Category: Graffiti

Dear the Seattle Times,

As the president of an art club and an International Baccalaureate Higher Level art student during my junior and senior years at the International School of Bangkok, I organized an activity for children at an orphanage to do art projects every other week. I enjoy art projects because they are one of the ways through which I am able to express my emotions and feelings. Art is about communication, problem-solving, time management, and reflection of everyday life. Art is an ongoing interaction with our world enhanced by the expression of our creativity in form of graffiti, hip-hop, street theatres and graphic novels.

Graffiti is a form of art, and not vandalism. Some people have deep-rooted misconceptions about graffiti and street art. People think spray cans are not valid artistic media because they are used by delinquents and malevolent social activists. Currently, there is an increment in the number of graffiti of which most of them are being used to decorate buildings such as offices. Technical ability is paramount in graffiti. This is due to the fact that an individual is required to have skills, necessary tools and creativity in addition to personal opinion. Graffiti can be described as being a form of self expression.

Artists who specialize in graffiti must ensure their work is appreciated through communicating feelings and ideas to the audience. This is achieved through the incorporation of a great deal of imagination, planning and effort in the development of the graffiti. Considering the effort put in the preparation, it is imperative for people not to take graffiti for granted.

Graffiti adds beauty to the community. This is usually achieved by being painted on abandoned buildings and walls which if left like that would be like eyesores. The aesthetic properties of art need to be embraced like the ancient drawings that were discovered inside a cave. Such kinds of drawings are not categorized as graffiti but are artworks which form a part of a country’s history. In the 21^st century, graffiti is categorized as a form of vandalism and offense and not a history.

America therefore needs to do more in the promotion of graffiti. In this regard, the Seattle Public Utilities should stop spending its money on removing graffiti because it is a form of art and a means for people use to express their feelings. More importantly, the authorities and the society in large should appreciate and celebrate the graffiti artists instead of criminalizing them.

To conclude, the Seattle public utilities should embrace graffiti thus saving a lot of vital resources directed towards the maintenance of walls. To address the graffiti issue, the authority should allocate specific and convenient sites that will enable the effective expressions of emotions by artists. A long term strategy would involve the establishment of an art gallery that will boost artists earnings through collection of admission fees from the public. The understanding of graffiti and involvement of all stakeholders in the development of graffiti is imperative if this form of art is to achieve its objective of communicating feelings and ideas to the society.

Graffiti is one of the most prevalent social interaction problems in the United States today. It is a form of vandalism and a crime. Some people consider graffiti as an art. However, art is done with the property owner’s permission. Graffiti is a complex social interaction problem that costs a lot of money in cleaning and damages private and public property.

If graffiti writing is allowed to continue, it will encourage more vandalism and disorder and this will lead to more serious crimes such as homicide, assaults, burglary, rape, and vehicle theft. Graffiti is considered a crime and anyone found guilty is prosecuted (Arrington 67).

People write graffiti for various reasons. Some people use it as an expression of art. However, graffiti is vandalism and requires the authorization of the property owner. Others use graffiti for tagging. The writer draws or writes a representation of their names in order to get attention.

Gang members also use graffiti to communicate with each other. They can use graffiti to mark their territory or promote their illegal activities like selling drugs. Others write graffiti to communicate their opinions about other people. Most of these remarks are directed to a particular individual or organization and can either be insulting or giving praise to that person. Some people see graffiti as the only way to convey their feelings and express themselves (Rahn 204).

Graffiti has several negative impacts on the community’s environmental, social, and economic sectors. People have negative perceptions about the safety of neighborhoods with a lot of graffiti and therefore it lessens the community’s social interaction. Moreover, graffiti reduces the value of properties and costs the citizens a lot of money in cleaning it up. Graffiti also impacts negatively on businesses and tourism.

People are reluctant to go to places where there is a lot of graffiti as they do not feel safe. Graffiti destroys property including historical monuments. Graffiti can also compromise the safety of road users when written on traffic signs, thus blocking out the message. Some surfaces absorb the paint used to write graffiti and therefore become permanently damaged. Others can get damaged during the cleaning process (Arrington 67).

Fighting graffiti can only be successful if the entire community is engaged. Citizens can help reduce the problem of graffiti by reporting the cases they witness to the police so that the perpetrators can be prosecuted. Graffiti can also be prevented by lighting up streets and installing surveillance cameras to scare away the perpetrators.

Parents can also help in identifying if their children are taggers because mostly they will have graffiti in their rooms, shoes, and other belongings. They also write graffiti on books. Possession of spray paint is also another sign. Before removing the graffiti, the citizens are advised to take photos so that the law enforcement agencies can be able to charge for the crime.

