Putting crime in a Museum?
January 16, 2025 Uncategorized 0 comment cmarcotte25
One of the biggest questions in modern art society is what classifies the boundary between art, and vandalism. Although many people see graffiti as an art form it costs taxpayers and business owners millions per year trying to cover up graffiti and tags. Many homeowners and business owners feel that tagging, and graffiti lower housing, and drown out businesses due to the bad look since, “Graffiti sometimes has a wave effect, in which a heavily vandalized area will experience increases in other sorts of crimes as well. Gang-related crimes and violence are the crimes most commonly associated with graffiti.” (4) this makes business owners and the public feel that graffiti should be considered criminal, and more tightly grasped by the law.
But there are two sides to this debate, and one is for graffiti, there is a part of society that believes that this form of art is disrespectful, and should be considered a criminal act. Graffiti is also very damaging not just to property, but to the look, and face of many businesses. One of the most common forms of graffiti is train, or railway art which makes railway cars and subways look sketchy and uninviting, and drowns out business for large corporations making’ them loose business”Vandalism also affects revenue from transportation, as evidenced by the reduction in riders during the 1960s and 1970s. Even before graffiti became associated with gangs, people became afraid of riding the vandalized subways” (4). This quote shows that graffiti drowns out business and makes people afraid of the business, or being in the same area due to the gang-related meanings correlated with some graffiti.
But others see graffiti as a form of art and it should be a larger and more supported part of society. some claim Graffiti is an art form, used by people to express themselves and in their eyes has no outside effect on society. Many of these supporters also hire these artists to paint murals or give permission to these artists to pursue their passions and create art on their buildings and property. While some say its a crime other place this art into museums and galleries across the world as “graffiti art has been shown in various galleries in New York and London, and artists are often commissioned to do legal murals and other work at art shows.” (3). This shows how many people, and even the government now see graffiti as an art form, and give permission to these illegal artists to perform publicly. lately these art forms have been gaining the public eye as “many consider the spray-painted pieces a nuisance, graffiti has been gaining recognition from the art world more and more as a legitimate form of art” (3).
modern art and graffiti should be placed in two different categories, Modern art is fine art, and graffiti is a criminal act. Graffiti is disrespectful, and a detrimental act to society, lowering housing, and business, as well as making the area as a whole look bad.
“‘Locals’ 37” by Graffiti Land is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
