Graffiti: Art or Crime Passage Sort

  It is not uncommon to see graffiti murals covering the walls of buildings, freeways, and bridges. There is an ongoing debate as to whether it should be considered vandalism or art. Despite that, graffiti continues to become more widespread. There are many who argue that graffitis is an eyesore to a community, but that does not seem to be the popular belief. Graffiti should not be considered vandalism because it is a non-violent expression or art, showcases the talent of those who create beautiful imagery, and helps attract tourists to cities.

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  Anyone who glorifies graffiti needs to answer one question for themselves. If your home was daubed with graffiti during the night without your consent, would you welcome the new addition to your decor?  Or would you immediately call a painter and the police?  Two fundamental rights are in conflict with each other when it comes to graffiti. The courts must weigh the freedom of expression against the right to own property. Graffiti is vandalism because it involves deliberate destruction or damage to public or private property, it costs property owners a lot of money to  have it removed, and is not always pretty and inspirational.

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 Graffiti is “an action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.”  Graffiti may be pretty or have positive messages. That is irrelevant when looking at what it still is. Illegal. Whether it is pretty or not, graffiti is against the law. A person who is caught in the act of graffiti gets charged with vandalism, fined, and given community service during which they help clean up graffiti.

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 Many pieces of graffiti artwork have powerful messages that humanity needs to hear. These work as non-violent expressions of emotion from those who paint them. There are so many forms of expressions that are violent or wreak havoc. However, the messages that can be found through graffiti often include inspiring quotes that are empowering, uplifting, and motivational. Cities everywhere need these words of inspiration to help uplift the community. What city doesn’t want its people to feel empowered?

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Graffiti should be considered art because it shows off the amazing talent of the people who paint them. Every artist has their own individual approach to their work. Graffiti is an expression of the individual artist. When artists add their “tag”name or pseudonym to a building with graffiti, they are sharing a piece of themselves with that building and community. The fact that these artists want to share their work with their town says a lot. Their work captivates the community spirit, giving local artists and performers a chance to showcase their work.

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Graffiti should be considered vandalism as building owners often have to foot the bill to have it removed.  Studies have shown that some cities have a price tag of over $500 million to remove unwanted graffiti across the city in a single year. This is outrageous for a city to have to pay. Think about your small business owners who don’t have the same resources to spend on cleaning unwanted graffiti off their buildings. It can also deter customers, which causes the business owners to lose money as well.

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    Lastly, it can be argued that some graffiti is “pretty” and “adds character” to a city; however, not all graffiti is pretty and appropriate. Sometimes graffiti uses foul language, works as a form of propaganda, and in some cases can discriminate or advertise hatred. It is easy to want to call the beautiful and inspirational graffiti art, but what about the artwork that is hateful and more of an eyesore?  The law cannot approve some graffiti and call some illegal. There must be one law for all to abide.

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When someone paints graffiti on property that is not their own, it’s against the law. People are quick to call something art when it’s not their property being destroyed and when money doesn’t come out of their pockets for repair. While it can occasionally be something nice to look at. It cannot be denied that it’s vandalism when done without permission.

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Believe it or not, graffiti can attract tourists to a city and help bring money to the community. There are people who travel around the world searching for graffiti. They look for murals to showcase on their personal website, blogs, and social media pages. When they post these pictures for the world to see, it draws in more followers and more people who want to travel to see the graffiti for themselves. There are even some music festivals that hose shows in cities and paint murals while there.  People travel across the world to see these murals for years following the festival. It’s an ongoing stream of income for the city and gives the city a positive reputation at the same time. Cities such as Napels (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), New York (USA), or Melbourne (Australia) are very well-known within the graffiti art scene. Thousands of artists and graffiti admirers travel through the world to see these beautiful urban artworks!

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   In conclusion, Graffiti has the power to transform a space from something uninspired to something completely original. Not only is it aesthetically beautiful, it also makes people aware of their surroundings and showcase areas that are perceived as ordinary into something more. Graffiti is accessible art. It should be allowed because it truly works as a positive form of self-expression, shows off the artwork of local artists, and attracts tourists from all over the world to see the beautiful artwork. It is evident that graffiti is a work of art that is taken for granted by many. It is not vandalism.

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