Graffiti: A Poor Man’s Crime Graffiti has always been, since the 1960s, a controversial yet unobtrusive topic. The major debate of whether or not graffiti is a form of art or if it is simply just a crime has been around ever since the first graffiti artists spread their graffiti all throughout urban areas. In the article, “Art and Crime: Conceptualising Graffiti in the City”, Cameron McAuliffe and Kurt Iveson discuss all the different perspectives and arguments people have involving the criminalization of graffiti, graffiti as art, and protecting graffiti’s authenticity. Many political figures mentioned in the article have tried to heavily criminalize the act of graffiti for various reasons. However, another question arises surrounding the …show more content…
One example of when the youth used different forms of graffiti the resist legal, political, and religious authority, was the epidemic with the Berlin Wall. The youth at the time wanted to rebel against the German government and express themselves through the graffiti as well as making a statement and creating this form of resistance. Jeff Ferrell in the article, “Urban Graffiti: Crime, Control, and Resistance”, says that “Contemporary graffiti writing occurs in an urban environment increasingly defined by segregation and control of social space” (78). Graffiti also creates a sense of control for people who live in a community with poverty and hardships. They use graffiti to control their public space and how it looks. They want to create a space that represents them and show the public how they are living. Making graffiti illegal due to the fact that it is a way for young people, or anyone, to get their voices heard and their statements put out into the public is oppression. There has also been extreme measures to prevent graffiti. Local and city councils have set curfews in the past, along with rules such as no loud music in certain neighborhoods. Also, there have even been laws passed that charge the parents of children who have been caught doing the graffiti. Authorities are enforcing these rules to oppress voices of the urban youth. It is an infinite battle between artists and authorities. Criminalizing graffiti and oppressing people’s voices, will lead to more resistance against authority which just leads to a cycle that will never end. In the article, “The Reciprocal City: Performing Solidarity-Mediating Space Through Street Art and Graffiti”, Christensen and Thor argue that, “For artists, graffiti is a way to challenge that hegemony over corporate control of space as well as right of capital to dictate how spaces are shaped and adorned” (587). In this quote,
Within the impoverished urban streets arose a youth culture captivated by infamy and self-pride. A youth culture virtually undistinguishable from members of modern society with a passion, setting them apart from the community. The members of this underground subculture could be your next-door neighbor, your son or daughter, or the contractor repairing your roof, yet you would have no idea that they strive to “bomb” objects and surfaces found in everyday life. It is the subtle differences that distinguish a graffiti artist from the average member of society, such as their, mindset, desires, speech and active lifestyle.
Art has been around ever since the ancient city of Pompeii. The people of Pompeii used graffiti as a way to display their cleverness; from poetry contests to playful recombinations of the letters that form Roman Numerals. In the early ‘70s, graffiti was used as a way for young teens to mark their territory. During that time, many people – especially in New York City – saw graffiti as vandalism and prohibited it. Even though graffiti has been misused in some occasions, as long as the purpose is not to deliberately mischievous or malicious destruction, graffiti is art.
In the performance of life, one cultural representation that captivates and entrances people more fluently and describes the human experience more eloquently is that of artistic expression. It imposes itself unto the face of society through the individual who creates it as a reflection of any one or combination of personal, emotional, or physiological effects society or one’s own environment has inflicted onto them to compel them convey their feelings to the public. The essential argument, is whether graffiti has a place in the grand context of society. One end of the spectrum paints it as a nuisance to property owners and city officials allow for a criminal perspective of the practice. While at another end you can view it as the artist in a sense blessing others with the fruits of their inner consciousness. An artistic expression no matter what the viewpoint of society, in an anthropological context graffiti is essential to modern society and its impact is one that cannot be forgotten or lived without.
Mention the word graffiti and what typically comes to mind is something unpleasant and distasteful like indecent language scribbled on a wall of a store or crude pictures. Most graffiti is characterized as vandalism on property that does not belong to the culprit. Graffiti also displays negative graphics that promote some type of vulgar message such as violence, sex, drugs, gangs, and racism. On the other hand, when the terms “street” and “art” come together, a blast of colorful creations upon blank slates on the street comes to mind. Although street art is technically considered graffiti, it is a type of graffiti with positive qualities, but certain figures in society find street art to be, in some way, disruptive. If used properly, street art can be appreciated artistically and socially. Despite the negative stigma attached to graffiti, street art has emerged as a progressive valuable art form whose vast history, surge in popularity, and urge for social change warrant its classification as a fine art.
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
Art is an expression of one’s mind or imagination through drawings and paintings on a canvas or words written in a book. Graffiti is an expression as well of one’s imaginations or feelings through words, or drawings displayed on a surface such as a building, wall or subway train.
Vandals; Cornbread, Taki 183, Phase 2, Banksy, Jean-Michel Basquiat are only a few of the OG street artist who were able to take claim of their identity and express their art through their graffiti.
