Graffiti: Act of Creativity and Vandalism

Have you ever seen graffiti? If you had, it must not in a museum or an art
show. When the word graffiti came across your mind, you must be thinking of the
colourful, provocative, illegal "eyesore" that make a wall as its canvas. It is actually a
blast of creativity expressed through colours and filled with feelings, unexpressed
voice. To have a better understanding about graffiti, one must know the difference
between street art and vandalism. The difference lies in the intention. Banksys graffiti
are full with meaning while a drawing of vulgar words in a toilet stall is vandalism.
Why graffiti can be considered as both of art and vandalism? Here are a few reasons
why.
Art is defined as (according to Oxford dictionary): The expression or
application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as
painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or
emotional power. Graffiti is in visual form and applied the creative skill in its creation.
So, literally graffiti is an art. To be precise, graffiti is a street art. Graffiti should be
looked at as any other expression of creative skills in visual form. Gregory J. Snyder
(2011), said that in its purest form, graffiti is a democratic art form that revels in the
American Dream.
There are many artists who evoke feelings of anger, disgust, and negativity.
For their critics, their expressions are vulgar and the critics cannot understand the
meaning behind the work. While graffiti has historically been regarded as vandalism,
many could justify that other works of art are vandalism of culture, race, or morality.
Therefore, art should be defined by the mind of the creator, not society. So does
graffiti. It is a way for the creator to express his mind, emotions and view. George C.
Stowers (2008) wrote that based on aesthetic criteria, graffiti has to be considered an
art form. He makes a distinction between simple tags and more complicated pieces,
stating that tags have little aesthetic appeal and probably should not be considered
art. However, larger pieces require planning and imagination and contain artistic
elements like colour and composition. Stowers provides the example of wildstyle, or
the calligraphic writing style of interlocking letters typical of graffiti, to show the extent
of artistic elements that are present in these works.

Viewing graffiti as a message by laymen to the upper class is one way of

looking at it. Eskae, a street artist said "People with money can put up signs ... if you
don't have money you're marginalized...you're not allowed to express yourself or to
put up words or messages that you think other people should see. Camel (a brand of
cigarettes), they're up all over the country and look at the message Camel is
sending...they're just trying to keep the masses paralyzed so they can go about their
business with little resistance." Artists who stick to the roots of graffiti art tend to
encourage illegal graffiti. The idea of graffiti as vandalism came from a rejection of
authority and the ruling class, turning the worker into a "commodity" that has no
personal feelings or need for self-expression. In response, artists took to public walls
to vent their anger. Their argument is that the walls are part of the community, and
members of the community should decide what is displayed on public walls, not
outsiders.
However, no matter how beautiful and deep the message conveyed through
graffiti, it is still a crime if it were done without owner consent of the space used. If
you dont have permission to write or paint, it is a crime. This unethical act by some
street artist made society look at the graffiti with despiteful eyes. It is unauthorized,
as the dictionary says, and it destroys someone's property. It is a crime, like stealing,
because it steals the property owner's right to have their own property look clean and
nice. And it makes repairs costly for the property owner; graffiti scribblers never offer
to pay the cost of repairing their destruction, which may cost the property owners a
lot of money to repair or replace.
Graffiti also promotes rebellion. The type of rebellion and resentment, shared
between the graffiti artists and their work, is exactly the type of message that society
tries to bring down. The blatant disregard for public space is interpreted by the public
as a type of bold and brave statement; internalized, the message of graffiti is seen as
a personal attack, rather than a more general resistance to a system which leaves
the fate of public space in the hands of a minority within our society. Thus, it is
obvious that graffiti inherently promotes a message of rebellion and resistance, a
type of resistance that promotes an anarchist ideology in many layers. Reisner and
Wechsler (1974) also maintain a position on graffiti that regards it as the voice of
resistance. In this passage, it is obvious that the expressive medium of graffiti is an
opposition to authority.

Graffiti also inflict financial loss. Property owners incur tremendous expense
in removing graffiti. Business owners incur a loss of customers from the negative
image that graffiti generates. They also may incur devalued property. The taxpayers'
money is spent removing graffiti from public buildings, monuments and park
structures. All of these impacts really make graffiti as a cancer of the society. "Graffiti
contributes to lost revenue associated with reduced ridership on transit systems,
reduced retail sales and declines in property value. In addition, graffiti generates the
perception of blight and heightens fear of gang activity" reports the U.S. Department
of Justice. This statement indicates that graffiti is considered as a threat to the
society.
The conclusion is, graffiti is an art and also a vandalism act. From the context
itself, its intention and its message, it is crystal clear that graffiti can be considered as
beautiful and meaningful street art. Yes, graffiti Is an art form, but like any other art
form, it can be misused and abused. If so, then it will be an art form used for the
wrong purposes. For example when it is being done without publicity consent,
promoting rebellion and inflicting a big financial loss, graffiti is nothing more than a
despised act of vandalism and a tumour for society.