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Arguments Against Graffiti

Decent Essays

Graffiti comes in all different shapes and forms including gorgeous street art, community sponsored murals, simple tags, gang related messages and senseless vandalism. The distinction between these forms can be blurry and open to interpretation by the viewer of the graffiti. The more cut and dried difference between all forms of graffiti is whether or not they are considered legal. A commissioned mural for a civic center and a large work of street art painted illegally on the side of a building may both look equally beautiful. But, as Mettler (2012) points out, it is common to find city ordinances in the United States which say that graffiti or unpermitted art must be removed often at the property owners expenses.
A police constable named …show more content…

On the other end of the spectrum, writers like PHADE and BUBZ report that they disregard the loss of reputation on the street that they may encounter and that their ability to do graffiti legally is more important to them. Furthermore, it has allowed for them to work with other movements for social change and awareness. The 140 Characters Conference in New York gave greater exposure to the legal graffiti movement which prompted a collaboration back in Toronto with a group that is dedicated to providing “Winter Survival Kits” to the homeless called Project Winter Survival. Project Winter Survival helps draw attention to the need for additional help for the homeless population during cold months when it is easy for someone without proper shelter to die of exposure. The intersection of Project Winter Survival and legal graffiti led to involvement with a further project called Invisible People which seeks to bring visibility to the homeless population and their struggles. PHADE and BUBZ worked together to create a mural in Toronto after watching 50 hours of video documenting the lives of homeless men and women. The mural begins with the words “PUTING [sic] A FACE TO HOMELESSNESS” and then depicts silhouettes of the “invisible” homeless followed by portraits detailing the men, women and

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