In Defense Of Graffiti, By Alex Boyd

When we hear the world “Graffiti,” we probably think of negative things about it; but why? From my perspective I would have to say most of the graffiti an average person will see is vandalism to someone’s property, bad images that aren’t appropriate, bad slogans, and gang related icons. But as Alex Boyd’s says, “In Defense of graffiti,” “There are two types of graffiti: one rambling, obscure, and sometimes offensive, the other more tangible, more political and accessible.”(88) While this is true that there are some political and extraordinary created graffiti, more known as street art, which expresses one’s own idea or political view without being offensive or obscure to look at. Even though graffiti can be a good thing, why does the typical person think it’s a bad thing? If we think hard about this, why does one

What is the whole purpose of it? How come someone does graffiti if it’s illegal and you can be fined or go to jail if caught. What we really have to look at is who is mostly creating graffiti and why are they creating graffiti? Is there more to it than what we can see?

Alex Boyd’s says, “In walking the streets of Toronto, I find its simple enough to collect examples of fairly useless or even damaging graffiti: racist remarks, empty slogans, and illegible signatures.”(89) When I go to Miami there is this thing their called the Wynwood Walls where you are around aloud to graffiti on the walls and express your own ideas and create your own art without getting in trouble for doing it. But also when I go to Miami or Pompano all I can see of graffiti is damaging icons, immoral phrases, and gang related signs. But that is how I see it. However, the people of Miami or Pompano may see it as something different; they may see it as a code, a