Citizens are advised to remove the graffiti after reporting in order to prevent the paint from getting absorbed completely destroying the surface. Removing the graffiti will also discourage the perpetrators. People should not post graffiti in places like social websites because the taggers will get the attention that they wanted, and will be motivated to continue committing the crime (Arrington 68)

Works Cited

Arrington, Rick. Crime Prevention: The Law Enforcement Officer’s Practical Guide. USA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2006. Print

Rahn, Janice. Painting without Permission: Hip-Hop Graffiti Subculture. USA: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. Print

Introduction

Graffiti is a painting, mark, or writing that is scratched, scrawled, or sprayed on surfaces and walls in places that are reachable to the public eye. However, they are not very easy to interpret. The word graffiti initially referred to the marks that were found on prehistoric Roman art.

Today, graffiti is found in a variety of forms from simple sketches to complex and lively wall paintings using different materials. Spray paints and marker pens are the most notable materials used to create graffiti. In some countries, graffiti art is considered a criminal offence in form of vandalism and defacement of property.

There are different genres of graffiti. Firstly, we have political graffiti that is done in magazines, posters, comic books, pamphlets and so on. The second genre is gang graffiti which is used by gangs to signify group membership, identification and territory marking. The third type is known as rock and roll graffiti, and lastly is graffiti art (sometimes known as known as hip hop or New York style graffiti) which is thought to have originated from the US and spread all over the world through hip hop music, tattoos and clothing label designers.

Why graffiti art is controversial in the contemporary society

Most graffiti is done by teenagers and youths mainly on public parks, cities, walls, school property or on unoccupied premises. For a long time, it has been associated with vandalism particularly when it is done on public or private property, monuments, and pavements without the consent of relevant persons (Sudbanthad, para. 7). What makes the act controversial is that most of it is done with no permission. Besides, some graffiti contain indecent or offensive images or text. Graffiti art also makes the environment untidy and dirty.

In addition, fumes from the paints used for creating graffiti add noxious chemicals into the air and this can affect the lungs. The greatest fear about graffiti is that it may significantly contribute to global warming on a long term basis. Many countries also claim that it costs them billions to clean graffiti off buildings. Finally, Graffiti encourages violence whereby gang groups disfigure other gangs’ arts thus resulting in violence.

Graffiti as an art

Graffiti is an art since like other art forms like music and poetry, it helps persons to express not only their emotions but also their political and social feelings. One point that needs to be clarified is the difference between graffiti art and graffiti vandalism; the former refers to a genuine art form used to express emotion and feelings while the latter refers to a hijacking of the otherwise noble art for personal gains, such as when it is used by criminal gangs or done illegally (Manukau Institute of Technology).

One graffiti artist summarizes the role of graffiti in expression as “…an expression of my mind. It’s my mind coming to reality. It’s a thought coming so that people can see it. It’s the manifestation of a thought so that everybody can see what I’m thinking” (Ferris, para. 9). Inhibiting graffiti is tantamount to denying graffiti artists the right to express themselves

Graffiti is art just like any other form of art and should be respected and encouraged. However, persons who express themselves through graffiti should be advised on the right places to create graffiti.

It should be encouraged to help young people to nurture and develop their talents in artistic abilities which could lead to the creation of employment opportunities in the future. Rather than criticizing it and focusing on the negatives, authorities should assist young people realize their dreams and see the positives out of this form of art (William, para. 5).

These positives include the fact that graffiti art can be used to create colorful posters that can be used for marketing and advertisement functions, political campaigns and even create an art exhibition. Graffiti has also been done on clothing, acting as a source of additional funds for graffiti artists.

As earlier stated, this art form can also be used in published material such as comic books, art magazines, and newspapers, thus creating income to young people. In addition, when done on the right places, graffiti art makes the environment colorful and more attractive and it brightens dull areas and dirty walls. This is often seen in social places such as parks, sports grounds, railway and bus stations, and so on.

Conclusion

Graffiti art has generated heated debates since it is usually associated with vandalism and dissent. This notion arises from the fact that it is normally done without consent from relevant authorities or persons. Although it is considered a crime by many municipal and county authorities around the world, graffiti is a form of art that if encouraged and nurtured, could act as a form of employment for youth and thus function to reduce joblessness among young persons.

Graffiti art also helps to make the environment colorful thereby benefitting the society as a whole. Finally, graffiti is a form of expression and inhibiting it denies young persons a voice and the right to express themselves. Emphasis should be placed on encouraging graffiti artists to practice it on the right places and platforms. For this to be achieved, authorities should establish programs to nurture positive use of graffiti.

