Graffiti: Graffart, Or Graffail?

[Dusty Donuts]

Recently reading some news and such about malicious graffiti and then, some culturally enhancing, visually enticing graffiti that speaks out for a town and actually benefits the dull wall that was boringly painted long ago with a light, chocolate brown.
Well, there need nothing be said on the topic of malicious graffiti. If you go for a walk to your nearest shop and back, you'll almost be bound to find some form or graffiti or vandalism. Some people claim graffiti is art and in some cases, yes, graffiti can be beneficial to a town's appeal and cultural richness. The expression of art in a free form speaks out to many people when used in the correct form, rather than the quick spray literally known as the "throw-up" usually two or one colors.
Unfortunately, the art we know is also susceptible to graffiti and now to get to the point.
What do you think about Graffiti Art and all it's forms, and your opinion on those who destroy them?

 

[RabidusUnus]

Art graffiti is fine with me, I enjoy looking at it.

Just a 4 second tag of your name, or a gang name is useless.

 

[zen5887]

On the train line I go on every day to uni there is a variety of Graffiti. Some of it is simply amazing, like the tag that is as if the letters were spikes, or the other one that looks like a bunch of tentacles. However, there are some really bad ones that are just some ones initials done hastily in spray paint.

I think its unfair to put these two in the same basket. The former have got a lot of talent and have created something that looks good. The latter are just being tools..

 

[Trivun]

Art graffiti is fine with me, I enjoy looking at it.

Just a 4 second tag of your name, or a gang name is useless.

Agreed completely. I like Banksy. I don't like "WS10 Homeboyz". It's as simple as that. After all, there's a reason why some graffiti art gets displayed in the Tate Modern and other stuff gets whitewashed over, right?

 

[Vlane]

I played Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure which sold me on the "Graffiti is art" thing.

 

[Starnerf]

Graffiti is only art if the owner of the object being graffitotagged wants it there. Otherwise, it's vandalism.

 

[War Penguin]

I've seen some graffiti that is really good and artistic but most of the time it's just "gang" symbols. I live in LA. I'm used to it.

 

[Amnestic]

Even 'Art' grafitti is still, technically, vandalism (and I doubt I'll make any friends by saying that). If I were a shop owner, I don't want my wall to be adorned with some stuff by an amateur grafitti artist unless I say it's okay.

You get permission from the landowner to do your picture? Go right ahead. It actually puts me at odds because I know they're nice to look at (generally), but on the other hand, if you own that building and you really didn't want the grafitti there, you then have to spend time, money and resources to remove it so you can use it for what you did want.

 

[tsb247]

I've seen some ok graffiti, but generally I'm not a fan of it.

However, I have recently become a fan of light writing.

 

[Baby Tea]

Even 'Art' grafitti is still, technically, vandalism (and I doubt I'll make any friends by saying that). If I were a shop owner, I don't want my wall to be adorned with some stuff by an amateur grafitti artist unless I say it's okay.

You get permission from the landowner to do your picture? Go right ahead. It actually puts me at odds because I know they're nice to look at (generally), but on the other hand, if you own that building and you really didn't want the grafitti there, you then have to spend time, money and resources to remove it so you can use it for what you did want.

This is an excellent point.
I to, as a fictitious shop owner, would be pissed if graffiti was sprayed without my permission.
I certainly agree that graffiti can hold some serious artistic merit, but without my permission I'd just see it as vandalism.

 

[Christemo]

its not like ive seen Art graffiti, but when im at my grandparents, i enjoy the giant, poorly written "SKARY" on the wall next to a parking building.

 

[Fniff]

The only big city town in Ireland is Dublin,though in some places in Dublin you can find graffiti.

And it's kinda nice to look at.

Corporations take up large walls and fill it with crap they expect you to buy,and if you boil right down to it,it's really just the advertising equivalent to Graffiti. Hell,maybe even worse. Now,the cops allow this but hate Graffiti? I declare pessimistic!

Also,an indirect quote from Banksy.

"Real Villains think breaking into a building,stealing nothing and spraypainting your name in four feet letters as the most retarded thing they ever heard of."

 

[Animated Rope]

Graffiti as a social phenomena in general I see as a nice thing, in the casually rebellious sense. If the spaces they paint on weren't boring to begin with, people would be less inclined to "refashion" it.

With that said I wouldn't want to see it completely legalised or anything, but it is foolish to attempt to exterminate the practice. Just accept that it happens and make the most of it.

And naturally genuinely good graffiti deserves more slack. There should be an extra rule against random spraying.

I found "watch out for playing snails" written on the ground once. A parody on "playing kids" of course, and there really was a lot of snails there. That made my day. ^_^

(The above opinions is based on what I've seen in Sweden, I do not pretend it applies anywhere else.)

 

[ma55ter_fett]

The art is really quite unique and I always enjoy being stopped at train crossings for this reason.

 

[The Rockerfly]

I's always an art bad or not, but it is also always vandalism too. No matter how beautiful or amazing it is
but if you don't think graffiti can be art then check this out

Spoiler: Art

 

[Slash Dementia]

I like looking at it if it's actually good, but where I live, there are just too many gangs that just spray paint their gang name and stuff, also people who write their name and the name of their girlfriend... That's just really annoying.

 

[Nemu]

Graffiti = art (usually)

Huge murals are nearly always interesting to look at, tho I only get to see them when I travel into the city. However, often when I'm one my way home from work in the morning, I'm stuck waiting for the train near my house to pass by and I get to see some fantastic (albeit small) tags/murals on the cars.

 

[bakonslayer]

If something was spraypainted on, does that mean comments were enabled?

 

[Superasil]

Art graffiti is fine with me, I enjoy looking at it.

Just a 4 second tag of your name, or a gang name is useless.

Pretty much this... i dont mind, i actually like the art graffiti, but those gang tags are really starting to piss me off, there basiclly everywhere now... but i guess it cant be helped, the "gangs" will always do it.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Art graffiti is fine with me, I enjoy looking at it.

Just a 4 second tag of your name, or a gang name is useless.

/thread? I think so.