Graffiti IS Art

We see graffiti daily. Whether it is on a wall, or public signs, graffiti is something that many people are very vocal about their dislike towards it, (due to it being mostly associated with Vandalism but this isn’t always the case when graffiti is made). But I believe that graffiti is an art form in its own unique way that is different from other styles of art that we see in modern day. It makes itself known and overt as it’s style consists of mostly complex design, colors, and messaging/symbolism in their pieces. There has been so much graffiti I have seen in my life that I just knew that it had some deeper meaning I wasn’t aware of. Graffiti is something bigger and more beautiful then a lot of people can comprehend.

“There are bigger, more accomplished examples that appear on larger spaces, such as walls. These are often multicolored and complex in design, and so start to push the boundary of whether they should really be defined as graffiti art.” (Dolan 3) I see this quote as exactly describing my thought on graffiti. Graffiti takes time and effort to create, it isn’t just someone scribbling on a wall because they want to trash someone property. Graffiti artists take time and effort into their pieces, starting it from something simple to something huge and intricate with ingrained designs and it really shows me the beauty of their art and it makes me understand why they do what they do. “But perhaps there are other ways to cooperate with the graffiti artists rather than just opposing them. Graffiti artists can create sanctioned murals for private property owners and get paid for it.” (Dolan 6) This quote proves my point even more by showing that graffiti is considered an art style to some people and they are willing to go look for artists to do a mural or just a art piece for a building. Graffiti is really an amzaing art style and I think that we should try and evolve away from all the negative connotations that are associated with it.

“The problem with graffiti art is the question of whether it’s really art, or just plain vandalism.” (Dolan 1) I feel like this question doesn’t straight up prove my point, but I believe that a conversation like this is society can be even more benefical then just saying that it’s art. I feel like society should have more dialogue about art, especially graffiti due to its negative connotations. “Maybe we need to start at a very basic level and find a way to encourage the creation of graffiti art on paper or canvas, rather than walls.” (Dolan 7) We should give graffiti artists the proper area to expiremnt and play around with their art instead of doing it on walls. I think this can help but not solve the issue of vandalism in society. But sometimes you can’t just stop people from being disrespecful and doing it anyway.

Overall, I feel like graffiti is an art style and shouldn’t be undermined because other people do it illegally. If we really wanted to change our perspective on graffiti, we would need to have a culture that would support and appreciate its uniqueness and ambiguity. Its really its own art in a complex and different way that I don’t usually see in other art styles. I mean, have you seriously seen art on walls or buildings that isn’t graffiti or art that is based on it, (most likley everyone has) but my point(s) still stands. It’s art and we should accept it as a style and normalize it into our culture and society.

“Lisbon Street Artist VHILS: Alexandre Farto Scraping and Carving Art into Cityscapes.” CBS News, 10 Dec. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/lisbon-street-artist-vhils-alexandre-farto-scraping-and-carving-art-into-cityscapes/.

“Graffiti vs Street Art: What’s The Difference?”Graff Storm, Richard September, 22 November 2024, https://graffstorm.com/graffiti-vs-street-art