For more than half a decade, Graffiti has been around Furthermore polished everywhere throughout reality. There is a debate, however, in the middle of whether it may be a structure about Workmanship or vandalism. Graffiti artists’ civil argument is that Numerous don’t see all the reasons mossy cup oak graffiti specialists make a hazard for imprisonment, penalties, accidents, furthermore here and there passing on paint a divider. A graffiti craftsman might essentially need to be distinguished or make a fill-in that speaks as a type of representation toward oneself of the crowd.
The graffiti is synonymous with spare statements and craft is viewed as a government-funded alternately private work of art outlines outside structures (walls). This craftsmanship can be seen in Different routes. Also likewise viewed as vandalism. This is a sense of claiming design, a solid sense of shape, colors, and a changing picture. Despite several claims, the individual specialists need aid unbelievably gifted Furthermore to invest an excess of run through over their works, they’ve been named Toward the public arena Concerning illustration vandals that harm private property. Also, it contaminated urban areas outwardly. Graffiti will be intriguing and alluring. The plain divider of a structure or an unspoiled back road turns into brand new graffiti What’s more may be a verbalization of both those individuals’ imaginative dreams. These days we discover graffiti all around Since those run-throughs of the cavemen Graffiti needs to be done in an inventive manner Also proceeds to move people today. If it will be Previously, Melbourne, Oakland, china alternately much Bedford, someone needs to go through some time offering imaginative thoughts. It’s not that we like the worth of effort of the artist, it’s those creative abilities he perceives. Graffiti may be art if it’s discovered for walls, trains, autos alternately constructions.
Graffiti will be no vandalism. On the contrary, it communicates your want, resistance from claiming government, laws, love, and needs alternately basically your method for speculation. Individuals who paint for those universes necessities hard work, ability What’s more an incredible arrangement for Perseus. Each kid might detract a spread can What’s more draw anything they like clinched alongside you quit offering on that one alternately two lines, even though it might make obliged for a gifted craftsman with change over the Normal divider of the block under an innovative canvas. Graffiti may be nothing, but in any case, it splendid slots for a divider to A large portion of kin. However, an ability in graffiti needs to change those viewpoints to spread paint should people who like it. Its cam-wood has great aesthetic qualities Also actually great.
On the contrary, the public eye accepts that graffiti might influence state-funded certainty Also diminishes those qualities of the property. Be that as a percentage of individual who attempts to express their emotions get discriminated clinched alongside their society. That is the utilization of claiming graffiti is a protection instrument should these individuals need to guard their flexibility for self-statement. Also, they make a delightful government-funded space for their city that is communicated Similarly. They do it Concerning the illustration outpouring toward oneself.
Will conclude, my assessment may be that those principle isolating components inside vandalism and symbolization is that vandalism doesn’t support the regard of another person. However, the group to this day discriminates against them. Exceedingly capable guys What’s more females who achieve their qualities and aptitudes of the government-funded These vandals need aid viewed as harming private property Also polluting nature’s domain, we necessity should begin respecting What’s more respecting their art, not judge a book Toward its disguise.
This report will address the antisocial behaviour of Graffiti. The report will subsequently conduct a literature review to understand this antisocial behaviour, it’ll also explain the methods used to acquire and collect relevant information about graffiti. The report will address implemented strategies that have been created to manage this antisocial behaviour.
According to Graffiti (2017), the antisocial behaviour of Graffiti is defined as the visual style of communication that’s classified as an illegal activity in society (Decker, Curry, 2017). It can also be defined as the action of marking public property with writings, symbols or pictures which are conducted by groups or individuals. However, for some people graffiti can be seen as a form of artistic expression. Over centuries and generations, People have developed and found different methods of partaking in such behaviour, these methods consist of various graffiti styles with each style maintaining a unique profile. for example, tagging and mural paintings dated way back to ancient Greek and went on to become popular worldwide especially in the united states. With a growing number of people participating in this antisocial behaviour, lawmakers have created jurisdiction to stop people from participating in such antisocial behaviour. These jurisdictions hold consequences for anyone that doesn’t follow it. These consequences include jail time, criminal charges, penalties, fines and etc. (Morgan, Louise, 2009). The report will now shift its focus to recognizing the cause of this antisocial behaviour.
Literature Review
Graffiti Vandalism: The motivations and Modus Operand of Person who do Graffiti, https://www.melbournegraffiti.com/news/The-motivations-and-modus-operandi-of-persons-who-do-graffiti.pdf
This report will review the Literature titled Graffiti Vandalism to Provide an Understanding of The Reason for The Antisocial behaviour. This literature consists of findings which identify and explains Graffiti offenders reasoning for partaking in such law-breaking behaviour. Key findings within this literature state that most of the graffiti writers identified in the state of South Australia were mainly men and boys between the ages of 12 to 25 years. Younger male participants have an involvement with tagging graffiti whereas older males did graffiti pieces. Other key finding identified the reasons to why people graffiti. The findings state that people are graffiti participants because they want to become famous whereas others participate in this antisocial behaviour for the risk and the rush of Adrenaline. Other people do it to as a way of expressing their emotions through their graffiti which can result in participants meeting and developing modern social relationships. People also part take within this activity because they find it funny, for competitive purposes and political expression. Whatever the reason is it’s important to understand all individuals reasoning will always be different. the study goes on to explain how participants got into this activity. Through conducted interviews participants explained that what they do represents a form of art and there are no intentions to damage public properties. they also explained many of them began graffiti through friends on school grounds whereas other participants got into this antisocial behaviour through family members and even parents.
