Some people feel that graffiti or ‘street art’ is a valid form of artistic expression. They believe that ‘street art’ merits the same respect as traditional forms of art such as sculpture, canvas painting, or drawing. On the other hand, others feel that graffiti or ‘street art’ is a form of vandalism and defaces a community. They feel that those who paint graffiti should be arrested and forced to pay for the damage.
Responses (12)
First off, what is art? Is it something that makes people feel and think or is it something you can only discuss if you've been trained for many years to do so? I'd argue that art should reflect *both* the tastes of the masses and the elite, not just either one of them. With that in mind, some art will appeal to the masses, some to the elite, some to both, some to neither. And there is no easy dividing line. I belong to the masses. I'm scum, but I still think Millais' Ophelia is one of the most desperately beautiful things I have ever seen. I know it's a standard. I appreciate that. But I'm not going to change my mind based upon kudos I could get for eschewing it.
I feel the same with street art. I am not embarrassed by what I like and I do like street art if it speaks to me in the same way any other kind of art does. In short, it doesn't matter where the art is exhibited, it doesn't matter how rich the painter was, it doesn't matter who it was painted for. If it says something, celebrate it. Art is not to divide people. Art is to give people a vision. It's a unifying force and anyone who would use it to separate us is both missing the point and a nasty human being who has no place viewing art because their heart is too cold and dead to appreciate something good.
I think street art is the first one you said, about being like traditional art and therefore receiving the same respect as traditional arts. It also depends on what type of street art it is, I guess. I've seen street art where this one person painted or drew or coloured and it looked like a 3-D waterfall, and it's so cool. I'm not sure how this helps, but personally, i think street art rocks!
Prefer to call it living art, full of fun, energy & truth as it vigorously reflects the culture, feelings with a subversive edge. It is of course gaining acceptance with the art establishment through the works of Banksy. Yes I love it, certainly beats depressingly decaying plain concrete.
Street art is neat and inspirational only if it is done legally and there is no profanity. It can bring communities together, add nice visuals to a city, and can allow oneself to express their talents and emotion. It is only when people use street art as a form of abuse and vandalism is that when it's name is tainted. We culturally see it as a bad thing, but if incorporated into society in the right way, it can be a cultural thing. Also, it is becoming more of pop culture and there are museums specifically for graffiti and street art. It is growing in popularity, and brings a funky, modernized form into the realm of art.
Street art is Street art. It belongs where it is now and anyone who thinks that street art is a nasty form of wrongdoing and offensive to the space its put in is wrong, or atleast in my opinion. Street art and graffiti give citys characteristic. Think of New York without graffiti. Walls are boring without some kind of decoration, and graffiti does that. It gives walls design.
Personally, I believe that "street art" is a form of art.
Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination
Street art involves someone using what they have to create something they find interesting or meaningful or whatever.
And, though it is technically vandalism, that doesn't excuse it from being art.
Just as the fact that it's art doesn't excuse it from being vandalism.
That's really all I have to say.
Street art is still art, and there are many types. Anything from throw ups, wheatpastes, installations or other are still all art if they can tell a story or have been done in an effort to show something in between the lines/paint/pieces.
In my personal opinion, tags like scratchies in train windows aren't art as the person who does it is more just trying to get their name onto something, not tell someone about themselves.
People who do it with paint normally arent just doing it as an act, but more to put a piece of them in the art, at least I would think. The difference is why a person does it, how and what they are trying to do. Some of it is art, I guess, is vandalism.
Maybe instead of arresting everyone who does it, allow a legal zone? But more so, the only people who should be told off are people who do it for vandalism.