8th Grade CIA: Art or Vandalism?

Document A
What is Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?
From iNews Network, by Riham Elfaki, March 25, 2022

The metal ball creates a “pssss” sound as you constantly shake the paint spray creating a beautiful artistic design on walls. With the blend of bright and dark colors, forms of visual connections are revealed that involve common images and various stylistic symbols. The art of graffiti is found inside and outside of trains, subways, and buses.

In our modern world, some people view the art of graffiti as an expression of individuals’ creations, while others may see graffiti as the destruction of property. Graffiti is not just considered art because it’s creative; it conveys powerful messages that can impact people’s lives on a daily basis.

While graffiti is art, it can be considered vandalism depending on where you do it. According to Alex Russo’s article, “Drawers show their art on paper, painters show their art on a canvas, sculptures show their art on clay and pottery. Graffiti artists show their art on the sides and backs of walls. They all have their way of showing their own art.” Beginning with what is vandalism, and how does it relate to graffiti? The action of vandalism involves damaging public or private property, which is often associated with graffiti because it ties back to the marking and defacing of areas without permission. This is not the only side of graffiti that people view.

The special techniques can be extremely effective in representing the power of art while still making sure the place is not being vandalized or destroyed. For example, different styles of graffiti can be used on public walls and trains so that they look good but at the same time are not vandalizing other property that belongs to people. In many different cases, graffiti acts as beautiful self-expression that stands out in a crowd.

Furthermore, when graffiti artists can’t display their work, they don’t get the chance to change people’s minds on how they look at graffiti. For decades, graffiti has been many people’s passion, which is why graffiti is a form of art and should not be illegal unless it crosses limits and is considered vandalism. Art brings color and light, so does graffiti.

With this in mind, understanding what is acceptable and what is considered “damaging” is really important. “I think of graffiti as an eye-catcher and is a special form of art that requires talent and visuality,” said Mr. Arnold, a graffiti middle school teacher.

Art is so unique because it can be represented in different ways through various people. Graffiti artists should be allowed to show their art like other artists. Looking at the different sides of graffiti and its origination is valuable. Did you know that graffiti, as it is known today, began in the late 1960s in Philadelphia? Graffiti was influenced by hip-hop culture and later reached New York City in the late 60s. This new form of art took off in the 1970s when people began writing their names on buildings all over the city.

A recent article was written by the artist Brittney recalls points to consider when thinking about graffiti’s impact in towns and cities: “Walls and other public places are often covered with graffiti, which is art that is painted on. Cans of spray paint are primarily used to make this type of craft.” It’s also shown in the article that 50 percent of Americans believe some or all graffiti is acceptable, and 69 percent believe it can qualify as art.

Art courses are often offered to students in schools as an opportunity to admire different styles of art, such as graffiti. “Arts and graffiti are the expressions of human skills and imagination that is always expressed in different affective colors,” said Reem Elfaki, currently taking a Color Theory class.

Besides, graffiti is not just about symbols and shapes, it’s also about the selection and shades of color that stand out in streets creating good visions instead of a mess. Especially for the talent of graffiti, the mix of colors is the huge reason why so many people enjoy staring at the art drawings.

Opposing views claim that while the art of graffiti can grab people’s attention, it’s still considered vandalism. Certainly, graffiti should not be done in illegal areas, and graffiti should be publicly visible to all people so that it’s not destroying any property.

On the other hand, graffiti artists often risk their lives in order to do what they want and love. Therefore, graffiti should be valued today just like other forms of art, such as music and theater.

There is a lot more to the “why” behind graffiti being art and being so powerful. Recent research on Art Life discusses the reasons why graffiti is art and not vandalism. It’s clear that “the debate over whether graffiti constitutes art or vandalism is incredibly complex, and depends on many factors, such as the location of a particular piece, and the quality and message of the design.” The achievements require great deals of strategic planning and real imagination.

There are many different types of graffiti that are highly considered art in many people’s view because it takes the blank wall of a building to something brand new with the addition of graffiti.

The Temple News article written by Abby Steinour acknowledges both arguments of graffiti and was able to get the opinions of many other people. Steinour said, “I’m a strong advocate for any visual and artistic display of character, and I think graffiti is a perfect example of this.” Many people agree that you can take your own power in it and represent authority through the paint and colors.

Consequently, leaving graffiti to the artists’ discretion is what makes it beautiful and uninhibited. The biggest takeaway about graffiti is that through its beauty and creativity, it should never be a reason to cause harm to someone or to property.

French artist Henri Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage.” Just like the art of graffiti, graffiti is no less artistic than any other form of art and should be legally applied in different areas around the city. Though vandalism is an important action to consider, graffiti is considered 100% art among various graffiti artist

Document B
Graffiti is Always Vandalism
From New York Times, by Heather Mac Donald, December 4, 2014

Anyone who glorifies graffiti needs to answer one question: If your home were tagged during the night without your consent, would you welcome the new addition to your décor or would you immediately call a painter, if not the police?

No institution that has celebrated graffiti in recent years — like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles or the Museum of the City of New York — would allow its own premises to be defaced for even one minute. Graffiti is something that one celebrates, if one is juvenile enough to do so, when it shows up on someone else’s property but never on one’s own.