The literature utilizes a qualitative method along with semi-structured interviews with its participants. The number of participants involved in this study was 52, the usage of qualitative research allowed for 38 in-depth and semi-structured face to face interviews to occur dating back to March 2008 to February 2009. Most participants were recruited from youth community centres allowing any young person from the ages of 14 and up to participate in the study with interviews running for 45 to 60 minutes. Participants were interviewed by two researchers on some occasions one researcher. The questions participants were asked during the interviews differentiated providing participants with the opportunity to explore various views about their involvement in graffiti. Some of the questions that were asked consisted of their graffiti history, the types of graffiti that participants drew, their favourite graffiti locations and at what time of the day would they usually graffiti. Other questions participants were asked was why they participated in such an activity and what they got out of it.
The result of the research conducted concluded that most of the graffiti writers in South Australia were mainly men between the ages of 12 to 25 years. Interestingly, the population investigation which included 2,603 13-year old students in South Australia recognized graffiti had been done by girls (10.9) per cent whereas young boys were (12.3) per cent. The risk of serious and dangerous antisocial behaviours is much more likely to occur to boys than it is to occur to girls. Six members designated ‘yes’ to graffiti and to every single other type of solitary conduct. no standoffish conduct was incorporated into low examination presumed that teenager’s graffiti’s identity is additionally liable to encounter various, parental, social and mental issues.
Strategies used to address antisocial graffiti behaviours
Some of the various strategies that have been implemented to prevent the antisocial behaviour of graffiti are graffiti management toolkit. the Graffiti Management Toolkit purpose is to help and guide neighbourhood networks in finding effective goals to significant nearby problems. While this Toolkit will be most valuable to nearby communities, other target gatherings may incorporate schools, police, not-revenue driven associations and independent ventures. The Toolkit contains a scope of data on current State Government activities, instances of ‘best practice’ in graffitiing the board. also structures for systems and genius structure for assessing graffiti-related issues. This data expects to help neighbourhood networks in finding suitable answers for a nearby issue (Graffiti Management Toolkit, 2017).
The Banyule council has put together a management strategy that will help deal with antisocial graffiti behaviours. its first strategy is to provide free graffiti removal kits for residents, schools, traders and community groups. the council wants to completely eradicate graffiti from public spaces and Council buildings. Another strategy that the council has in place is to address better options for the Council to have graffiti removed from private properties. The council also believes that creating better engagement with young people through the development of street programs will be able to manage the amount of graffiti in the community. The community Education Review promotional materials will strengthen communication about graffiti management which will Investigate education program to target primary school aged children. (Banyule Graffiti Management Strategy, 2018).
Recommended strategies
Many of the management strategies about graffiti in Australian communities have a lot to do with harsh punishments and criminal charges towards individuals. Some of these strategies indeed include jail time and fines which seems like it isn’t stopping people from partaking in such activity. The most effective strategy recommended is to provide participants of this antisocial behaviour a platform to explore and express their graffiti art. An example of such strategy which seems to work is hosier lane in Melbourne, it’s a safe environment but also a controlled environment where it is legal for people to graffiti (Graffiti Management plan, 2018). More management strategies like this won’t stop the behaviour from occurring but at least it allows for the behaviour to be managed within a controlled environment.
Graffiti art is an amorphous encompassing art that is inspired by the urban environment and a radical contemporary art movement that artists used as a social expression of protest that illustrates ideas from an environmental perspective to convey political or social opinions. It involves the unauthorized spraying, painting, or scratching of words and images on buildings, bridges, streets, or any other surfaces usually in public places. It is regarded as a form of the rebellious art form. It is an evolutionary art movement that arose in New York, Berlin, and London, from the mid-1970s to the 1980s, that is closely linked with hip-hop culture and the production of elaborately designed an expression of discontent that associate selves that often use specific symbols, signatures, or ‘tags’ in their graffiti to adopt a particular style that connects an internal language within the culture interacting with the people to convey their relevant messages. Graffiti can be a springboard for the examination of personal identity, commercial design, social history, and community conflict. (Whitehead, J. L., 2015) Within the street art world, graffiti artists do not consider their artwork to be defacing public or private property, but rather see it as bringing a voice to the disempowered (Howze, 2008), beauty to an unsightly locale, or developing one’s identity through a pseudonym (Othen, P., 2006). They seek to retain the exciting, outsider, rebellious spirit that originally helped define the graffiti art revolution throughout the years. As it was a “visual representation with a unique and holistic aesthetic” (Kan, 2001, p. 21). Graffiti art is an experiment in identity, working to develop a sense of “self” as the artist progresses artistically and developmentally to express their personal visions, values, and opinions on a daily basis on the streets as their explosive platform as a graffiti artist.
Graffiti art has historically been viewed as a form of vandalism, a curious enigma, and a menace to society. Graffiti art continues to slowly gain notoriety within the walls of famous galleries and museum spaces, yet still takes a back seat to that of traditional, mainstream accepted art forms. Although it can be considered an art, it happens that some graffiti artists willfully destruct or damage a property that adds diminishing one’s property value. To some particular viewers, they find any given piece of graffiti artistically irrelevant. In the world of graffiti, Manco (2002), suggests that “Graffiti art, as an idea, has always existed alongside other artist endeavors, the difference being that it is a mode of self-expression using methods that are seen as criminal, or outside the conventional art world, rather than specifically sanctioned or commissioned art” (p. 9). In our world today, graffiti artists receive negative public perceptions. The majority of the complaints are about the legality of work, diminishing public property, and the expense to remove their artworks.
