Graffiti Essay

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

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.” By focusing on the Graffiti that is vulgar and gang related they are saving the city thousands of dollars and time while still keeping what is considered street art. The mayor believes that tags will become even more unlikely because they are taken down so fast due to the focused effort of the clean up teams. Getting rid of street art is censoring people’s opinions and their way to voice

In the 1960s displaying war was common for artists. Many artists during this time were against the Vietnam war and displayed that in their artwork. Artists such as Ronald Haeberle, Peter Saul, and Carl Andre raised awareness against the war through their art and in doing so produced a call to action. Art became a way to speak out against oppression and inequalities regarding gender, race or class. Judy Chicago showed the women’s role in culture at the time through her art. She was part of the feminist movement at the time and art was an outlet for her to be able to get people to see through her eyes. Banksy a British street artist focuses on politics and issues that affect people around the world. Most of his works are satirical and filled with irony.For example, he created a series of murals concerning the refugee crisis in Syria and how the refugees were being treated. One of the murals shows a middle-aged man with a knapsack on his shoulder and what appears to be an old computer in his left hand, he is also wearing glasses, a black turtleneck with the sleeves rolled up, blue jeans and loafers. His face has a considerable amount of stubble and his eyes are staring out at the viewer. The man is none other than Apple 's founder Steve Jobs. The work was titled “ The son of a migrant from Syria.” On the wall around Jobs are words that say: “Free Syria.” This proves that through graffiti