From the young and vibrant streets of Bristol, to the enriching history of the Berlin Wall. From the sensational city of love, Paris, to the neon lit cultural center of the world, New York. The scribbles and scratches of graffiti trail around the world, nuanced messages of creativity and freedom. Yet these colorful murals possess a controversial nature, considered to be a subgenre of vandalism – the illicit act of destroying public property.
 
Cue Banksy: a British graffiti artist and self-acknowledging vandal. The recent prominence of world-renowned graffiti artist Banksy has reignited the “art or vandalism debate”. Although many often correlate graffiti with defacement, gang related activity and increased levels of social disorder, the satirical works of Banksy have become a modern craze. Yet, why is it that Banksy’s works are praised and admired, while the homogenous work of his contemporaries are openly criticized? What distinguishes the fine line between pure vandalism and pure art? When Paula DuBois was asked whether graffiti was vandalism or art, she replied with, “At first blush, it looks like vandalism. Upon further review, it becomes art” (Dubois).
 
As she outlines, the versatile and provocative art of graffiti is more than what meets the eye.
 
Starting from the mid-1960s Philadelphia, to the streets of 1970s New York, graffiti artists such as CORNBREAD and COOL EARL began to spray paint their distinctive tags (signatures) all over the city. From the 1980s onward, street art progressed into a language of its own, where artists used stencils to spray thought invoking and aesthetic pieces of art (Ransom Note). To dive deeper into the pressing question if graffiti is art or vandalism, an artist who grew up in New York’s lower East Side says, “It’s both actually” (Neives). From the public viewpoint, a reaction of outrage is perfectly rational in the case that someone has tagged your property. As Heather Mac Donald of the New York Times writes, “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? She, like many others argue that graffiti by its very nature is criminal. That it is a form of defacement with correlation to vandals and social disorder.
 
However, the perpetuating progressiveness of street art in modern day and its deep meaning characterize it as far more than just vandalism. Just as hip-hop music was perceived as noise thirty years ago, graffiti has the potential for the same shifts in perception. Whilst graffiti may encompass roots of street gangs tagging territories, it has evolved to become a form of artistic expression. Despite presumed relations of violence and law breaking, graffiti’s gang-influenced origin story does little to correlate it to gang-related activity.
 
In fact, the development of graffiti has paved its way towards positive societal growth. As an example, street artists were often harassed and shot at by police in Brazil, during the late 1990s. Where today, the same officers back graffiti initiatives for city beautification and crime deterrence (Olivero). It has become a viable form of city renovation and embellishment, contributing to gentrification and increasing neighborhood appeal. Buildings that have been left in mere misty memory by communities have become the limitless canvases for artists, piquing the interest of residents. In Rio de Janeiro, prominent street artists have used graffiti to propagate social development, legally painting murals in exurban locations and increasing emphasis on artistic learning in rural communities. Even tourism grew from the large festivals and events hosted by artists, bettering the economic state of rural districts (Olivero). The paradigm of graffiti has shifted so completely that in 2014, the mayor of Rio announced the official legalization of graffiti on all city property (with the exemption of historical sites).
 
Furthermore, it is essential to distinguish the difference between tagging and aesthetic artistic articulation, the latter being a purposeful form of meaningful expression. Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Graffiti in its purest form is uncensored expression. For some youth, it serves as their social identity; used as a way for conveying their hidden emotions and feelings. This raw, untouched art portrays the realities and issues in society, highlighting the problems in society through sophisticated and often satirical methods. In the piece “If Graffiti Changed Anything” by Banksy, it depicts his signature rat with its left paw covered in red paint, along with the words “If graffiti changed anything it would be illegal” in dripping red paint (Randal). Using stencils, spray paint and clever wordplay, he emphasizes the effects of graffiti by using irony, invoking wonder on what the real reasons behind outlawing graffiti is. Stimulating work such as his has drawn the attention of the world, creating a whole new culture of graffiti - one that is celebrated by the society of elite art.
 
As the name of Banksy is brought up time and again, it begs the pressing question - who exactly is he? What effect has he had on the perceptions of graffiti? British artist Banksy is a popular graffiti artist, painter, activist, filmmaker and self-described vandal, who has become an international icon. His subversive and anonymous art style has completely changed the perceptions of modern-day art, making him a cultural sensation. Through his striking images and slogan messages, he actively satirizes politics, critiques capitalist greed, hypocrisy in politics and oppression (Dickens). The craze over him known as the “Banksy Effect”, has transformed acts of vandalism into high selling art. The piece “Girl with Balloon” sold for over $1.4 million in auction just weeks ago, with his others work fetching up to 100,000 pounds (Reyburn). The acceptance and admiration of his art into the elite world of impressionist and realist, the world of Van Gogh and Monet, has redefined the understanding of graffiti. Can Banksy’s work that possesses skyrocketing prices and commendation be condemned as criminal?
 
Akin to a timeless work of art, graffiti is beyond spray-paint on a property building. Each and every piece represents the raw expressions and messages of society. Like the ages of impressionism and realism, graffiti possess an enriched history and massive potential for positive communal development. Just as Johannes Vermeer’s painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” tells a story of teenage love and grief, graffiti is more than the acts of vandalism perceived at first glance. It, just like the brushstrokes of Vermeer, reflects a hidden story of the issues and situations in society. Graffiti is more than the colors and lines that meet the eye, it is more than pure vandalism and defacement. It is social identity for the youth, reflection for society, and renovation for communities.
 
 
 
Conclusively, the sensational culture of graffiti today acts not only as a reflection of society, but also a way for teens to express their emotions and find social identity. In countless countries, it has paved the way for positive urban improvement, by renovating old buildings and beautifying communities. To generalize all graffiti as criminal undermines the essence of street art and its potential for positive growth. Graffiti is a form of misunderstood expression, one labeled with prejudices of violence and chaos. However, through proper facilitation, it can become a tool for huge positive change. In the piece, “Rage, the flower thrower” by Banksy, it depicts a person about to throw a Molotov cocktail, but instead holds a bouquet of Flowers. Just as this piece, the Molotov cocktail (vandalistic nature) of graffiti has the potential to transform into beautiful flowers, ones that beautify the world through genuine expression.
 
 
Works Cited
 
Burach, Rae. "Graffiti Is Art, Not Vandalism." The Temple News, 16 Jan. 2018. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Davich, Jerry. "Graffiti Art — Vandalism or Artistic Expression?" Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2015. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Ferro, Shauncy. "Can Graffiti Be Good for Cities?" Fast Company, 27 Jan. 2014. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Krishnakumar, Anjanna. "Is Graffiti an Art or a Crime?" Voice, 1 Mar. 2017. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Olivero, Lu. "Graffiti Is a Public Good, Even as It Challenges the Law." The New York Times, 11 July 2014. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Randal, Matt. "10 Banksy Street Art Pieces in London." Widewalls, 3 Sept. 2014. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Ransom Note. "View from the Side: Graffiti - Vandalism vs Art." Ransom Note, Culture Space. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.
Smit, Ruan. "Graffiti a Form of Expression." Pixelsmith Studios, Wordpress, 17 Apr. 2012. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018.