Illegal Art

Everyone sees a form of art everywhere they go. Graffiti is a form of art because it has many different artistic elements, however, we need to come up with a better way to show this beautiful form of art. You can find it anywhere like trains, buildings, bridges, boats, and sometimes other vehicles. Even in my town, I see graffiti all over buildings and trains, and I just live in Maine. Maine is a very small with few people so this just shows how common graffiti is everywhere. However, this is why graffiti is controversial because it is on people’s property and public property, so many people are left spending their time and money to paint over the artwork. So, graffiti is a form of art just like any other, however, we all need to work together to come up with a solution to show this artwork without it being a nuisance. Similar to when Steve Dolan wrote, “Finding a solution to such a complex situation is never going to be easy, but as more graffiti art is being recognized in galleries around the world, we do need to try” (Dolan).

Many people believe graffiti is not artwork and that it is just some spray paint and vandalism. However, according to George Stowers, “…based on the aesthetic criteria, graffiti has to be considered an art form” (Graffiti as Art). He believes that in the more complex pieces of graffiti, there are so many artistic compounds and aesthetics. Stowers also gave more examples of why it is an art by saying, “… larger pieces require planning and imagination and contain artistic elements like color and composition” (Graffiti as Art). I believe the only reason some people do not see it as art is because it is on city walls and private property. Which is unfair and expensive to clean up, but it is still very much real art on display. This is why we need to come up with more ideas to express graffiti rather than just on public walls.

Finding a solution to a big problem like this is very challenging but possible. In an article I read called, “Graffiti as Vandalism”, it said, “Although its artistic merits can’t be denied, graffiti is still in fact a form of vandalism” ( Graffiti as Vandalism). This means that graffiti is art, but still a crime against the law. This is costing many business owners and taxpayers lots of their time and money to clean up. This is why a solution is key to keeping this form of art around and keeping citizens happy. Some solutions that are already being put to use are, “Paints have been developed that basically cause graffiti paint to dissolve when applied, or else make it quick and easy to remove. Community groups and government departments coordinate graffiti removal teams. In some places you can’t buy spray paint unless you’re over 18” (Dolan). Graffiti is beautiful and should be seen by people, but there are better ways to put it on display.

In conclusion, graffiti is a form of art and should be seen in this world and people should get recognition for their work, and not bad consequences. We just need to find a perfect solution to keep this art around and keep our buildings clean.

“Graffiti lives…” by duncan is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.