Conflict on Graffiti

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Recommended: Is graffiti art,or is it just vandalism

Graffiti is writings and/or drawings that are scribbled, sprayed, scratched, or painted on a wall in public area (Wikipedia). Graffiti writers usually write on walls around poor area with cities, yards, and transportations (trains, subways, metro bus, etc.). Their position is to express their words freely out in public and private area. Some people think graffiti is art because it is the writers’ idea to express what it represent, yet other people are not satisfied that graffiti writers spray paint on public walls. Is graffiti considered art? Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination (Wikipedia), therefore, graffiti is not considered art because it destroys public and private areas and uses illegal words against society for various reasons.
Many communities considered graffiti art because artists express their words; they have the right to freedom of speech. However, graffiti is not art if it creates violence. Freedom of speech does not extend to inciting violence. For instance, Erika Hayasaki wrote an article, Art Wars on Urban Canvas, that graffiti crew, known as Demented Young Mind, are against street art because street artists are taking over their public wall and drawing their graffiti and tags, so graffiti crew are starting a war by writing “DYM” over street drawing claiming that Demented Young Mind is taking over their territory (Hayasaki). Demented Young Mind causes more trouble than street artists. Hayasaki says, “Much of the public considers graffiti abrasive and difficult to decipher, but street art is often seen as aesthetically pleasing. Anyone caught doing either can be arrested for vandalism” (Hayasaki). Graffiti crew has the right to freedom of speech against street art, but they...

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...ocieties and local governments agree that graffiti is not art because it is violating the law. And graffiti is vandalism because it destroys public area, and many people cannot accept graffiti as art.

Works Cited

Block, Carolyn Rebecca, and Richard Block. "Street Gang Crime in Chicago." National Institute of Justice Research in Brief. Dec. 1993: 1-11. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 18 Nov 2013.
Canon, Kim. “Graffiti artists have moved into Spring Branch.” Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle. Web. 15 Aug. 2002.
“Graffiti Definition: The Dictionary of Art.” London: Macmillan Publishers - Grove's Dictionaries Inc. © copyright 1996 Susan A. Phillips phillip@ucla.edu
Hayasaki, Erika. "Art Wars on Urban Canvas." Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). 18 Jun 2007: A1+. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 18 Nov 2013.
Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. Web. 15 Jan. 2001

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