Most people can argue that there is a fine distinction between what is recognized as art and vandalism. The individual is often faced with uncertainty when the topic of graffiti arises. The public often portray graffiti as a destructive act towards his or her surroundings however; graffiti can also be considered a form of self-expression. Many questions can be made pertaining to the graffiti movement, but the main question is graffiti a crime or an art? The answers lie in the complex phrase of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
Graffiti portrays contemporary sub-cultured art through its versatility and bold attractiveness on the communal grounds. In the 1970s, graffiti was blatantly acknowledged as territorial graffiti where
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“In contrast to government-commissioned public art, street art is illicit and subversive in nature. Therefore, most street artists, including Banksy, use pseudonyms to avoid legal prosecution for vandalism.”(Chung 27) Banksy’s street art does not focus on competing with rival artists, but focuses on engaging with a broader audience in a deeper level. He provokes his audience by deeply expressing out various social practices that helps viewers to reflect and confront certain aspects together as a community. (27) The underlying message of Banksy’s art can lead towards an active involvement of street art within the community.
“Street art is omnipresent in urban streets and is a rish source of inspiration for artistic creativity. . . It possesses the aesthetic voices of the ordinary and enables resistance for the marginalized. Banksy’s street art, in particular, can guide students to think about various social and political issues and to reflect upon the immediate, if not unjust, world in which they live, to transform that world, and to
According to Boyd, through Graffiti is essential to understand as a form of art that crosses the boundaries of location, method, and motivation. He acknowledges that graffiti might include “racist remarks, empty slogans and illegal signatures.”(Boyd 251) Boyd’s piece is also very informative because according to the author, there are two methods for creating this form of art: murals and tagging. The most popular one is tagging because it can be found almost everywhere from fence posts to trains, street walls to buses. The main goal of graffiti writers is to put their signature tags in places to be recognized by their
By the author comparing graffiti to a common trend appeals to the generation of the present. That causes the reader to think more personal about the situation.
From the early humans who painted on cave walls to the angst-ridden teenager getting their kicks from spray painting profanities on the side of a small business, human beings seem to have an intrinsic desire to paint images on the walls that surround them. This has led to many individuals painting on walls without permission. Although the walls cannot speak, city officials and the owners of businesses can and when they do, “Graffiti” is usually one of the words used to describe the images produced. However, although often overlooked, a line does exist between graffiti and street art. Christine Graff writes “Graffiti is defined as ‘writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public
The issue of whether or not graffiti is appropriate for public spaces appears to never end. This is due to the fact that, usually, the rhetors involved do not reach stasis on all levels. There is typically a large gap in the debate stalling the conversation. Heather Mac Donald, Lu Olivero, “Graffiti”, Lady Pink, Gerald Witt, and Heidi Wigdahl throw themselves into the ring and add their own views on the matter. While these six authors agree on the fact that graffiti exists, they do not solely agree on one definition, and once they get to the quality aspect they divide themselves in half and none agree on a specific policy that is the most reasonable.
Throughout the course of time, Banksy’s street art is known for bringing a specific point across through his affective use of certain visual art that are very eye opening. For example, his signature use of black and white paints for the image itself and a very bold color such as red for magnifying the text. His art also brings up very controversial topics that most of his audience fail to realize or recognize. In one of his many famous pieces of art, he effectively uses the four rhetorical considerations and the two Aristotic considerations to convey to his audience that there are still many societies that have no interest in girls getting an education.
The cutting edge of the public art development, connected with the hip-hop society of breakdancing and rap music, began with African-American and Latino teenagers in Philadelphia and New York in the late 1960s (MacDonald 1). At that time graffiti to most, was considered to be a form of art work. Regardless of those that thought of it as art, there were and are still numerous individuals that loathe the graffiti movement. Works of art have been dependably charming for ages, as it is a method for self-expression and inventiveness. Artistic expressions have advanced in many ways, such as public canvases offering an approach to modern day unique artwork. Graffiti is progressively turning into a hobby. Although one of the major controversies of graffiti surround the statement that it is not art and considered vandalism, graffiti allow artists to display grateful meanings, skills and expressions to the public.
