Graffiti – The Art of the Outlaws
There is a certain beauty to graffiti, with all the colors and the big variety of different styles of letters. There has been a debate about graffiti ever since the caveman days. Although graffiti is illegal and is considered vandalism by the law, some people considered it art because, it is a way people can express themselves and let their voices be heard. Graffiti can be used as artistic expression, or a form of communication, but many people consider it to be vandalism.
Because it occurs in public, graffiti is a way for a wide range of people that might not typically interact with one another, to freely and directly communicate with one another” (Conklin). It is considered a form of communication for many people who feel they are not heard. Many graffiti protests have transpired throughout social history. It is the only way some people communicate dissenting messages to the public. Both form of communication can bring powerful messages to the public through political commentary, and making an impact on civic consciousness.
What is graffiti
Graffiti is a way under-served parts of society can gain power and value though communicate and presence into space where they are otherwise not allowed or welcomed” (Conklin). Graffiti challenges “ free speech zones”, pushing the boundaries of what is allowed and not allowed. Graffiti is considered a form of communication in the form of images that are put on buildings without permission. Graffiti can give humans a voice for places they can not go or are not allowed. That is how some people might communicate to let their voices be heard, while other think it is vandalism. In public art and street art there really is no difference.
If graffiti is considered vandalism then why should not public art be considered vandalism as well. “Street art is considered rebellious in nature and illegal in practice, while public art is commissioned by cities or property owners and is considered culturally enriching and socially acceptable”(Imam). Street art is both illegal and is not accepted in society. While public art is culturally and socially acknowledged. They are both made in the street and they are both written on walls. Graffiti has been around many years. Graffiti is been one of the largest art trends to last.
Cave painting can be considered graffiti as well. Graffiti technique can be viewed as pricey art. Graffiti has gained popularity and has become socially acceptable such as commercial graffiti. In commercial graffiti street artist get hired to create graffiti based on advertisements in cities such as London, New York, Atlanta and Paris. “A school teacher in Montessori sees himself as a public artist. People around the city call him a street artist because of his use of spray painting” (Imam ). Many people who are street artists or public artists don’t consider themselves as street artist.
Many artist hesitate to call themselves a street artist or a graffiti artist. Graffiti artist are socially or politically driven, it can even be drive by almost communal pride. People’s attitude towards graffiti is extremely different, they hate tags but they want the murals. Many do not realize that they are all connected and related; their is no murals without tagging. Elaborate beautiful murals on random or local public walls is where graffiti is mostly found. Their is no difference in public art and street art. They are all connected and related to each other.
Graffiti: Art or vandalism
Thought our history many different styles to graffiti have been created. Their a merals, tagging and more. Graffiti can be considered art as well, if graffiti artist are tagging then that is considered vandalism. If it is a meral and it points out a message then it is considered art. “ Distinction between simple tags and more complicated pieces, stating that tags have little aesthetic appeal and probably should not be considered art. However, larger pieces require planning and imagination and contain artistic elements like color and composition”(Stowers). Graffiti has many different types of styles.
Some pieces can be complicated while others like tagging are simple. Tagging is one form of graffiti anyone can do it. Than their is wildstyle graffiti. Wild Style changes with each artist’s view of the alphabet. Also wildstyle relies on the fading, foreground and background color. Each graffiti peice that is creating a states a statement or a saying. “ Tags scribbled on subway trains to a complex mural on a billboard are movements that graffiti has experienced change in style. Like all other forms of art” (Stowers). Tagging should be considered vandalism. Writing your name on the wall is not a piece of art.
A five year old child can do that. The definition of art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. Graffiti is visualized, it is a way for the artists to express themselves. Graffiti to some people can be always considered vandalism. It is something they do not understand, so they dislike it. “That graffiti signaled that informal social controls and law enforcement had broken down in New York’s public spaces, making them vulnerable to even greater levels of disorder and law-breaking”( ).
To some people think that graffiti is a juvenile act. Graffiti is a silent characteristic which is crime itself . In New York many of social controls and law enforcements had broken down in public spaces making it a more greater for place to be graffiti on and for crime to happen. Graffiti on public walls and ruined building that will lead to bigger crimes in the cities. Which will ruin the whole cities perspective. “People think that since their is tagging or graffiti in a park or a certain area that that area is dominated by vandals who might be involved in other crimes” (Donald).
Why people don`t like graffiti
People do not like going to parks or through streets that have graffiti around them. They think it is related with gangs which can lead to bigger crime. Also they think graffiti is associated with gangs, violence and drugs. So everytime they see graffiti on a wall, broken windows they associated it with gangs and crime. If you must force your efforts on the public your “art” is seriously lacking merit. Many people consider graffiti as vandalism instead of art. Graffiti art, public art and graffiti writing is simply another art form.
Art is personal and can take on many forms. “It would not make sense to expect everyone to have the same taste”(Nieves). They do not like it and think it is vandalism because they do not understand it. People do not like things they do not understand. Not all forms of graffiti is related to gangs and vandalism reputations. Their festivals around the world that give graffiti artists a chance to show of their work. It also pops a questions about showcasing graffiti as art.
Would showcasing graffiti engage people’s curiosity as art would spread into vandalism across cities. Buildings that been abandoned and ignored by the community are the ones that get tagged on and become art canvases”( (Nieves). The only building and communities that they see graffiti on is place that have been abandoned. Graffiti art is not seen on many well built communities. It might be gang influenced but it is not always crime related. Graffiti has served a social identity of generations of youth. Graffiti that is considered tagging in vandalism and may influence gangs and violence. According to the dictionary it is unauthorized and it destroys someone’s property.
The owner has the right to their own property to make it look clean, but if someone is tagging on it then it is stealing the property owners right to keep their yard clean and nice. Graffiti artists never make the offer to pay the repair for their destruction. Which cost thousands to repair or replace. Graffiti that takes a great deal of time and has lots of color graffiti would be considered art. When artists create graffiti they can not erase or stroke, it is hard to get the right texture and the right shadowing; it can be considered on of the hardest forms of art.
The graffiti artists want people to see their work. Their is no incentive target to a area if people erase the art of a graffiti artist. Tagging is horrible scribble you see painted or scrawled on fences, bridges, in subways, on the sides of buildings and houses. Which is why people don’t like it. What they do not see is it has a certain beauty to it, with beautiful colors and powerful messages. It is a way people express their opinions about the world. Where people like it or not graffiti is considered art.
