In every community Graffiti is considered vandalism! It is an act of wrongdoing that is hated in a community as an action of hooliganism. But people fail to see the message Graffiti artist are trying to send to the public. Passing through building or train stations people witness these weird drawings all over the place usually in the ghetto. But we miss the message these artists are sending, and I’m not talking about little punks who tag walls with their names but specific artist who have a message to send. Graffiti is a form of art in its own way it is a more urban style for the youth so they can express their feelings or interpret their views in today’s world in a beautiful masterpiece so that people can see.
Art is way someone can express themselves usually about what they see, feel, and that’s how Picasso and Van Gogh did it. So Graffiti is an urban form of art that goes all the way to the Stone Age which was a way people sent messages for their lineage by drawing on walls. To this day we can see these messages on the walls, and it is very significant to historians. An Economist Elizabeth Currid-Halkett stated, “Cities that have more graffiti tend to be cultural and artistic hubs. And street art tends to give people who don’t have the resources to launch a more traditional art career a shot” (Ferro 1). Graffiti is not an act of vandalism rather it is a way of urban lifestyle it is a way of marking your stories, and getting your message across to the wall if it personal or something with value to the world. Some use it because they want to make a change like a way to raise awareness for the people that need it. A writer Jacob Kimvall expresses his idea about Graffiti he stated, “My paper will take the opposite point of view as...
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...lent, and it should not be considered vandalism. If you had Picasso drawing on your wall would you consider that vandalism or art? So why ruin a Picasso keep that drawing because that is true talent, and art for this generation.
Works Cited
Brown, Edward A. “Is Graffiti Art? | BU Today | Boston University. “ BU Today RSS,
Boston University, 3 Feb. 2009. Web. 20 May 2014.
Ferro, Shauncy. “Can Graffiti Be Good For Cities?” Co.Design. Fast Company, 27
Jan. 2014. Web.20 May 2014
“Is Graffiti Good (yes) or Bad (no)?” The Premier Online Debate Website. Web. 20
May 2014.
Kimvall, Jacob. “Bad Graffiti Art Gone Good Street Art.” Academia.edi. Konstfack
University College Of Arts, Craft and Design, 28 Sept. 2007. Web. 20 May 2014.
Stowers, George C. “Graffiti Art: An Essay Converning the Recogniyion of Some forms of Graffiti As Art.” Graffiti Art. Web. 20 May 2014.
The identity of a graffiti artist is hardly ever known unless they want to tag their art with their name or a nickname. Graffiti writers as a subculture are trying to express their political views through civil disobedience by painting pictures that speak out against the government. This subculture developed because they were tired of being oppressed by the government. Graffiti is one of the most enduring acts of protest. It is an important tool for the resistance movement as a way to publicize their protest. It is a visible and powerful form of protest that is going to promote change in the social justice by allowing oppressed groups of people express their viewpoints without being penalized by the
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.
Graffiti is an art form that was bred from the rebellion of youths. The first sighting of graffiti was seen on subways, and other impoverished areas around New York. This form involved what is called tagging , where the artist signs his or her name, nickname, or group name, on the side of a building or other surface. It is well known for its bold, colorful presence and intricate script. It is still prominent and visible in those areas of the Bronx today.
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 can be traced back to the beginning of time with the cavemen. Many caves have drawings done by cavemen. The cavemen used what they had available, whether it was a rock, a stick, or a bone to crave or draw on the inside of the caves to communicate. The drawings were a way to communicate or to express themselves. When discoveries of the drawings were made, no Archaeologist, I believe, thought these drawings were a form of vandalism. Now let’s, fast forward to modern day today, graffiti artist uses spray cans to display communicate versus the traditional artist who uses a paint brush. But, does this make a graffiti artist less of an artist just because he/she uses a spray can and a building to express inner thoughts? I think not.
The Graffiti community is, although they will not admit, a bunch of aesthetic filled souls. Everyone gathers recognition in this community. “Graffiti isn't something a normal person does, I have been through a lot of situations just cus I do what I do,” my subject explains. These artist ARE outcasts, for a good. They express culture and it is something they get a feel for. It is brilliant, even with the trouble.
Surprisingly, even today, street art can still be perceived as vandalism. This misunderstood art form is a concept which is present in all of our daily life, acting as an inspiration to many aspiring artists and brightening up the dismal world we live in today, with the ongoing wars and refugees fleeing to safety in an attempt to escape their nightmare. It is a method of self-expression used by many people. Every individual has their hobbies and interests. To some it is street art. To those on the opposing side, it should be emphasised that street art is not graffiti and graffiti is not street art. It is a creative ability that should be praised and admired, instead it is often disdained. So is it right to simply equate the unique talented
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.
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.
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.
At the end of the day, people should stop underestimating graffiti art. Banksy, in his book, “Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall,” said “Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they're having a piss.” Graffiti work should be admired by everyone else because it holds so many significance whether it's only a phrase or a sketch. People shouldn't just absentmindedly assume it as the worst thing ever or as an awful thing. I agree that it can be vandalism to the public but graffiti can also be made in many other places legally so why think of it in the dark side? People should take care on how they are judging the striking art behind graffiti and criticizing it without really evaluating all the great meaning behind it.
Although street art and graffiti art seem very similar, upon closer examination the differences in technique, function, culture, and intent are revealed (Weisburg.) ‘“Graffiti (sgraffiti), meaning drawings or scribblings on a flat surface and deriving from the Italian sgraffio (‘scratch’), with a nod to the Greek graphein (‘to write’), originally referred to those marks found on ancient Roman architecture”’(Weisburg). Though, it is unknown when or where graffiti first made an appearance; modern graffiti did not come around until the late 1960’s to early 1970’s in New York. The term “tagging” is the modern form of scratching (Weisburg). It also is considered the origin of all modern graffiti, including street art.
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.
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 started in the 1920s when gangs would tag train cars and walls to mark territory mainly in New York City. Graffiti took a different turn in the 1970s when young adults decided to use street art as an outlet to express their political and social outrage. This movement had soon gained the attention of the “adult” world. Graffiti was known as “creation through destruction” and to this day is still considered illegal in most parts of the world. In modern street art the mediums used have evolved past spray paint and now artists are using different methods with spray paint to progress their works past crude tags.