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We are all hearing news about the mysterious street artist, Banksy. It will make us think about why his art is so valuable and then instead Graffiti is called vandalism! Graffiti is found in every town and city around the world. Some people hail it as art, whereas others class it as simple vandalism. However, the two often intertwine, and it can be difficult to know precisely where to draw the line.
Many artists think that graffiti and street art are always art. Many examples of graffiti are huge artistic works that take creators hours to complete, rather than the random scribbles that many people associate with the word.
The world of graffiti as we know it rose to prominence in 1970s New York, where young people tagged the sides of buildings and subway trains. Some used their tags (stylised monograms of their names) to mark their territories, whereas others created bright works of art.
As graffiti became more popular, artists had to find different ways of making their work stand out. Some tags have sprayed the length of entire subway cars, consisting of eye-catching colours and appearing almost in motion with their dynamic strokes and whorls.
Many artists started their careers in graffiti and street art, including prominent names such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Despite this, graffiti is still widely considered a nuisance, and those who graffiti buildings without permission are regarded as criminals.
There is a distinction between graffiti and street art. Street art is often commissioned by councils, and festivals are hosted around the world dedicated to the art style. On the other hand, graffiti is associated with illegal acts and youths in dark hoodies.
Graffiti is typically made up of words that represent a community in plain sight. Only others from that community will recognise it, and others are left in the dark. On the other hand, street art is meant to be viewed by all and is not just intended for one community or subculture. This accessibility helped propel street art into a more positive light.
There are more similarities than differences between graffiti and street art. Both styles are created with the same intent, and both often carry a message, whether that is personal or political.
Many art historians consider graffiti as representing a lack of authority created by those rebelling against the system. Authority figures, therefore, saw it as something to be controlled and eradicated. One story from New York City tells the tale of how a new plan was launched to clean all of the graffiti off of subway cars. By 1986, many cars were completely clean, but one crew decided to tag 130 cars to bring graffiti back to the subway. Instead of running the cars, the transport authority shut down the service, demonstrating the commitment to eradicating graffiti in the city.
Art critics and commentators have also noted that graffiti developed separately from traditional art forms. Instead of growing out of an established canon, graffiti took a form of communication and turned into a unique art style. Many artists rejected the traditional art world and instead focused on their own unique standards.
By the 1970s and 80s, graffiti moved from tags and text to imagery, with many artists turning to public spaces to send a message. Many sociologists regard graffiti as a declaration of resistance and an accessible medium for those oppressed by the dominant culture.
It took several decades, but thanks to the explosion in popularity of artists such as Banksy and Blek le Rat, both illegal graffiti and sanctioned street art have become highly credible.
However, there is a grey area around whether graffiti is considered art or not, thanks to the Visual Arts Right Act in America. This act protects artists' images from intentional modification or mutilation and offers creators rights and protections, even if they sell their work. Many street artists have seen their work painted over and covered up, therefore violating the rights conferred to them by this act.
It is difficult for street artists to reclaim their covered-up work with this act. Graffiti is still not widely recognised as an art form due to its dubious legality, and therefore, many artists have been denied rights to it.
A majority of artists and academics regard graffiti as a vital art style that must be preserved. Graffiti and street art add something to the environment, transforming a blank wall into a beautiful mural or vibrant explosion of colour, legal or not.
The difference between graffiti and street art is murky. What some consider vandalism, others consider an art form, and it is impossible to tell who is right.
Some key differences lie in that street art is often officially sanctioned and commissioned by people, and graffiti is not. Graffiti is also primarily words that are intended for a certain community, and street art is accessible to all. However, this does not detract from graffiti as an art form. In fact, some of the most famous artists in the world started out in the graffiti world.
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