Essay Sample on Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?

📌Category: Art
📌Words: 991
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 12 April 2022

Graffiti is seen all over the world from the street corners of New York City to the alleyways in Europe. Although the presence is so widespread, there is some controversy about whether graffiti should be considered art or an act of crime. Graffiti is practiced by many graffiti writers and claimed as art. They use the graffiti form as a means of expressing themselves. Sometimes however, graffiti writing is considered an act of crime, or vandalism due to its increased presence in urban communities. 

The perspective stating that Graffiti is art comes from those who spend their hours laboring in the sun, creating colors and shapes in a public space. Graffiti artists, sometimes known as graffiti writers, will use this space to display their thoughts in a way that may inspire or invoke thought for the public eye. Writers often believe that their work is socially conscious, bringing awareness to social injustice. Writers also believe that their work not only expresses their stance on current issues, but they also create a platform in which they are able to picture the future. When the finished form is presented, bystanders will be attracted initially by the color, shapes, and the unorthodox design – eventually looking at the big picture, revealing the true meaning of the piece. Many believe that having a space safe to write graffiti will keep youth off the streets and out of crime, enhancing their cities and their streets. They believe that they should sometimes even be paid for their efforts and businesses should have their art on the exterior walls of businesses.

Graffiti writing began in New York City in the 1960’s, it was a way for writers to display their presence in urban areas. Writers would find a creative way to display their name and eventually it would become more elaborate. Eventually, it became a means of displaying perspectives as it relates to social justice. Tate explores the idea that the hip-hop generation has boomed into a developed form of art. He introduces Basquiiatt, Fab 5, Rammellzee and other artists who are considered anomalies because they have created masterpieces that demonstrate cultural movement, desires, and muses without ‘tagging’ a piece of property without permission (151). Even still, Tate states that graffiti grasped the world’s attention especially when the canvases may have been unorthodox spaces like trains and corporate buildings (157). The masterpieces, or ‘burners’ as they are referred to in the graffiti world, are what lies on sidewalks and trains because the lack of mannerism is what gives it more social impact – invoking passion and thought (158).

An argument for those that consider graffiti as art is that graffiti or tagging can often be paired with gangs and violence. Many will assume that those involved in creating graffiti art have a negative history with law enforcement, gang violence, drugs, and destroying property. As a result, much of graffiti art is still not accepted and not approved for public display. Many consider graffiti art an act of vandalism. Something that criminals and gang members do to pass the time – or to invoke fear, stating their presence. In the article by Goldstein, it is implied that vandalism is an act of aggression, and it is a learned negative behavior. Sometimes, vandalism specifically becomes noticed by opposing community members which can initiate violent behaviors. Graffiti could sometimes even be considered a ‘gateway crime’, leading to higher levels of aggression (Goldstein). If someone does not like what is marked upon community walls, they may begin committing acts of violent crime, destroying property associated with the original writer. Those who oppose vandalism believe if they can combat vandalism at the source, catching it prior or just after the first attempt, then it will be able to prevent aggressive crimes in the community. These people believe that without graffiti plastered on the sides of stores and large walls, property values will rise, crime rates will decrease, and gang violence will dissipate. 

The argument of whether graffiti is art should be important to everyone, especially those within communities who enjoy looking at and creating graffiti. It also matters to those who must live in those communities and the property owners within the area. If there is a correlation between graffiti and crime, then there would be a reason for those in the communities to petition against it - assuming they would prefer less crime in their areas. It is also important for those that do need graffiti for a means of expression and taking their stances on social justice. Writers believe they should be free to express themselves and take a stance on issues they believe are important in the way that they enjoy. In a sense however, it is a double-edged sword If there is no means for graffiti writers to express themselves, they may lead to performing criminal acts in their past time. If graffiti is the cause for crime, getting rid of it could improve the communities. Either way, depending on the argument that is chosen, it can either decrease or increase crime, the value of the community, and the quality of life in the community. This research can be expanded by exploring global graffiti and its implication on the communities. It can also be expanded via studying within the communities that participate in graffiti as an art directly or with police departments who see the issues day to day.

References

Almiron, J. Faith, et al. “We Are the Upsetters: The Social Consciousness of Basquiat and Rammellzee.” Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation, MFA Publications, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2020, pp. 121–131. 

Aneliese Dar, Gwen Hunnicutt. (2017) Famously Anonymous Artistic Outlaws: The Negotiation of Dual Identities Among Former Graffiti Writers. Identity 17:4, pages 207-223.

Goldstein, Arnold P. The Psychology of Vandalism. Boston, Ma Springer Us, 1996.

Gross, Daniel D., and Timothy D. Gross. "THE MEANING OF GRAFFITI: AN INTERPRETATION: A REVIEW OF GENERAL SEMANTICS." Et Cetera, vol. 73, no. 4, 2016, pp. 342-347. ProQuest, https://www.libproxy.umassd.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/meaning-graffiti-interpretation/docview/2290099004/se-2?accountid=14573.

Kan, Koon-Hwee. “Adolescents and Graffiti”. Art Education, Vol. 54, No. 1, 2001. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3193889.

Myra Taylor, Ida Marais. (2011) Not in my back schoolyard: schools and skate-park build in Western Australia. Australian Planner 48:2, pages 84-95.

Rob White (2001) Graffiti, Crime Prevention & Cultural Space, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 12:3, 253-268, DOI: 10.1080/10345329.2001.12036199

Tate, Greg, et al. “We Are the Upsetters: The Social Consciousness of Basquiat and Rammellzee.” Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation, MFA Publications, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2020, pp. 151–160.

+
x
Remember! This is just a sample.

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Order now
By clicking “Receive Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.