The question “When does graffiti become art?” is meaningless. Graffiti is always vandalism. By definition it is committed without permission on another person's property, in an adolescent display of entitlement. Whether particular viewers find any given piece of graffiti artistically compelling is irrelevant. Graffiti’s most salient characteristic is that it is a crime.

John Lindsay, the progressive New York politician who served as mayor from 1966 to 1973, declared war on graffiti in 1972. He understood that graffiti signaled that informal social controls and law enforcement had broken down in New York’s public spaces, making them vulnerable to even greater levels of disorder and law-breaking. A 2008
study from the Netherlands has shown that physical disorder and vandalism have a contagious effect, confirming the "broken windows theory,” which states that visible signs of crime and disorder will encourage more crime and disorder.

There is nothing “progressive” about allowing public amenities to be defaced by graffiti; anyone who can avoid a graffiti-bombed park or commercial thoroughfare will do so, since tagging shows that an area is dominated by vandals who may be involved in other crimes as well.

New York’s conquest of subway graffiti in the late 1980s was the first sign in decades that the city was still governable; that triumph over lawlessness paved the way for the urban renaissance that followed.

Document C
Graffiti Art: Why Graffiti Is Art And Not Vandalism
Adapted from www.artlife.com - editorial team, Oct 3, 2023

Although graffiti is generally considered to be a contemporary artform, it actually originated thousands of years ago. The earliest examples are things like cave paintings and inscriptions on ancient buildings in Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire, with the word ‘graffiti’ itself stemming from the Italian word graffiato, meaning ‘scratched’. Yet as the art form has evolved, so have the connotations surrounding it, and at present, turning walls into canvases remains nothing more than vandalism according to US law.

The debate over whether graffiti constitutes art or vandalism is incredibly complex, and depends on many factors, such as the location of a particular piece, and the quality and message of the design. There is no clear answer, and it’s easy to see both sides of the debate — after all, not everyone would be happy to have their property painted without
their consent. On the flip side, it could also be argued that graffiti is an artist’s right to freedom of expression, and a way to ensure their work can be appreciated by those beyond the artistic elite. However, we champion plenty of graffiti artists here at ArtLife, and even though there will always be exceptions, we stand firm that graffiti is deserving
of its status as art for the following reasons:

Graffiti Takes Technical Skill
A great deal of talent is required to create brilliant artwork, and graffiti is no exception. In fact, there are plenty of street artists whose work clearly displays an immense level of technical ability. Take Retna, for example, who has gone beyond painting walls to cover entire buildings with his distinct calligraphic style, such as the 21-story Cuauhtemoc building in Mexico City. This unbelievably complex achievement required a great deal of strategic planning and real imagination to pull off, as well as a clear understanding of color and composition. This may not be true of all graffiti creations — many critics would argue that you don’t need talent to paint a scruffy tag. However, art is subjective, and there will always be ‘good’ and ‘bad’ artists within every movement. Those like Retna prove that, as in any art form, graffiti can be exceptional when created by someone with impressive skill.

It Exemplifies Freedom Of Expression
Art ceases to be art without freedom of expression, and perhaps graffiti exercises this right more than any other medium. Taking creativity to the streets means that the artists don’t need to worry about gallery curators, critics or potential buyers, and can therefore be completely unrestrained, and even anonymous if they so choose. Status doesn’t matter, and the lack of limitations allow graffiti artists to break conventions and push boundaries to create even more exciting — and arguably more authentic — works of art.

Political And Social Themes Are Powerfully Represented
Many of the most renowned artworks make a powerful comment on the social and political issues of their time, and graffiti can make a huge impact in this respect. Keith Haring was able to bring mass attention to the crack epidemic through his Crack is Wack mural, as well as homosexuality and the AIDS crisis. Plenty of aficionados would argue that it’s art’s duty to shed light on such topics, and given that these themes relate to ordinary people, perhaps it’s unsurprising that the most iconic examples were created on the streets the target audience live on.

Impressive Works Bring Drab Spaces To Life
As well as having meaning, art is also valued for its beauty, and there’s no denying how beautiful some graffiti can look, which is why street art tours are now so popular all over the world. Even though graffiti is generally free to access, more and more people are willing to pay to see some of the most magnificent works in the city of choice. Bold
colors, shapes and patterns are key features of this art form, and when artists let their imaginations run wild, their creations instantly transform drab spaces into places people are excited to be. Seeing as art is used to decorate the walls of our homes, couldn’t it be argued that graffiti does the same to the walls outside?

Huge Sales Demonstrate Its Artistic Value
Anyone arguing that graffiti isn’t art may struggle to explain why people have paid so much for it in recent years. For example, Untitled by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for a huge $110.5 million in 2017, the most expensive American painting ever to sell at auction at the time, while Banksy’s Girl with Balloon sold for $1.37 million. Other expensive pieces include Retna’s Untitled ($38,000) and Charlie Chaplin by Mr. Brainwash ($100,000). Not everyone would agree that an artwork’s value is determined by its price tag, however the fact that graffiti can sell for such high sums proves the respect and prestige it has generated within the art community, and it would therefore be entirely reductive to claim all graffiti is mere vandalism.