However, from a perspective of a graffiti artist, this form of art is an artistic process of establishing one’s sense of identity. Yet, this is even more so with graffiti than any other form of artistic practice because graffiti is a youth-based art form. Graffiti artists range in age from 12 to 30, with the vast majority under the age of 18. Graffiti artists create their works during the period of their lives when they are establishing themselves as separate individuals seeking autonomy. By seeking it, often through acts of rebellion, youth begin the process of establishing their own identity. It motivates them artistically discuss current events, addresses controversy, and revolution, make a statement about society as it speaks actions, and illustrates an important discussion that needs to be known. It allows them visually stimulates their mind in the complex world. They view graffiti as a demanded change in our society as well as developing their selves as an artist in our community.
Graffiti is not a type of vandalism that needs to be countered by artistic arguments. Rather, people should focus on the evolution of the perception and acceptance of graffiti as a mainstream art form that comes from established artistic concepts within our society.
Crime is an act that involves breaking the law. Examples of crime include murder and rape. Deviance is an act or behavior that is different from normal behavior exhibited in society. Examples of deviance include jaywalking and skipping school. Social controls, on the other hand, are systems and societal mechanisms that regulate behaviors of individuals in a society. A good example of social control is the judiciary system. Using these definitions, this article will try to analyze Leblanc and Stolte’s views on graffiti. Moreover, the article will incorporate different views as portrayed by structural-functionalist, a symbolic-interactionist, and a social-conflict perspective.
In his work, Leblanc (2011) likes graffiti (13). Leblanc (2011) tries to understand the motive behind the graffiti artist (13). He finds it interesting that while some graffiti artists are attracted to the criminal element, others just aim to do meaningful work that would delight the audience (Leblanc 13). From a structural-functionalist point of view, society s a complex system. Due to the complex nature of society, people exhibit different characters. Leblanc (2011) takes a structural-functionalist point of view when he envisions graffiti as necessary societal evil (13). The society must exist with both the evil and the good (Gary 14).
This concept explains why some of the graffiti artists are attracted to the criminal element, while others are attracted to the notion of pleasing people. Individuals attracted to the crime are deviant to the law. Therefore, they express their deviance by drawing graffiti. Other users of graffiti are just artists trying to express their opinions in graffiti (Leblanc 13). According to Becker, societies make their own rules. Infractions of these rules are deemed as deviance (Becker 5; Donal and Andrew 44). Therefore, it is not necessarily true that graffiti artists are criminals. The element of crime in their case arises due to the rules made by society. So today’s deviance maybe tomorrow’s societal norm.
Stolte (2011), on the other hand, views the use of graffiti as an indication of poor behavior development in the future (5). In his work, Stolte (2011) takes the view of a symbolic-interactionist. According to Stolte (2011), if a boy sketches or doodle graffiti on a classroom wall, it may be compared to a situation where he brought a knife to school (5). Stolte (2011), therefore, associates graffiti sketches to character deformity. He intimates that graffiti drawing is a sign of deviance and has a corroding effect on the character of an individual (Stolte 5).
It is clear that graffiti drawing is not necessarily an act of defiance. However, the manner in which Stolte (2011) has responded to the act of using graffiti clearly identifies graffiti drawers as criminals. From a symbolic interactionist point of view, deviant people in the society are labeled by the persons in power. In the actual sense, there is no objective reality that shows whether an element of character is actually deviance or crime.
This is because different groups in society define the same behavior in different ways. Therefore, from Stolte’s point of view, graffiti artists are criminals. However, this point of view is subject to change. Even in cases where the society has set standards and agreed on the standards of behavior, these standards may change over time (Heidensohn 31). A good example of such a case is prostitution. Different societies in the world are now accepting prostitution. In fact, some governments are even legalizing prostitution. In this light, there may come a time when graffiti drawers are accepted in society as artists and not criminals.
Works Cited
Becker, Howard. Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: Free Press, 1963. Print.
Donal, E. Jansen and Andrew, Kitt Deviants: Victims or Victimizers? Beverly Hills, California: Sage, 1983. Print.
Gary, F. Jensen. The path of the Devil: Early Modern Witch Hunts. London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.
Heidensohn, Frances. Women and Crime. London: Macmillan, 1985. Print.
Leblanc, Dave. “Graffiti: Mischief or Masterpiece?” The Globe and Mail (Index-only), (2011):13. Web.
Stolte, Elise. “Graffiti Art a Red Flag For Future Aggression: ‘Tagging’ Likely to Lead to More Crimes, Experts Say.” Edmonton Journal, 1.5 (2011): 5-12. Web.
One of the artists active today whose work revolves around labor issues is Susan Meiselas. She has received an education in Sarah Lawrence College and Harvard University (“Info”, n.d.). The artist works in different parts of America, specifically, her work related to the labor issue was shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The city’s “rich manufacturing heritage” was the focal point in the decision of the theme for the photographs (Fidler, 2015, para. 10).