To fully understand street art as a concept in itself, it is vital to explore why the art is made on, and for, the street. According to Chung (2009) art on the street “allows artists a platform to reach a broader audience than traditional art forms”. This is supported by Young (2016) who argues that the “street is the biggest gallery you could ever want”, the author goes on to note that often a “galleries audience is self-selecting and homogenous”- belonging in an “elitist art world”. This implies that unlike classical art in galleries, street art cannot discriminate and is open and available to everyone despite their background or beliefs. Not only does the street allow the art to be widely seen, its accessibility indicates the ideas of
Banksy is the unidentified mysterious artist that for the last twenty years has been vandalising walls across the world with imagery that is known for its ability to capture an audience with a profound and methodical phase or statement. Banksy’s work aims to confront society with the issue faced in today’s culture and challenges the viewer to justify their action. Banksy produces artwork that forces an audiences to think and question themselves and the world they live in. Although Banksy’s true identity is unknown, his artistic style is easily found in his artwork alongside his signature.
Graffiti artists have the constant threat of facing consequences for displaying their art. Many of them choose to protect their identities so they remain anonymous. Banksy is the world’s most notorious and well-known street artists who to this day remains faceless in today’s society. His tags are well-known for his anti-war, political stencil art. His work is seen from Bristol, England to anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep their identity anonymous. Her art focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti.
The authors describe the street art, artists and graffiti. The main ideas expressed are what is different between graffiti /vandalism and street art.
The origin and history of graffiti is not what one might expect. Believed to have been created by a Philadelphia high school student named Cornbread in 1967, it was a bold effort to catch the attention of a girl (De Melker). In this same time period, graffiti sprung up in New York as well. It was “one among many forms of social protest” during
Linda Ngo, author of the opinion piece “Graffiti is a Beautiful 'Crime'” (2017), argues that graffiti should be legalized on grounds that it is an artistic expression of free speech. Ngo uses many comparisons between graffiti, which she claims is harmless, to many legal activities that cause people harm. Her purpose in writing this paper is to establish a legal form of graffiti to protect graffiti artists from legal action. Ngo's target audience for this paper is peers who may have different views on graffiti and its purpose.
We seem to come into contact with a form art every day. It is all around us and sometimes we don’t even notice. One of those art forms is street art, better known by the name graffiti. Graffiti can be recognized for having a bad connotation associated with it, for example some people view it as offensive, vulgar, a nuisance or a form of vandalism. For some people graffiti is a way of life, a culture per se. There are many ways that culture can be defined for example culture can contain the use of symbols, it can be learned and shared, it has values and purpose. Graffiti as a culture contains all of these things and in this paper I will be looking at some comparisons and contrasts of graffiti culture in America from when it started and its evolution to mainstream artistic culture.
Censorship in terms of graffiti is the removal of unsanctioned writings or drawings on a wall or surface of a public place. Laws against graffiti pose a threat to the natural way street artists create, forcing them to find different channels to express their thoughts and words. Banksy, a British street artist who pushes the boundaries in the graffiti world, is known for his anti-authoritarian stencil work. As a graffiti artist, he already faces censorship given that his choice medium is considered a criminal act in Britain. Being caught for graffiti can lead up to ten years of imprisonment, a fine, or community service for young offenders. The combination of the illegal nature of graffiti and Banksy’s choice in controversial subject matters, such as racism, the “authority of political art institutions” and corporate institutions, have led to censorship of his street art by the people and the government (Mancoff “Banksy”). Although censorship is limiting because graffiti is seen as detrimental to society, it is an integral part of Banksy’s creative process. Censorship influenced him to create for and appeal to a larger audience through stencil work instead of traditional graffiti tagging and by making a website.
Banksy is a very renowned street artist who keeps his identity unknown. His artwork is portrayed by “striking images, often combined with slogans, [which] engages political themes, satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed” (“Banksy Biography”). He first started his bold street art in Bristol, his hometown located in London, but quickly spread to the United States of America. In the U.S., Banksy targeted the most populated cities; this was due to the fact that it was easier for him to spread his messages. With a crowded location, his lessons will extent over an audience much quicker.