Art is a multifaceted matter, which comprises many areas, from sculpture to paintings. However, while many forms of art have been widely accepted around the world and admired, other types of art, such as graffiti, have been vilified, with many observers accentuating the illegal aspect of it. Nevertheless, art must be viewed as art due to the fact that, similarly to other areas, it involves the uniqueness and expression of the creators.
Firstly, every form of art entails the use of the expression, such as the emotions and sentiments of the author. Graffiti and street art, a significant urban subculture of the twenty-first century, is now practically ubiquitous in public places. Graffiti reflects a global phenomenon as an entire form of artistic expression and a subculture, making reference to communities within a cultural context with common values, behavior patterns, and occasional experiences (Myllylä 87). Aside from personal expression, it is used to point the attention of the public toward certain messages. Modern graffiti writing first appeared in social subcultures that can be largely classified as young and masculine, and it still does so frequently today. However, modern graffiti has evolved its own forms and styles as a means of political communication (Lohmann 39). For the purpose of spreading ideas, graffiti was intended as a form of civic resistance (Lohmann 39).
Moreover, graffiti is not only a form of expression but a kind of art that involves uniqueness. Many people connect this form to vandalism, although it is linked to the street art movement. The uniqueness of this art is that it uses art, which is a common type of materials used in the works of iconic artists like Lucio Fontana, Richard Hamilton, Yves Klein, and David Alfaro Siqueiros in the historical background of creative arts from the 20th and 21st centuries (Cortea et al. 183). To support this movement, the latest project was carried out in 2014 by a street artist named Julien de Casabianca, who transcends the trivial understanding of street art to indicate the location of this artistic expression and build a connection between art in closed and open areas (Cercleux 5). The woman promoted and encouraged the galleries to collaborate with graffiti artists, to bring art closer to individuals, and to show that graffiti is indeed not vandalism.
It has been recognized as art not only by individual artists but by countries as well. For example, Singapore is known for being a graffiti-free and litter-free city, thus, its recent decision to legalize unauthorized art forms is notable for demonstrating how the government views creativity and morality are changing (Chang 1046). Moreover, graffiti and murals are used in several European towns to enhance the appeal of areas (Cercleux 5). Therefore, artists and countries recognize the beauty of graffiti and view it as street art.
In sum, graffiti must be regarded as art, like other fields, since it involves the creators’ individuality and expression. First of all, expression—such as the author’s feelings and emotions—must be used in every genre of art. Graffiti is a global phenomenon that refers to communities within a cultural setting that share similar beliefs, societal norms, and sporadic experiences. Second, graffiti is an artistic medium that emphasizes originality in addition to being a means of expression. This art is distinctive because it makes use of art, which is a typical kind of material. Graffiti is appreciated for its beauty and is considered street art by artists and nations.
Works Cited
Cercleux, Andreea-Loreta. “Graffiti and Street Art between Ephemerality and Making Visible the Culture and Heritage in Cities: Insight at International Level and in Bucharest.” Societies, vol. 12, no. 5, 2022, pp.1-25. Web.
Chang, T. C. “Writing on the Wall: Street Art in Graffiti‐free Singapore.” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, vol. 43, no. 6, 2019, pp.1046-1063. Web.
Cortea, Ioana Maria, Lucian Ratoiu, and Roxana Rădvan. “Characterization of Spray Paints Used in Street Art Graffiti by a Non‐Destructive Multi‐Analytical Approach.” Color Research & Application, vol. 46, no. 1, 2021, 183-194. Web.
Lohmann, Polly. “Historical Graffiti: The State of the Art.” Journal of Early Modern Studies, vol. 9, 2020, pp.37-57. Web.
Myllylä, Mari. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Graffiti.” Emotions in Technology Design: from Experience to Ethics, pp.87-104. Springer, 2020.