The photographs were taken as a part of the project for the company that Meiselas works for, Magnum Photos (Byrnes, 2014). They were further used in exhibitions and for the creation of postcards, produced by the company. Therefore, it can be concluded that the photographer had received a payment of some sort for the pictures. In addition, the biography of Susan Meiselas states that she works as a freelance photographer on the various project (“Info”, n.d.). Additionally, she publishes monographs on various social and human rights issues. Meiselas does not receive funding from the government to conduct her work.
The specific picture is related to the labor as it showcases the wealth and power, created by workers for the business owners (Fidler, 2015). However, the workers in question do not receive much from what they put their effort into. She described the experience as seeing an apparent contradiction between the high buildings (that symbolize wealth) and the conditions of workers who create it (Fidler, 2015). Thus, the vital issue that the artist draws attention to is the treatment that regular employees get in factories and manufacturing facilities. Meiselas focused her work on the modern industry and the way it treats people.
“Market Failure” in Relation to the Works of the Artist
The “market failure” theory in relation to public art funding is focused on the aspect of supporting artists financially and thus helping them create their artworks. The theory argues that the amount of art produced would be significantly lower in case the public would provide monetary support to museums, art galleries, or to the artists directly. It is unarguable that the best artists create value for the society through their artistic works. However, as Miller (2001) stated, there are theories that emphasize that those artists should be poor. Although this aspect of the artist’s life is arguable, the impact the society would have on the creations would be significant. It is difficult to imagine a possibility in which every single artist can get public funding. Therefore, an infrastructure for choosing those who are worthy would have to be put in place. The aspect would interfere significantly with the creative freedom, shifting the focus of an artist to the topics that can be financially beneficial instead of working on socially essential projects.
Miller (2001) refers to creative infrastructure as a system through which the artist portray their stories. The author emphasizes that the new generation of artists is especially important for the infrastructure. Miller (2001) does not support the public funding of art as “economic interest of the market tends to upset a delicate ecology of innovation” (p. 139). The art should carry a higher value in regards to vital issues of the society, thus when connecting it to public funding, it becomes vulnerable due to various aspects. Firstly, the interest of the community in the art will determine the importance of artists. Secondly, in case the society will not be interested in art at all – the creators will have no money to support themselves. Finally, in challenging economic times art can be regarded as an unnecessary luxury, thus the findings can be cut.
Fidler, M. (2015). Ten photographers focus on inequality – a visual story. The Guardian. Web.
Miller, B. (2001). Red goods, white gods. In S. McKay & A. J. Paterson (Eds.), Money value art: State funding, free markets, big pictures (p. 139). Toronto, Canada: YYZBOOKS.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, yet few realize that a drawing can be worth a million unsaid words, that it can provoke, entice, alleviate or aggravate a populace into action and as such bring about much desired change. In the U.S. during World War 2 it was the classic “America wants you!” poster with iconography of Uncle Sam that became one of the symbols of America’s entry into the war.
At the present the Apple logo has become synonymous with high quality innovative products that not only address a technological need but speak to the aesthetic senses of consumers resulting in the logo becoming one of the best known symbols in the world.
It is based on these two examples that it can be seen that drawings can become not only symbols of an age but become so etched into the minds of the general populace. That they become indelible, irremovable and best of all become a means of association regarding behaviors, psychological processes or even ethical and moral trains of thought.
The artist Banksy counts on these means of association and their ability to influence individuals in order to help promote radical social thought regarding present day practices. His normal canvas consists of the walls of well travelled locations in which he creates what some would term graffiti artwork in order to point out political and social concepts that question the actions of present day governments, organizations or even companies.
His artwork is meant to be thought provoking, it is meant to question, entice people to look, stare and think for themselves over the legitimacy, morality and overall ethical nature of events as he portrays them.
Overall his work is the un-gagged truth of a political activist that utilizes street canvases as his way of pointing out that there are problems present, little is being done, and as such someone must get the word out in order for people to become more aware and do something about. It is based on this particular personal philosophy that Banksy finds himself drawing graffiti art on the West Banks of Palestine.
The Wall
In an area separating the Israeli and Palestinian areas of the West Bank is “the Wall”, it is three times higher than the Berlin Wall, stretches as far as 700 kilometers and is the modern day equivalent of turning Palestine into an open air prison where its inhabitants are allowed minimal access to their fields and are not allowed to venture out.
It is in this location that the anonymous graffiti artist Banksy has placed 9 suggestive pieces along several well travelled areas of “the Wall” in order to create social thought regarding the moral and ethical justification over its creation.
His graffiti art consisted of an outline of a girl clutching several balloons flying over the wall, the depiction of a hole in the wall showing either an island paradise or a mountainous landscape on the other side, a drawing of a child creating a ladder going to the other side as well as other similar works with the same motif.
The prevailing theme in each and every single one is a question over the legitimacy of the wall being there and what gives Israel the right to remove the freedom of an entire people. While it may be true that the Hamas government has been distinctly anti-Israel and has indeed caused numerous terrorist activities aimed at the country that fact remains that despite such activities Israel has no right in erecting such an expansive wall in order to limit the freedom of the people within.
As stated by the International Court of Justice its erection symbolizes a step backward in the peace process in the Middle East since it shows that Israel is not willing to resolve the differences it has with its neighbors rather it would choose to shut them away and virtually punish an entire population over the actions of a few. It is this very situation that Banksy is trying to question with his various artworks placed along the walls perimeter.
