Gonzalez 1

Tania Gonzalez

Mr.Burle

American Literature (Honors)

23 January 2018

Art of the Streets

Graffiti charges range to from $400 to $1000 or 100 hours of community service or just

maybe about 5 years of prison time. (Theoharis).To punish people that were using the freedom of

expression to help others is not a crime. Nor would it never be a crime in front of society eye’s

unless it's been in the past assisstioned as violence. Graffiti over time has just been seen as a

crime but its not its a form of art. If art is not considered a crime; why would people see graffiti

as a crime? ​Graffiti is just more than paint on a wall, it’s a career, it brings communities together

and it's a form of art.

Graffiti may or may not be a misdemeanor, but overall people have based their careers

over this form of art. Lady Pink, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and David Choe have all based their

career over graffiti. Graffiti has now been given the opportunity to display their work in a

museum for everyone to see. Graffiti it’s not meant to harm anyone, it’s purpose is for freedom

of expression and the right of speech without having to say anything. The SMoA (Street

Museum of Art) and Brooklyn Museum have showcase graffiti. Graffiti just started in the 1960s

just, with the view of vandalism but just as 1980s came around graffiti was display in

galleries(PBS NewsHour). Graffiti artist have now auction their own work as the true artist they

are.
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Graffiti itself helps a community. Graffiti just like any other form of art, has a powerful

message. To this particular art, it has more meaning to people on the streets. Most of the time

graffiti artist start off young and maybe poor, but their creative, bold and most important

dedicated to their work (sprayplanet) ​ People now are telling their story base of graffiti to show

their community hope and bring them together. A true artist never forgets where they come from,

they always go back and help their community. Like Lady Pink that always sends a message

back home. To inspire young artist especially women to never let anyone discourage you.

(Brooklynmuseum). One of the books Training Days: The Subway Artists Then and Now. It’s a

biography about local legendary graffiti artist that has to help their community. They made their

mark and started a movement to bring people together.

Graffiti is art. Many artists have taken the street as their canvas for the world to see.

Graffiti is in an outlet for most people. Statics shows that 66% say graffiti is art, part of that

66%, 58% say some graffiti is acceptable while 34% say all graffiti is acceptable (Jordan) Over

the years graffiti has been proven to be enjoyed by the people. Art overall, the definition is the

expression or application of human skills and imagination to create a visual of produce work that

is appreciated for their beauty or emotional power (Oxford Dictionaries). Which is what graffiti

represent. To which if the law is going ignore that, what aspect of art really is acceptable? Artist

is not meant to be limited and graffiti is no difference. A graffiti piece takes planning,

imagination, contain artistic elements like color and composition, which is a form of art.

(Graffiti: Art through Vandalism)

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One of the main factors that seem to distract people for its true art, is damage poverty.

Graffiti is spray painting or drawing on a property without consent. But damage usually is

followed up with physical harm and graffiti doesn’t harm any poverty. However, graffiti is

mostly in abandoned places, that give the streets more light. Graffiti isn't’ really a crime as a

society now is promoting it. The Venice Graffiti is a pit for a graffiti artist to showcase their art

for everyone to see, without damaging poverty. It’s not a crime unless pressure is as a crime.

Graffiti has come along from just-style names or tags. They are telling a story on the streets.

Image walking to school on the streets of New York to see the once colorful walls replace

with brick walls. A colorless, soundless, shapeless tasteless abyss of what we would call living.

Buts it not living, without art we are suffering. (Rosenbaum). Graffiti is the art of the streets.

Graffiti doesn't always have to be a crime. It has been a career for so many people. It has brought

back community into safety and it's a true art.

​
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Works Cited

Brooklynmuseum. “Brooklyn Museum: Lady Pink.” ​Brooklynmuseum.Org​, Brooklyn Museum,

1 Jan. 2004, https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/feminist_art_base/lady-pink.

Jordan, Willam. “Graffiti Is an Art Form, Say Public | YouGov.” ​Yougov.Co.Uk,​ 1 Jan. 2013,

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2014/05/01/graffiti-is-an-artform-say-pu

blic.

Oxford Dictionaries. “Art | Definition of Art in English by Oxford Dictionaries.” ​Oxford

Dictionaries | English,​ 1 Jan. 2018, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/art.

PBS NewsHour. “‘The History of American Graffiti:’ From Subway Car to Gallery.” ​PBS

NewsHour​, 31 Mar. 2011,

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/the-history-of-american-graffiti-from-subway-car-to-gall

ery.

Rosenbaum, Allison. “A Life Without Art Is No Life At All.” ​The Odyssey Online​, Odyssey, 28

Aug. 2017, https://www.theodysseyonline.com/life-without-art.

sprayplanet. “A History of Graffiti - The 60’s and 70’s.” ​Sprayplanet,​ 1 Jan. 2017,

https://www.sprayplanet.com/blogs/news/a-history-of-graffiti-the-60s-and-70s.
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Theoharis, Mark. “Caught Spraying Graffiti: What Are the Criminal Consequences?”

Www.Criminaldefenselawyer.Com​, Nolo, 25 Sept. 2010,

https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/misdemeanor-offense/c

aught-spraying-graffiti-what-criminal-conse.

Graffiti: Art through Vandalism. “Graffiti: Art through Vandalism.” ​Ufl.Edu,​ 1 Jan. 2007,

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall07/Sanchez/art.html.