Vandalism Vs Graffiti Essay

Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?

Graffiti shows creativity and self expression in one of the best ways. Typically graffiti artists display their artistic talent on train cars, buildings, and public/private properties. The vibrancy of the colors used draws in people nearby to look at the astounding creativity. Although this is true for a shocking amount of people, the same can’t be said for the owners of the properties. This illicit art has a negative effect on the owners. This is also true for some people who just happen to walk by this art, even policemen or businessmen who think this beautiful self expression is an unacceptable eyesore. The artists who have been caught have been penalized and shamed for their creativity. Their mentality has been destroyed and they have been labeled as public nuisances. Meanwhile, the opposing side can sit at home and feel satisfied as ever for catching

Although these two may seem the same, they are in fact different in many ways. One New York blogger describes the two in the best way imaginable. “Graffiti is a medium for borderline criminals and maniacs who insist on testing every limit. Street art is for frustrated graphic designers with too much time on their hands and not enough creative control in their day jobs,” (Indiana University). This basically means that graffiti artists do what they do for the thrill and self expression, while street artists do this because they have nothing better to do. Graffiti: Art Through Vandalism says “While tags are probably the most popular forms, graffiti art is much more than that,” (Noel Sanchez) An inference can be made that the author is most likely referring to street artists when he or she speaks of the taggers. These subtle, but extremely important differences make it so that graffiti artists and street artists have different purposes as to why they are doing what they