Purpose
The purpose of Banksy’s artwork in this particular case is to incite new levels of social thought within the Palestinian populace. Questions related to “how far can we be pushed” or “enough is enough” are the very thought processes that Banksy is trying to incite. This is not to say that Banksy is an anarchist, far from it, rather what his artwork stands for is a call towards freedom, justice, and the preservation of the rights of all individuals.
In this case it stands for the right of all people within Palestine to be free and not be dictated by the arbitrarily will of a government that doesn’t truly understand the suffering they are inflicting on the Palestinian people.
For Banksy what is occurring in Palestine is a great injustice and as such the artwork he created brings this social injustice into the forefront of people’s minds, it helps them think, question and attempt to bring about the much needed action to change the current situation and find a solution that removes such an injustice from their lives.
Banksy’s artwork can be considered a million words condensed onto a concrete canvas. It asks for change, for justice and above all for the freedom of the individual to live life without the shackles imposed on them from an outside entity.
Conclusion
When examining the situation in Palestine it becomes all too obvious that something needs to be done or else the entire population will wind up prisoners within their own land. In a sense Banksy acts as a voice for those who cannot speak out, his artwork creates a visual representation of what was lost, what people are currently suffering and what must be done in order to resolve such a problem.
While such methods are doubted in the beginning, the sheer proliferation of pictures of the artwork he created on the West Bank over the internet has brought greater attention to the plight of the Palestinian people and as such has millions questioning the legitimacy of Israel’s actions and the lack of moral or ethical responsibility its leaders seem to have for the plight of millions of which they are directly responsible.
Since the appearance of graffiti, people have been disputing if it is vandalism or art. Many graffiti features compel the public to form negative opinions about it and question its creative nature. The first questionable characteristic is the history of graffiti, and associated with the street gang culture of New York in the 70s (Novak, 2017). The second trait is a specific way of execution, which involves intervention in the urban environment. Finally, graffiti’s unconventional and unusual nature differentiates it from traditional and widely-accepted art forms (Boyd, 2010). However, graffiti has been around for a long time as a creative expression that shakes the social fabric with its aesthetics and message. Therefore, graffiti meets all the parameters of art, despite its unconventional peculiarities.
Discussion
People often think that graffiti is not art because there are many mediocre, incoherent, unskillful examples. Everyone has access to self-expression through graffiti; potential artists only need to get paint and a little courage (Boyd, 2010). Thus, some people point to worthy original graffiti and say that this is art, while others, looking at mediocre drawings, call it vandalism. Both parties are entitled to their opinion, as damaging private property is indeed vandalism. However, belittling graffiti as an art style on the basis that someone with no talent can draw low-quality graffiti is wrong. It is similar to calling painting or sculpture “not art” because many people, having taken paints or clay in their hands, will not be able to create anything worthy of a museum exhibition.
People consider prehistoric rock art to be art without a doubt about the presence of a creative element. Seeing the rock art in the Spanish cave of Altamira, Pablo Picasso exclaimed: “After Altamira, everything is decadence!” (Davies, 2018). Thus, society and the art community are ready to recognize the high artistic value of drawings made in a non-traditional way on canvas and with paints. Graffiti, in this sense, is no different from rock art. These are images made on the walls of the housing in an act of creative personal self-expression. The best examples are admired; the worst, as in the past, are forgotten and erased.
Finally, graffiti is art because it is an emotional expression of human creative skills and abilities to comprehend the existing reality. Graffiti has a long history and is characterized by its conceptuality and the ability to break into urban space and challenge the ordinary. Art always claims originality and produces the effect of emotional shock. In history, graffiti has often become a visual image of the world’s pain, challenging problems, and inconvenient truths. There are many examples of legendary graffiti, such as “Fraternal Kiss” – the painting on the Berlin Wall, depicting a kiss between communist leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker (Novak, 2017). This satirical image conveyed the laughter and horror of ordinary people, whose fates were decided by fanatical old people. It is difficult to disagree with the fact that such paintings are art in their impact and creativity.
Conclusion
Summing up the above, it can be argued that graffiti is art if it combines the skill of the artist and their emotional message aimed at reflecting reality. The history of graffiti has many examples of paintings that shook society and made people pay attention to the acute problems of humanity. This type of art differs from others only in the means, techniques, and used space of the urban environment, which becomes part of the project.
Davies, S. (2018). Can Westerners understand the art of other cultures and what might they learn by doing so? Journal of World Philosophies 3, 93-122. Web.
Novak, D. (2017). Historical dissemination of graffiti art. SAUC – Street Art and Urban Creativity, 3(1), 29-42. Web.
Art refers to a range of human activities and works that reflect technical mastery, aesthetic beauty, emotional resonance, or mental concepts. Graffiti is an artwork that has been written, colored, or painted on a wall or another surface. Graffiti can be considered as a form of art since it evokes particular emotions, feelings, and thoughts among its viewers, and Eduardo Kobra can be noted as a talented contributor to this sphere.
