Graffiti Analysis: Positive and Negative

Graffiti has been an issue that generates concern to the modern society throughout the world and originating a controversy of it being classified as a legitimate art form or vandalism. For the purpose of discussing this issue, it is essential to understand the terms of graffiti, art and vandalism. Graffiti can be described as the act of marking by the use of spray-paints, markers or other tools on a surface, usually a visible spot, with the intention to attract attention from the general community. While the definition of art is subjective, it is determined depending on the mind or perception of individuals. According to Esaak, art refers to an application of human creative skills, imagination, and a method of expressing their emotions and provokes the society to riot (2012, internet). Therefore, graffiti can be classified as an art. However, due to the situation and locations where it normally takes process in, makes it as an act of vandalism, which is an involvement of deliberate damage to public or private properties. This essay will attempt to determine whether graffiti should be classified as a form of vandalism or art by focusing on several aspects such as the artistry of graffiti, problems occurring from graffiti tagging, the aim of graffiti creation and the cost of graffiti removals.

Firstly, the social motives and creation process of graffiti can regard it as a form of art. Most graffitists are known to have their unique style of creation, one can use walls and spray paints as their medium to attract attention of the public of current and political issues, others can use it to express their feelings and create beautiful pieces of artwork. The artistic qualities of their work validate graffiti as an art form. Large pieces of work on the walls by graffitists require planning and imagination that contains artistic elements like color and composition.

Nevertheless, it is not fully acceptable for neither public nor private properties to be defaced to display an art. Tagging, which is considered as a type of graffiti by society refers to a criminal behavior which individuals create to mark their names, gang names or a slogan to claim a location as their territory.

On the other hand, graffiti could be a major influence on an individual’s view of crime levels in a community by how it diminishes local environment. The society no longer feels a particular location is as safe since they have the knowledge that it had been where graffitists’ actions took place. Thus, governments in countries such as Australia, for instance, have been operating a system on preventing and removing graffiti.