Graffiti Can Be a Form of Artistic Expression
posted on 7 January 2011 | posted in
Arts and Entertainment
Is graffiti vandalism, or is it art? Obviously, there is no simple answer to this question. When an individual’s private property is defaced with graffiti, that individual has the right to be upset. However, it would be a mistake to view graffiti as simple, mindless vandalism, as in the case of drunken teenagers knocking over gravestones. The difference is that graffiti is meant to be viewed, to be seen—often, by as many people possible, like that of Banksy street art. Thus the preponderance of graffiti in very public places: buildings, bridges, overpasses, etc. In these instances, the graffiti can an expression of a group’s values, ambitions, fears, or demands. For instance, they might signify as a group’s presence in a particular geographic locale. What’s interesting, then, is the extent to which the graffiti is often so visually appealing, with bold, creative type and dynamic coloration. I believe the desire to create graffiti hearkens back to one of our ancestors’ earliest desires, namely, to make their mark on the word by filling it with images and colors.
More on this Topic: discovery.com | publicrecords.com
| |
|
|