Argumentative Research
The fine for graffiti is up to one thousand dollars or up to a year in jail. But should graffiti be considered art? Critics say that graffiti is ugly and all graffiti is vandalism, because it could quite possibly drive people away. On the other hand, advocates believe that the graffiti art is beautiful and expressive. They believe it could be full of culture, could get cities and businesses more recognition and bring in people. They also believe that it’s evolving all the time. Graffiti, as long as it is controlled, should be legal and even considered art.
Critics believe that graffiti is vandalism that makes places look trashy and dirty. According to the U.S. state laws vandalism is defacing someone’s property with graffiti and other forms of art. People think that keeping this form of art illegal protects the cities from hate crimes.
…show more content…
Whether this is love and desire or greetings with slander. This gives the graffiti artist a sense of importance, since their work is being seen all over the community. Both murals on a wall and a name tagged on a mailbox are graffiti. You can't have one without the other because they are both a big component of graffiti subculture. Sociologist Gordon Douglas states that, “if a piece is really beautiful and wheat-pasted....but it probably isn’t a provocation of a greater disorder or a gang sign. It’s more likely an indication that young, hip middle-class people are going to want to drink nearby” (“Can Graffiti” 5). Graffiti on walls and other surfaces can sometimes be subtle but loud. Sometimes graffiti artists don't really care who sees it, as long as someone sees it. Something that someone writes on a wall can be very small but very loud and noticeable. Artists could get noticed by bright colors or powerful designs. To conclude, some artists prefer to keep the graffiti art small, but others prefer to be big and both will get noticed
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.
Though I lived in Chicago I followed a similar path. New York is considered the birthplace of artistic graffiti, even though the act is preformed all over the world before 1960. The history of graffiti is recent and brief, but has a monumental place in the art world. It is the only art movement that is illegal. And it does not contain a series of welfare kids from torn and broken single-parent homes that are screaming for attention. The phenomenon differs from all other sorts of writing on the bathroom wall of a run-down bar. In New York 1960, teenagers began to write their names all over, I mean everywhere, soon are more surfaces written on then open space. All of these names are appearing, but they were nicknames, few choose to use their real names.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The identity of a graffiti artist is hardly ever known, but the style of the art is. They can be identified by the way they express themselves. It can be broad and can be shown in many different forms. The forms can range from a simple tag of identity, an expression of protest and politics, to an alluring scene of art work. Although the graffiti writers work is their expression; they are trying to convey a message about the issues in the world around them.
We all know what Graffiti art is; well we think we know because of the “modern” graffiti art that is still occasionally seen. However Graffiti Art has been tracked back all the way to the time of 1851. Firstly graffiti comes from the Italian word “graffiato” meaning scratched and was later called graffiti through the media as we see it today. ‘Additionally early forms of graffiti were seen back in ancient Italy at the ruins of Pompeii’ in 1851. “Painting on sidewalks, and other forms of graffiti, is still common in Rome today. Whereas Romans consider graffiti as a form of urban art, many westerners consider it vandalism unless property owners give consent to the graffiti artists.” (Cyprus, Sheri, and O. Wallace. "What Are the Origins of Graffiti?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 02 May 2014. Web. 08 May 2014.) Even though all this might seem surprising to some and maybe even considered arguable to not be graffiti; I want to go in depth on graffiti art in America.
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.
For others, it is a crime. Because it is a distortion of someone unauthorized property, illegal graffiti is a crime. Citizens of graffiti-infested communities may have fears and limitations. As a result, people may try to sell their homes. Graffiti can damage a community, by increasing fear and decrease property value.
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.
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. Common mediums used are stencils, prints, and murals. Graffiti is often considered to be art because of new artists, such as
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.
The majority of people if asked, would not be able make any distinction between street art and graffiti art. Though in reality they are actually quite different; Graffiti writing and street art are often confused with one another. They both display their work out in the open instead of in a gallery. Though, graffiti artists display their work publicly, they are really only concerned with relating to other graffiti artists; rather than the general public. On the other hand, street artists just want to catch the attention of the general public by making a statement with their art. Although street art and graffiti art seem very similar, upon closer examination the differences in technique, function, culture, and intent are revealed (Weisburg.)