In his graffiti, Eduardo Kobra was able to elaborate his personal and distinctive style, which, due to paying particular attention to historical events and contributors, became a recognized method of communication. In fact, the unique use of colors and patterns makes Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra stand out (Figuerola, 2022). His artworks typically feature famous historical figures as vast, multicolored murals (Figuerola, 2022). Squares and rectangles are repeated over the whole expanse of Kobra’s murals, which are then filled with variously colored lines (Figuerola, 2022). As a result, his art is highly regarded and frequently evokes nostalgia owing to its theme. Therefore, due to the historical emphasis that can heavily impact a person, people tend to discuss works of Kobra and communicate on different topics. Graffiti is a type of urban visual language, and since it can provoke a range of aesthetic feelings in its viewers, it can additionally be viewed as a form of art (Rousi et al., 2020). Hence, graffiti itself, as a separate genre, is a form of art due to its emotional and psychological influence.
To summarize, by paying close attention to historical events and contributors, Eduardo Kobra was able to build his own unique and personal style in his graffiti, which eventually became a well-known form of expression. Graffiti is a form of urban visual language, and because it may elicit a variety of aesthetic reactions from its viewers, it can also be considered art. Due to its emotional and psychological impact, graffiti itself is a type of art as a distinct genre.
References
Figuerola, N. (2022). Eduardo Kobra. Street Art Bio. Web.
Rousi, R., Leikas, J., & Saariluoma, P. (2020). Emotions in technology design: From experience to ethics. Springer, Cham.
Banksy the self styled British graffiti artist has produced works that have over the past few years been the subject of critical acclaim. His politically inspired artwork has gone ahead to attract millions of dollars at auctions and his pseudonymous character has made him a modern legend.
His work has attracted more attention from critics and art reporters than all other graffiti artists in history. Various articles and books have been written about his work and published all around the world. This essay seeks to illustrate some of the responses that Banksy’s work has received from critics and reporters alike. To this end, various articles will be analyzed and the opinions of the authors extracted.
Jonathan Jones hails Banksy as the artist of our time1. He describes his following as cult like encompassing people from all walks of life ranging from millionaire bankers to young book buyers. From the way he carries out his work, Jones labels Banksy a guerilla conceptualist whose humor works effectively both in the streets and in galleries.
He however sees Banksy’s humor as too one dimensional and dark-sided to last long in a museum gallery and attributes this to the fact that Banksy did not go to college. In his review, Jones analyzes the features that make Banksy’s work appeal to a wide audience. First is the fact that Banksy is talented and not merely someone who got into the trade as a matter of necessity.
His stencil method also makes his work clearly distinct from the works of other graffiti artists and he is able to work on a variety of themes. In the same article, the critic also attributes Banksy’s success to the fact that he is a comic artist as compared to fellow graffiti artists most of whom happen to be tragedists. According to Jones, the use of humor in Banksy’s work has helped catapult him to the level of a modern day radical with an impressive following by people who are against the state1.
While analyzing Banksy’s work, he compares it with the work of Cartrain. He claims that Banksy’s work has a certain level of insincerity that can be mistaken for sophistication unlike Cartrain who spends time to give his work meaning. He (Jones) thinks that Banksy does not put much thought into his work and just speaks out his mind on impulse to the extent that his work loses the darkness associated with the underground culture1. Banksy’s work is seen by Jones to be mild with a welcoming familiarity.
Jones also claims that the conservationist style used by Banksy is a display of laziness and that his work does not deserve the incredible attention it has been receiving from the public. In concluding the review, the critic denounces Banksy’s creations as works of art and generally sees the rise of Banksy as the fall of art1.
Joanne Phillips in her article What we can learn from Banksy describes Banksy’s work as witty2. She sees this in how he uses opportunities that present in the form of the physicality of a site. For instance, she supports her claim “that the idea behind making good work is in composition” by explaining how Banksy used a fire extinguisher filled with paint to create a commentary on the wall of a modernist building2. She goes ahead to claim that Banksy’s graffiti artwork makes an uninspiring place interesting.
According to Joanne, it is easy for a viewer to decipher the underlying meaning in Banksy’s work. She cites his ‘Rats’ sequence and proceeds to explain the symbolism behind the art work. Joanne sees Banksy and other graffiti artists as individuals who are committed to speaking on behalf of the voiceless public.
“The graffiti writer aims to claim some space to give voice to those who they would see as the disenfranchised” 2. She sees the work of graffiti artists such as Banksy as being a direct response from the public to oppression coming from the system. She gives an example of his piece titled ‘Boring’ and describes it as Banksy’s review of the building on which it is painted.
Joanne sees this as an impressive interaction of written text and landscape text resulting in a clear representation of the artist’s opinion. She regards Banksy’s artwork as one that communicates the opinion of the oppressed masses. Citing the rats that Banksy uses in most of his work, Joanne explains how this is definitely the representation of a social underclass2.
Katherine Satorius sees the message behind Banksy’s artwork as very incisive but at the same time expressionless3. She describes the function of Banksy’s work as brilliant and that it provides city inhabitants with an alternative to conventional artwork. She proceeds to detail his Los Angeles exhibition and according to her, the paintings could have had more impact in their original location; on billboards and walls3.
She suggests that Banksy’s paintings have power on location and generally tend to lose their appeal when transferred onto canvas. She also reviews the artist’s character and points out the weaknesses that come with Banksy’s insistence on anonymity3.
She only sees this as a way to avoid artistic responsibility and concludes that this will only limit his success and keep him always trying to defend himself. She however sees Banksy as a success in the sense that he has managed to pit himself against the conventional art world and somehow managed to come out on top3.
