property that does not belong to the culprit. Graffiti also displays negative graphics that promote some type of vulgar message such as violence, sex, drugs, gangs, and racism. On the other hand, when the terms “street” and “art” come together, a blast of colorful creations upon blank slates on the street comes to mind. Although street art is technically considered graffiti, it is a type of graffiti with positive qualities, but certain figures in society find street art to be, in some way, disruptive. If used properly, street art can be appreciated artistically and socially. Despite the negative stigma attached to graffiti, street art has emerged as a progressive valuable art form whose vast history, surge in popularity, and urge for social change warrant its classification as a fine art.
Although many people believe that graffiti is vandalism, it is in fact art because many museums display graffiti, people are interested in it, and it displays beauty and emotional power. Many people have learned to appreciate graffiti as an art form and have opened their eyes to the beauty and emotional power it holds. From the video on CBS News, “Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism,” Laura Fanning (museum visitor) explains at 1:42 “. now I see it as more of a commentary and a statement of ‘I’m leaving my mark’.” This quote exhibits a museum visitor whose perception of graffiti changed when she went to a museum that displayed graffiti.
Graffiti has been around for a long time, far back to the prehistoric times, where cavemen would spend hours drawing on walls, reflecting their daily lives. However, these walls were not walls of their own homes; they drew on walls that might have been someone else’s home, yet no one sees their “works of art” as vandalism. Archaeologists have even used graffiti on the walls of many areas to better understand different ancient cultures. Graffiti is a type of art that is popularly used among many young and middle-aged males, although it is considered vandalism, it is still an important piece of popular culture because of it’s ability to act as an effective form of communication and expression of identity, which can be used to reveal problems in society.
Art is an expression of one’s mind or imagination through drawings and paintings on a canvas or words written in a book. Graffiti is an expression as well of one’s imaginations or feelings through words, or drawings displayed on a surface such as a building, wall or subway train.
On the contrary, many argue that since unauthorized graffiti is illegal, it is not art, instead it is vandalism. The New York Times insisted that graffiti’s most important quality is the fact it is illegal. However, regardless of its legality, graffiti is art. A flower growing in the “wrong” place is still a flower. Likewise, art in the “wrong” place is still art.
Looking into a piece of graffiti; is exactly like looking into the mind of the artist. There is reason and knowledge behind graffiti. It is an amazing art form; it creates a sense of belonging and a community. “This world is not meant for me, but I still want to exist so
Within the last few years, graffiti has been deemed an acceptable and tasteful genre of art. Long gone are the days where the spray can belonged exclusively to the local delinquent. From the past to present, there has been a shift in how street art is recognized by the general public and the government. Laws and policies are being put into place that both defend and threaten the promulgation of this creative medium. By both protecting and prohibiting, the government displays an inconsistent and confusing relationship with street art. When art is so subjective, it can become challenging to delineate the fine line between vandalism and creativity. This essay will discuss the changing public perception of graffiti, the trademark and copyright battles between graffiti artists and property owners, the categorization of street art as an artform, and the beneficial aspects of commissioned street murals.
Art is the expression or application of our thoughts, desires, emotions and feelings. Art helps us spread and share our thoughts with others. There are many different types of art and graffiti is one of them. Each person living in this world has their own definition of art. Some define graffiti as illegal because they believe that it abuses public property. Others believe that Graffiti should be legalized because they see it as not just another form of art but also as a useful form of political expression, a way to beautify scenery and as a potential source of income.
The beauty of art is that everyone has a different opinion of what they consider art. A highly debated topic is if graffiti can be considered art. Technically speaking, it is usually vandalism but people believe it is also art. Although it is in fact vandalism, graffiti is still art because it is self-expression of the individual and can even convey powerful messages that can reach out and affect the everyday person.
Graffiti is a form of art that people use to express themselves and to convey various messages to people in a particular community. In the movie "Graffiti Verite':. One of the graffiti artist explained that his purpose in doing graffiti is that it allows him to "express his anger' on the wall. Another kid by the name of "Jipsie" said that graffiti is a "form of growth". There were several different explanations that artists shared as well as several different reasons why they like graffiti. The common theme among the graffiti artist and taggers was that graffiti is simply a form of self-expression (Bryan). At the end of the film one tagger made a comment and said, "graffiti is not vandalism, but it is a beautiful crime". This comment did not make sense to me. Committing a crime, a hideous act, is not a beautiful thing to do by any means. Graffiti does not mean people can go around and draw and spray paint on other peoples property. Regardless of what types of graffiti are being expressed by the tagger, this type of self expression is considered vandalism when people decide to draw, destroy, or violate any persons property without consent. As a result of taggers committing the crime of vandalism, property owners, concerned citizens, and law enforcement officers spend too much time, money, and energy trying to put an end to the unlawful act of vandalism.
Common mediums used are stencils, prints, and murals. Graffiti is often considered to be art because of new artists, such as One of the main reasons street art is considered a crime is because it is believed to deface the property of which it has been applied to. Another problem being that Graffiti is costly to clean, in major cities the budget for cleaning graffiti can be in the millions. There is a solution to this problem that one city in Australia has applied. Police in Fremantle, Australia are focusing on getting rid of tags and less desirable graffiti but leaving the rest up because they believe it impacts the “culture and vibrancy of the city.”
Graffiti is a beautiful art that expresses feeling and emotions. However, people think of it differently. Is it a crime or an art? Those talented people, young or old, a teenage, a child or an adult, have a passion for making graffiti art on street walls a...
. “Graffiti is an art form. Just like drawing, dancing or singing. It is an art form that dates back to cave paintings, writing and drawing on walls” (Stowers 1). The whole idea of graffiti may seem a little off, to someone who didn’t grow up in the “big city,” however graffiti isn’t about gangs and the underground. It’s quite the opposite; graffiti was meant as a way to say we’re here to stay. Graffiti is not a crime; it’s more like a conformation. Graffiti is made by people who are focused on making statements and sending a message. The act of graffiti or spraycan art should be thought of as a crime but as an art form. I mean it’s been around as long as civilization has existed, so it shouldn’t a form of crime.
Graffiti fulfills a desire for people to enclose blank exteriors back into the public eye. Graffiti is often hurried yet, also mapped and calculated, it is muddled and polished, primitive and contemporary. It is art that can further deceive, isolate, blight, and sully a neighborhood. However, it also sometimes reveals a color saturated vibrant uneasiness that marks the city as the graffitists’ territory. Professor Michael DeNotto of the University of Illinois has researched on graffitists and their reason as to why graffitists profane the cities. Professor DeNotto believes “a cry for revolution, a way to create awareness of socio-political issues, an expression of hope for the future, an effort to reclaim public spaces, or an attempt to beautify the urban environment, among others” (208). Graffitists may not have the same social standards as artists in the galleries but they can have the same influence on