Works Cited

Ferris, Morning Rae. The World of Street Art. WordPress. 2008. Web.

Manukau Institute of Technology. Top New York graffiti artist creates with MIT arts students. Manukau Institute of Technology. 2007. Web.

Sudbanthad, Pitchaya. Roundtable: street art. The Morning News. 2005. Web.

William, Tan Ruixiang. Graffiti art – a solution to urban decay? Ezine Articles. 2008. Web.

Introduction

The modern world has born witness to the emergence of a new form of creative expression known as graffiti. It is usually represented by writings or drawings on walls, which are in many cities prohibited. There is a debate on whether this type of artistry is art or vandalism. Given the comprehensive nature of art and the time and care necessary to produce a piece of graffiti, it should be considered a form of art.

Definition of Art

Before determining the appropriateness of calling graffiti art, it is essential to understand what is meant by art. It is an extremely wide term that encompasses a large array of human activities. In its most general definition, almost anything created by a person can be considered art. However, children’s drawings are not displayed in a museum, although they also can be an example. The same principle of distinguishing creations by the fact of their existence applies to graffiti.

Graffiti is a form of art because it requires creativity and artistic expression. Any form of drawing or aesthetic writing cannot be accomplished without skill and talent. Graffiti are complex creations, consisting of numerous details and stylistic choices. An individual without the knowledge of the basics of drawing and the ability to use a paint stick is not capable of producing an adequate graphical piece. As a result, the limitations in people’s capacity in graffiti production exemplifies it as art.

It should also be noted that not all art in history was immediately recognized as such. Some of the creations, which are socially accepted and positively regarded today, were also previously condemned. As arts writers point out, “statues and other works of art flaunting penises and the naked body were considered perverse and sacrilegious” (Graffiti: Is Graffiti Art). Therefore, the current lack of tolerance toward graffiti does not mean that perception will not change over time.

Quality as a Prerequisite

Many people do not acknowledge this type of drawing as a form of art. The reason for graffiti’s ambivalent status lies in the lack of official quality criteria. Whereas it is possible to analyze a painting relying on a set of artistic standards, there are no established and agreed guidelines for evaluating graffiti. Nevertheless, the absence of formal recognition does not devalue the efforts that are necessary to embellish walls with aerosol paint.

It might even be possible that the lack of rules for making graffiti is precisely what distinguishes it as art. “Graffiti is one of the purest forms of art, supporters say, because it can exist without support or syndication from the mainstream art establishment” (Graffiti: Is Graffiti Art). In essence, nothing constrains an artist from delivering the work they envision. The freedom of expression further solidifies graffiti’s position as art.

Just like any human creation, pieces of graffiti differ based on quality. Writing and drawing on walls have evolved into a subculture. Its representatives have their own conception of techniques and standards for creating a work of graffiti (Graffiti: Is Graffiti Art). Moreover, the illegal nature of these drawings has forced creators to work faster, incorporating stencils. “As a result, graffiti has grown more complex and specialized, including stickers and other media besides spray paint” (Graffiti: Is Graffiti Art). Overall, the qualitative features of graffiti have added to its artistic value.

Functions of Art

Most pieces of art convey a creator’s message or artistic idea. Graffiti is not an exception since it emerged as a means to voice social displeasure. As supporters of attributing graffiti to art claim, it “provides a tool for communicating with the larger population” (Graffiti: Is Graffiti Art). Similar to many other forms of visual art, like caricatures, cinema, or paintings, writing on walls can draw attention to social issues, propagate an idea and, in any other way, execute the communicative function of art.

Another purpose of art is setting the tone and accentuating an artist’s feelings. In a similar manner to typical visual art, graffiti can also brighten the mood. Colorful drawings and writings on walls can make urban surroundings less grim and more joyful. Graffiti can impact a person emotionally and psychologically, appeal to their sense of beauty, and entertain them, thus functioning as any other work of art.

Probably the most evident feature of art is that it does not have to be enjoyed by everyone. There are pieces, which are appraised as manifestations of genius and dismissed as shallow objects at the same time. Graffiti also form a wide range of reactions, from those who consider it to be evidence of criminalization and vandalism to those who sincerely uphold it as the modern iteration of street art.

Altogether, graffiti can, by all means, be considered a form of art. It requires skill and lets artists express their ideas and sentiment. Some graffiti can be characterized as possessing exceptional quality rivaling socially accepted works of art. The opinion and legal status can change over time, with the current condemnation of graffiti being a contemporary phenomenon. Ultimately, it executes all functions typical of art and should subsequently be recognized as such.

Work Cited

“Graffiti: Is Graffiti Art.” Infobase. 2011. Web.