Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

That's about it really - what do you think? What do you make of Banksy? What's the difference between a trompe l'oeil landscape on a terrace end and a graffiti-ers tag on a wall by a rail line?

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

Art is in the eye of the beholder...and people have been scrawling on walls since they stood upright.
I remember a piece of graffiti in the 60s that stretched for miles along a railway - visible to commuters.
Get up...go to work...go home...go to bed... Get up...go to work...go home...go to bed... Get up...go to work...go home...go to bed... Get up...go to work...go home...go to bed... Get up...go to work...go home...go to bed...
I`ve got the Banksy book - some of them are stunning.
I don`t like graffiti that`s just obscenity or tags - but no doubt the kids that do it have a different view.

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

Most of them are eyesores! If I had a building I doubt if I'd be pleased at someone decorating it with a piece of their "art"; If I'd wanted a mural I'd have commissioned one.
But Claire's right, if there's a wall, they will come and "decorate" it.... look at Pompeii; and more recently in WWII, "Kilroy was here". Bah humbug!!

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

Some authorities stated making areas for the spraycan brigade to use, some of it's quite good actually.

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

But they are still appropriating and using someone else's property!!

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

It depends on the work. Graffiti can be art, like Banksy. But not all of it is, just like not all scribblings on a piece of paper is considered 'art'... it depends on the piece itself.

Although I prefer to see 'graffiti' on designated areas, not the silly rubbish we see (vandalism) by idiots who don't have the slightest bit of appreciation of art.

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

But regardless of how artistic it may be, if it's done on someone elses property without permission it's still vandalism.

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

the one's that blow my mind are the 3-D effect paving-art one's -I saw one which looked just as if a chasm had opened up in the pavement -it was brilliantly done.

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

We have a subway in our area which has scenes relating to the area, It makes the subway more interesting. Some of the graffiti artists are incredibly talented. I hate the pointless scrawling though and would be furious if someone put it on my property.

Re: Graffiti - street art or vandalism?

ah but wouldn`t you like this on your house if you lived in a run-down area of the city?