Anyone who lives in a big city knows that graffiti is becoming more popular. When it comes to the topic of graffiti, most of us will readily agree that it is a rising art for. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of is graffiti art. Whereas some convinced that it is vandalism, other maintains that it is a crime. Most people would agree that graffiti is a way an artist can express his or her feelings, inspires today’s generation, and accessible to the public. In 2011 the mayor of Toronto Rob Ford created a “ graffiti eradication campaign” to end all vandalism happening in Toronto.
Ford believes that graffiti risks the health, the safety, and security of communities. Ford states, “ That’s not art, that’s garbage, that’s graffiti, that’s nonsense. ” (Peat, 2011). In other words, Ford believes graffiti is not art. Disagreeing with Ford’s view that you have to consider graffiti is art, because the definition of art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Graffiti is art. Painting is art. Most people would agree that graffiti is a type of art artists can express his or her feelings, inspires today’s generation of youth, and accessible to the public.
Artists use art as a form of self-expression in their works. Art can show what the artist is feeling and at the same time bring emotion to the viewers. Usually people believe art is only a drawing, and use it as a decoration however the beauty of art it can be interprets in many different ways. Artists use different techniques to express they way they are feeling. In paintings the most noticeable form to show expression are the colours. Dark colours are used to express depression, grief, frustration, and many more negative feelings.
Conversely bright colours express joy, softness, cheerful, and many more positive feelings. In Bridget Riley’s view, “ In the end all painting is about relationships of colour, shape, and line, whether abstract or figurative. ” (Higgins, 2012). Bridget is right about the relationship of colour, shape, and line, between paintings, as people may not be aware graffiti allows artists express themselves through a non-traditional way. Graffiti gives modern individuals a way to express themselves without following traditional art.
Graffiti artists can utilize this modern form of art, and help express feelings they want to show to public. Usually the art is bright, exacting, and colourful to catch other people’s eyes. However other graffiti artists express themselves through by creating art of a political statement, an idea or an opinion delivering a message to society or create an impact to society. The arts have a powerful way of teaching people skills that cannot be taught through other subjects. The arts enhance creativity an important skill to have in a world were schools take away that.
For some students it helps promotes self-esteem, motivation, and be able to succeed in a program. Art helps open your imagination and changes your view on the world. People that succeed in the arts might not agree with the traditional methods of creating an art piece. However they might follow another path and do graffiti. Graffiti helps promote individualism, not carrying what other people think of their work. There canvas is a wall meaning they can be as creative as they want following their imagination. Graffiti has been an art since the prehistoric era when cavemen put markings onto cave walls to tell stories.
Now in modern times it is considered a crime. If graffiti is taught in art education it may inspire more individuals to follow art, and it could be changed into a traditional form of art. If kids grew up with art all around them no doubt they will be influenced to do art. According to the graffiti artist Atek84, “ If art is around you at a young age, you will grow up wanting to play around with art. I end up trying out graffiti, and I loved it” Atek84’s point is that if you grew up with art being around you, you will be inspired to try it out.
Although for certain people art is not around them however art is publicly accessible. The public has access to many locations of art. From your recreational park to your closest art museum. The purpose of public access to art it is aimed for the general public and be placed in a location in which it is accessible. For example art museums focus on collections of artists all over the world, and show the history of art. It also helps intrigue artists, and the general public. However the young people of this generation lack an interest to attend art museums, so they are not exposed art.
Artists bring graffiti directly to the public, making it decorates the city, and can put an interest in others of this method of art. A well-worked piece of graffiti is creative, colourful, and rare. It changes boring buildings and plain walls into masterworks that catch other people eyes. Usually it is positive since graffiti grabs tourists to come and look at the long worked masterpieces showing that it is not a crime. For instance the ‘ graffiti alley’ in Toronto is an estimated 1-kilometre alleyway covered head to toe in graffiti art.
It brought tons of famous Toronto graffiti artists to create this masterpiece, and now the public can look at the art for free. Graffiti has been coming from the streets into high-end galleries now. The Museum of Contemporary Art “ organized an exhibit celebrating graffiti on subways, buses, and it proved to be a hugely successful show. ”(Arandilla, 2011). Even though graffiti is still illegal, admires still applaud for the graffiti artist works. In conclusion, graffiti is art because an artist can express their feelings through art, it can inspires today’s generation of youth to use that new modern form, and it is accessible to the public.
Museums are stating to put an interest on exhibits of graffiti from around their city. If more people start accepting that graffiti is a form of art not a form of vandalism, it could become a way to change a boring city, and flourishing it. Which could make graffiti artists be compared to the greatest artists of the world. A quote by Raymond Harmon sums up the paper “ Art is an evolutionary art. The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing. At no point is art static: There are no rules. ”(Harmon, 2012).