The identity of a graffiti artist is hardly ever known unless they want to tag their art with their name or a nickname. Graffiti writers as a subculture are trying to express their political views through civil disobedience by painting pictures that speak out against the government. This subculture developed because they were tired of being oppressed by the government. Graffiti is one of the most enduring acts of protest. It is an important tool for the resistance movement as a way to publicize their protest. It is a visible and powerful form of protest that is going to promote change in the social justice by allowing oppressed groups of people express their viewpoints without being penalized by the
Within the last few years, graffiti has been deemed an acceptable and tasteful genre of art. Long gone are the days where the spray can belonged exclusively to the local delinquent. From the past to present, there has been a shift in how street art is recognized by the general public and the government. Laws and policies are being put into place that both defend and threaten the promulgation of this creative medium. By both protecting and prohibiting, the government displays an inconsistent and confusing relationship with street art. When art is so subjective, it can become challenging to delineate the fine line between vandalism and creativity. This essay will discuss the changing public perception of graffiti, the trademark and copyright battles between graffiti artists and property owners, the categorization of street art as an artform, and the beneficial aspects of commissioned street murals.
Ronald, Kramer helps to understand if graffiti is considered as illegal or legal, this article will support my essay because Ronald stress the issues that every graffiti art should be recognized for their work and should be considered as art. I will be using this source to support my idea for my main paragraph Graffiti is also introduced several cultures so they provide a place for graffiti writers to learn and grow their talents.
It is a ridiculous belief that just because graffiti is done somewhere without consent, it throws out the notion that it is still art. Sure, the piece of work was done illegally but why can’t the work still be appreciated and enjoyed. Art is art wherever it is found. The location of the piece does not change that. In fact, graffiti can kill two birds with one stone. First, at the foundation it is a form of art. Second, on top of that foundation a message can be erected and directed. But as the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Graffiti is a form of art that people use to express themselves and to convey various messages to people in a particular community. In the movie "Graffiti Verite':. One of the graffiti artist explained that his purpose in doing graffiti is that it allows him to "express his anger' on the wall. Another kid by the name of "Jipsie" said that graffiti is a "form of growth". There were several different explanations that artists shared as well as several different reasons why they like graffiti. The common theme among the graffiti artist and taggers was that graffiti is simply a form of self-expression (Bryan). At the end of the film one tagger made a comment and said, "graffiti is not vandalism, but it is a beautiful crime". This comment did not make sense to me. Committing a crime, a hideous act, is not a beautiful thing to do by any means. Graffiti does not mean people can go around and draw and spray paint on other peoples property. Regardless of what types of graffiti are being expressed by the tagger, this type of self expression is considered vandalism when people decide to draw, destroy, or violate any persons property without consent. As a result of taggers committing the crime of vandalism, property owners, concerned citizens, and law enforcement officers spend too much time, money, and energy trying to put an end to the unlawful act of vandalism.
Graffiti started in the 1920s when gangs would tag train cars and walls to mark territory mainly in New York City. Graffiti took a different turn in the 1970s when young adults decided to use street art as an outlet to express their political and social outrage. This movement had soon gained the attention of the “adult” world. Graffiti was known as “creation through destruction” and to this day is still considered illegal in most parts of the world. In modern street art the mediums used have evolved past spray paint and now artists are using different methods with spray paint to progress their works past crude tags.
People around the world have different ways to express their feelings through. It could be done legally or illegaly. One way in which it could be done is through art like graffiti. Graffiti is a form of art where people express their feelings by spraying colors on street walls. It is actually a very interesting kind of art, as it is not easy to draw with sprays and to express yourself using some kind of symbols on walls that represent something deep inside you. Since the beginning of time, people have been debating on whether graffiti is legal or not. If you think about it for a second, you will find each and every reason for graffiti to be legal, but people till now tend to accuse it as a form of crime. Since when is art a crime? Since when is expressing your feelings in a peaceful way is a crime? Graffiti could not just be used on walls of other people’s property, it as well could be done on portraits and sold and actually in Brazil many people travel there to see the graffiti portraits in the galleries. Graffiti grabs people attention in a way and raises people’s awareness of something through drawing. Isn’t it just beautiful to draw something that grabs people attention and raises their awareness towards something and then credit you for doing so? Therefore, graffiti is passionate beautiful kind of art that I do not think it should be seen as a crime, instead as an astonishing form of art.
Instead of just mere protesting, people would try and take up more of a physical approach to the message they were trying to convey. At the beginning of the era, graffiti was a rebellious phase when it came to the younger generation backed by the punk-pop scene. It was more of a socialising hobby rather than a means to express a view or opinion, but then there were certain individuals who used it as an artistic outlet. Banksy is the most notorious for expressing his political opinion with out actually saying a political party in specific. According to James Basset ,“Banksy is an avowedly anonymous graffiti artist who has managed to translate underground credibility into massive popular appeal.” (James Brassett 2009). He is the type of artist that shames but never names. There have been many occasion when artists that have tried to mimic what Banksy does but they are never quite as successful as he is at accomplishing it. In Banksy’s very own words he states that “Just doing a tag is about retribution. If you don't own a train company then you go and paint on one instead.” (Banksy