She also has no issue with Banksy selling his artwork to the very people it was created to satirize because she believes that even artists deserve to earn a decent living. Towards the end of the article, Katherine highlights how Banksy’s anonymity comes back to haunt him when one of his admirers sneaks into one of his exhibitions and displays an antiestablishment painting in the midst of Banksy’s paintings3.
Hellen Weaver in her review sees the strength of Banksy’s artwork as laying in the fact that he portrays his messages in a way that would easily be understandable to an average individual4. This strength is constant whether the paintings are on a wall in the street or are installations in a museum environment. She also describes most of Banksy’s work as drawing inspiration from the political arena4.
She supports this conclusion by citing the optical illusion that Banksy created on the Palestinian side of the Israel separation wall in West Bank alongside the life sized sculpture he planted in a Disneyland ride. She also declares his inspiration as “anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment obsessions” 4.
Brian Sewell is probably the most radical and the harshest of Banksy critics5. He is on record having said that Banksy should have been gotten rid off at birth. He is against the policy by the Bristol City council to retain some of Banksy’s graffiti work when some were taken down and regards the popularity of Banksy as a loss of standards in the art world5.
He regards him as a clown who has nothing to do with art and believes that the public has been coerced into appreciating his graffiti work through his anonymity antics5.
Charlie Booker joins the likes of Brian Sewell and Jonathan Jones in dismissing Banksy’s work as rubbish6. He describes Banksy’s work as ‘imbecilic daublings’, and regards his efforts as an easy way to get famous. He cites the way Banksy prominently signs off his work and claims that the only message that the artist wants to convey is that he is the one responsible for the ‘vandalism’6.
Aside from offering criticism on the artists work, Booker also goes ahead to dismiss Banksy’s character describing him as a show-off. He picks statements from Banksy’s website and uses them to support his argument that Banksy is embarrassing, tenuous and pseudo-subversive6.
Barnard also has an issue with the social meaning that Banksy tries to attach to his work. He cites the painted elephant terming it as a useless display in the sense that it does not address a particular issue6.
Adam Barnard in his article the anger management is not working declares Banksy a situationist7. He sees is work as capitalizing on the absolute lack of enlightening politics in the United Kingdom.
He describes Banksy’s graffiti on city walls as beautifying and at the same time providing for critical inspiration. To him (Barnard), Banksy’s work adds color to both physical and political landscapes. He claims that Banksy’s stencils are more exciting art experiences to common citizens than the estranged experiences of London’s new art institution7.
He sees Banksy’s work as a satiric criticism of figures in authority and applauds him for opening the way for contemporary artists through abolition and realization7. He sees this artwork as following on the works of Duchamp and James Reid. Barnard like other art reporters and critics is optimistic that more Banksy art work is on the way7.
According to James Gaddy, Banksy is the most recognized street artist alive and he even proclaims him a mythic hero8. He agrees that Banksy’s early work displayed great talent both in drawing and stencil cutting8.
He however feels disappointed by Banksy’s move to sell his artwork to the same people he has spent his life criticizing and hopes that the money made from the Los Angeles exhibition goes into more street art8. Gaddy sees the move as Banksy arriving at a point of irresolution, where he finds it hard to decide whether to continue the thought provoking street art or to create the commercial artwork that fetches him impressive money8.
He concludes that Banksy’s move to the galleries greatly reduces the influence of his work as compared to the power it has on the streets. He also sees Banksy’s career on the street coming to an end as his artwork continues to appreciate in value and his growing fame making it hard for him to pull off more street work8. He (Gaddy) looks forward to Banksy’s new work and like most people does not mind the anticipation of finding out where he will strike next8.
Miranda Sawyer describes Banksy’s work as antiestablishment in the sense that he criticizes many contemporary icons9. She sees his work as a more direct form of expression as compared to fine art9. She considers his work as an approach used by his generation to communicate their deep seated feelings9. She describes his exhibition at the Bristol City Museum as a celebration of the ‘stuffiness of the institution’ while at the same time teasing it9.
In the book Pauline Frommer’s London, Banksy’s work has been described as an attack on corporate greed and government surveillance10.
His work is also portrayed as a way of venting anger against war. Cochra and Frommer admit that Banksy is not a superhero and they claim that he gets the inspiration for his work in the same way that a political cartoonist does10.
According to the authors, Banksy’s work has received so much acclaim that many people would not want to prosecute him for vandalism but would instead want to shake his hand and congratulate him for the messages he passes across10.
Louise Amoore and Marieke de Goede have published a risk and war on terror in which Banksy’s work is described as an interruption of traditional urban or art places11. The authors go ahead to cite his introduction of a hooded inflatable Guantanamo detainee in Disneyland as a political operation. This act, they claim is viewed as an illustration of what society can turn to if culture is always presented without factoring in the aspect of politics11.
Summary
This essay has studied and analyzed various written works by both art critics and art reporters on the graffiti art of Banksy. The varied opinions by the said groups of people regarding the impact of the artist’s work and sometimes the artist himself have been reviewed in the paper. A number of issues have arisen from the discussion above including:
Whether Banksy’s stencil works should be referred to as art or are they simply acts of vandalism.
Whether the pseudonymous character that Banksy has tried to maintain for such a long time is serving him justice.
Whether the newly acquired celebrity status and money will affect Banksy’s street art career.
In their arguments and criticism of the work however, the individuals included in the report have come to a few agreements regarding Banksy’s work. These include:
Banksy is a modern day phenomena judging from the number of people that attend his exhibitions and the incredible figures that his art-work fetches.
