In The Eyes Of The Beholder. Coming Of Age In The United

Graffiti has been around for more than half a decade and practiced worldwide. However there is debate between whether it is a form of art or vandalism. Graffiti artists’ debate that many do not understand the reason most graffiti artist take the risk of incarceration, fines, injuries, and in some cases death to paint a wall. A graffiti artist can have the simple desire to become recognized, or to create a piece that speaks to their audience as a form of self expression. Because graffiti is associated with gangs and acts of destruction to some many cannot see the history and importance graffiti can have on a worldwide scale. Due to the fact that graffiti is usually produced illegally, meaning it is

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

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

While walking down Beal Street in Memphis, Tennessee, people watching and having fun, our group stood at a corner. Some flash of color caught my eye and I looked down to see more. As I stood and stared, one of the group, a girl, asked me what was so fascinating about “junk” on the sidewalk. Now, I’m not the type of guy that hangs around art galleries or for the matter, even looks at pictures in a book. I really like the bright colors and jazzy looking saxophone on the sidewalk and started looking for more. That’s how the conversation start on what is art, what is not, and just what is graffiti?

If you walk through almost any city, the buildings, bridges, and any other available spaces are seemingly filled with colors, picture, and words that are not part of the original architecture. This graffiti, which is a mix of tags, stencils, pieces, and freestyle, seems to have almost taken over cities across the world. Some of this graffiti, such as tags, are eyesores, but some pieces, such as the High Line “Love Is the Answer” and “Kiss” murals in New York City, are sites that have become iconic pieces of artwork. Unfortunately, pieces like these are also starting to be covered to a seemingly astronomical rate, which is causing outrage among those who visited to them.

Graffiti is the act of inscribing or drawing on walls for the purpose of communicating a message to the general public. The term comes from the Greek term "Graphein," which means to write. Graffiti has been around since men first started drawing pictures in caves. However, the focus of this paper is not on pre-historic or amateur graffiti, but on the modern hip-hop graffiti movement that began in the late 1960 's. The graffiti has two versions: a "legal" aspect, in which artists are able to spray paintings and murals of great spectacle and technical. The illegal side, is where they express their painting in public spaces such as schools, metros, trains, posters, and wall Streets, etc. Graffiti are a poor choice for people who practiced this objective because it deny people in follow good roads which is seen a bad self-expression and they also may be expensive, putting pressure on low-income families. Controversial, secrecy, and taboo are some points that connect with graffiti argument where graffiti has changed over the years.

There is a lack of supporting evidence about graffiti information such as why people engage in vandalism and how it impacts on communities and so on. This article is useful for my research topic because this book’s focus is on street artists and legal street art. There was a lot of information about street

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.

Here begins the controversy of taking a random object without any alteration and choosing to call it art. (Fig. 1) was considered one of the most enigmatic icons in which Duchamp took a urinal and signed it R.Mutt. The first time he submitted it was to the exhibition of the American Independents Society exhibition in 1917 and it was rejected for its controversy. Duchamp was able to place this work of art in a gallery because he believed that as an artist if he decided it was a work of art and established its legitimacy as a work of art it became a work of art.

Graffiti is a way to show a passion of an artistic form. “In a recent interview, the artist and political activist known as Bansky observed: “I’ve learned from experience that a painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush – that’s when it starts. The public reaction is what supplies meaning and

Is graffiti still graffiti if it is hung up in a museum instead of under a bridge? Are newcomers to this art form in it for the art or just for the chance to be the next Banksy or Shepard Fairey? There are many differing opinions on this subject within the graffiti and street art community. Roger Gastman, graffiti and street art expert and curator, believes that graffiti belongs out in the city rather than inside a gallery. “Graffiti at its purest, at its rawest, at its best, is illegal; illegal art on a wall.” He continues, “It works best on a street, it works best under a bridge, it works best on a train rolling by you.”(SAUCE 2) Others believe that the gallery space is simply the next step in the development of graffiti and street art as an art

Graffiti is writing or drawings that are scribbled on walls or surfaces. But these drawings or code writings are illegally written or drawn on public properties of not their own. Lots of places that have odd or racist writing on public properties are known to be illegal drawings. A lot of known groups draw specific signs and codes to communicate to others or to claim properties that aren't theirs, to show intimidation and fear to others. Those groups are called gang graffiti. Gang graffiti accede violence to show preeminence of there such called territories.When gangs have indicated their neighborhood, anyone that's not part of their gang will have a higher chance of being attacked. An example occurred on April 6, 2016, fifteen-year-old high school player had a brutal bleeding due to not being in a gang.

During the 1970’s, New York City faced a fiscal crisis that brought it to the brink of bankruptcy resulting in severe budget cuts for many of its assets (Dunstan, p.g. 1). The budget reduction of public transportation and its security resulted in the birth of a deep culture that that seemingly replaced the void that was left behind. The empty subways turned into glimmering canvases for those who wanted a form of expression. What started out as simple name taggings turned into a voice for society’s mutes. Despite being constantly at odds with the law, the community stood together and graffiti evolved into a more law abiding and more accepted variation of what it originally was. Despite its evolution and recognition, it has been constantly denounced as mere vandalism rather than a form of art. Graffiti is art because it is the purposeful arrangement of elements for aesthetic appeal, can be used for the purpose of illustrative mimesis, and is a visual form of creative activity.

Many historians agree that graffiti and other related visual arts show “life in motion.” Tracing the history of visual arts in both Latin America and the United States, one notes that visual artists have fomented revolution by altering aesthetic practices and transforming social contexts. One compares modern graffiti tags and pieces, defined as “unauthorized writing or drawing on a public surface,” to other visual art forms such as sketchbook work, prints, murals, and portable frescoes because all illustrate ideas through writing. Artists have written on the walls of buildings, trains, and many other locations to advertise their nametags and spread their views of race, politics, religion, gender, and economics among the greater public. Since

However, it is not necessary for people to deface public property. There are alternative resources such as canvases in which people may produce their art. According to Noel Sanchez, “Artists tag both public and private property, which becomes costly for taxpayers and business and property owners” (Graffiti as Vandalism). As seen here, paint is being sprayed on public and private property which negatively affects the taxpayers. In addition, not even art institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles or the Museum of the City of New York find graffiti attractive on their property and prohibit their premises to be vandalized (Graffiti is Always Vandalism). This proves that even art museums would not consider graffiti attractive if their own property was covered in it, therefore suggesting that graffiti ruins