Do You Think Graffiti Is Art?

Question

What do you think? Is graffiti art or vandilism? You kno those massive ones you see on brick walls or train cars....

Answer 1

Both. Vandalism when done without permission or authorization on private or government property, and art when done on your own property (sketchpad, your home's walls) or through contract (a paid mural).

The curious thing is that some of the grafitti artists ARE indeed very talented but most.... well, they create what ONLY THEY can appreciate.

Answer 2

In the liberal, modern sense, art is the deliberate use of visual stimuli to create an emotional awareness within the viewer. But this does not discriminate on the basis of quality, originality, resonance, etc. Someone may create something that is low quality, illegal, meaningless, shocking or controversial for its own sake, and this would still be considered art. Under this definition, graffiti can be considered a form of art.

I do think that graffiti is mostly crap and sheer vandalism without any redeeming social or cultural value. But I do see some that is tempered with aesthetic merit, and street artists who have turned it into an amazing art form. The later (provided it is legal) is excellent, while the rest is muck.

Ayn Rand restricted her definition of art even further: the use of visual imagery from the real world to express value judgements (ideas). In this definition, graffiti would not be considered a true art.

So it depends on who you ask.

Answer 3

Well, I might argue that *all* art essentially stems from the same impulse: to communicate in an abstract symbolic manner, or more simply, to let other people know that you actually exist.

Graffiti is the plural of the Italian word that literally means "small scratching.", a description that evokes the inconsequential nature of graffiti.

I don't have a problem calling graffiti "art", as long as it is original, creative, and well crafted enough.

Besides, what real difference is there between amateur graffiti, and huge billboards, signposts, and advertisements done by ad agencies. They both serve the same purpose, they are both put up largely without the permission of those who are intended to view them, and most of us would probably have them removed if given the chance. The only difference is in our sentimental ideas about "private property"

I *do* have a problem with graffiti that is done with bad intentions. painting things on a wall just to tell everybody that you don't, in fact, give a damn; or to assure people that you really have "street cred".........I have a hard time calling that sort of futile garbage "artistic expression....."

~Donkey Hotei

Answer 4

Graffiti arts has come a long way since the gang symbol in the hood. Now they are more a form of expression of the artist, a lot of them go into real galleries and sell for a lot of money. I was lucky enough to meet Os Gemeos, a couple of artist (twin) from Brazil whose work had make it to main stream. They work are real cool and the theme are about life and hope.
Check out this magazine: JUXTAPOZ, they have a lot of work on up and coming serious artist.

Answer 5

Graffiti is Totally AWESOME,
But at the same it can be considered van-da-li-sing in some places.
Overall, I dont think Graffiti is wrong at all. It's a different way of expressing one's artistic side. People should understand that.
Anyways, cool ques.

Answer 6

It relatively relies upon on who your asking. you are able to desire to get one million solutions and that they might all be different through fact artwork is different for some human beings. some human beings see this as artwork mutually as others think of of it as vandalism. To me, that's artwork. the two that's tagging or a huge grasp piece on a side of a brick wall, that's artwork. I say this through fact i'm a graffiti artist myself (I do criminal graffiti with promission and each thing so do no longer difficulty) i think of that's alluring through fact it expresses the persons character, that's different from something. each tag is different and shows purely somewhat the artist form, purely somewhat the Parrish character. yet lower back, it relatively is kinda a nasty element to tag assets which you do no longer own..it relatively is why I do criminal graffiti :D

Answer 7

Graffiti is not art...it is vandalism. There is a huge difference between a mural on the side of a building, and someone "tagging" the side of a train.
Let me ask you...if it is art, then why do they sign it with things like Piano33...and Bez?
There is some artistic value to it, I will admit...but overall? Vandalism...sorry.

Answer 8

Graffiti is vandilism, these vandals should be flogged like in Singapore. It makes me sick when I see neighbourhoods covered in disgusting graffiti. Thank God for Rudy Guiliani, at least he got rid of it from the subways.

Answer 9

It matters were it is , some people are specials in it like in Extreme makeover home edition and then they hired some one to do graffiti in that room and on some streets they hire people to make pictures on the wall, it can be

Answer 10

To me, graffiti is painting with spray paint. I think that it can be art if there's not a gang relation and it's allowed to be there (aka not vandalism).