Banksy’s work is generally inspired by politics and that his art tends to support the message of the greater populace which is under oppression by the ruling class.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that Banksy has come a long way from the days he started as a common street vandal to an artist with a cult following. His impeccable skills and daring antics accompanied by his anonymity have transformed him into a modern day Houdini. As an artist, his work will continue to receive criticism from all sectors of society and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future if he continues to do more daring street-work and manages to evade the authorities.
Endnotes
Jonathan Jones, “Best of British?,” The Guardian, 2007.
Joanne Phillips, “What can we learn from Banksy,” Green places, 2009.
Katherine Satorius, “Viewpoint,” Artweek, 2007.
Hellen Weaver, “Banksy: Bristol city museum and gallery,” Art American Magazine, 2009.
“Newsmaker: Banksy.” CNN. 2007.
Charlie Brooker, “Supposing … Subversive genius Banksy is actually rubbish,” The Guardian, 2006.
Adam Barnard, “The anger management is not working,” Capital and Class, 2004.
James Gaddy, “Nowhere man,” Print Mag, 2007.
Miranda Sawyer, “In pictures: Bansky versus Bristol City Museum,” The Guardian, 2009.
James Cochra and Pauline Frommer, Pauline Frommer’s London. (Chichester: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated, 2007), 185.
Louise Amoore and Marieke de Goede, Risk and war on terror. (London: Routledge, 2008), 245.
Bibliography
Amoore, Louise and Marieke de Goede, Risk and war on terror. London: Routledge, 2008.
Barnard, Adam. “The anger management is not working.” Capital and Class, 2004.
Brooker Charlie. “Supposing … Subversive genius Banksy is actually rubbish.” The Guardian, 2006.
Cochra, James and Pauline Frommer, Pauline Frommer’s London. Chichester: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated, 2007.
Gaddy, James. “Nowhere man.” Print Mag, 2007.
Jones, Jonathan. “Best of British?.” The Guardian, 2007.
The example of controversial art that I chose is Banksy’s Season’s Greetings. When it originally emerged on the outside of a steelworker’s private garage in Taibach, Port Talbot, in December 2018, the painting had to be fenced, as it quickly became popular. Season’s Greetings features a child on a sled dressed in winter garb looking up and extending his tongue out to collect falling snowflakes. The second half of the image, which is painted around a corner, portrays a dumpster fire spewing smoke and ash. The intersection is crucial in emphasizing to the spectator how clueless the child is about his situation.
Figure 1. Season’s Greetings.
Banksy is a trailblazer in both the graffiti and traditional art realms, pushing the bounds of what graffiti can be and express. As a result, his work has intrinsic, inventive, and commercial worth. The social message of this art is that the impact of pollution is unnoticed yet crucial for the youngest generations (Mitman, 2019). If the town’s pollution is not addressed, it will be the children who bear the consequences. The aesthetic value of Season’s Greetings is that the artist experimented with the building’s corner to create a perspective game, as seen in Figure 1. Eventually, the graffiti was recognized for its aesthetic worth and preserved so that the public now has an opportunity to see it in museums. As a young member of society, I clearly see that people in my daily life are already facing the hazardous consequences of pollution through increased disease rates.
Even though Banksy is known for his controversial pieces of graffiti, Season’s Greetings has not been censored and has drawn interest from the locals. After art dealer John Brandler purchased the artwork, the Welsh Government eventually paid to have it moved to an empty store so the public could see it (Martin, 2018).
While it is understandable that not every drawing can be left untouched, it is critical that art such as Banksy’s works is not censored by governments. The destruction of paintings that bring attention to vital social issues and possess solid artistic value is never justified. Banksy’s worth is produced by his work’s critical reflection of reality and how it projects onto the audience. Season’s Greetings immediately drew hundreds of tourists to town and sparked so much interest that art dealer John Brandler paid a six-figure amount for it (Mitman, 2019). Due to the public’s reaction on social media platforms, it effectively portrayed its message.
Art definitions might change because various individuals have different ideas about what art should be. Banksy strives to put a vital meaning to his works and let them speak instead of giving any commentary, as he remains anonymous and does not give any interviews. Critics believe that Banksy’s works are artistic due to the social statements they carry and the way they portray reality (Zabawa-Krzypkowska & Groń, 2020). Therefore, the person looking at the art should gaze at it for a longer period and in more detail. The essential and universal trait of art is crafting—the skillful structuring of some medium (Martin, 2018). In this case, even though Season’s Greetings is graffiti, it can be considered Street Art. Moreover, Street Art appeared as a continuation of Popular Art. Martin (2018) refers term ‘popular art’ as current works that are popular among the general public. In addition, considering art explains and illuminates some subject matter, Banksy’s Season’s Greetings can be counted as Art.
In conclusion, Banksy’s Season’s Greetings is an excellent representation of a political statement on a critical social issue. His works draw attention from all parts of the globe due to their artistic value and representation of reality. Controversies that the artist raises are essential to create a call to action among the public. Banksy, who remains anonymous to this day, eloquently delivers his stance on many problems of modern society through a unique way of communication.
References
Martin, F. D. (2018). Humanities through the Arts (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education (US). Web.
Zabawa-Krzypkowska, J., & Groń, K. (2020). Art in the public space, different aspects of artistic activities in architecture. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 960(3). Web.
