Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?
When one thinks of graffiti, what does the person think about? Is one the kind of person who would admire the work of the so called artist, or would people rather think that it was vandalism and makes the world look bad? Look at it this way; you see it all over the world and there's nothing you can really do about it. It's nice to see the creativeness in artists that can't show their face because of all the hatred the people would bring to them. There might be better artists out there then you realized. However, the truth is you may never get to see them because if they come out to the world saying that they "tag" on the walls, everyone thinks that the person is bad. You know that people will want to be recognized for a long time. So then why would states try to get rid of it if the taggers are going to hit the wall up again? Some "gangsters" claim territory but it's not fair for the artists that are repetitively mistaken as thugs. Some just want to be recognized for their art. Maybe art critics don't think that the "bombers" (@149th) or taggers don't have what it takes to make it in the world of art, but it's pointless to have wonderful art on walls to have it removed just so the people that made the art do it again. Graffiti has caused most of the world to view graffiti as vandalism and corruption. The rest of the people see it differently. Graffiti is an artistic property that people have and should show to the whole world through exhibitions, museums, and art galleries dedicated to them. Artistic graffiti is important because it motivated and still motivates, young kids and adults, to be creative, allows them to view themselves as artists, and helps them to become better role models who love art and make it their own.
The history of graffiti is very interesting. Writing on walls all started when cavemen drew on walls and boulders, but graffiti had not begun appearing on the subway cars and buses in New York and Chicago until the 1970's. Most of the time graffiti was associated with inner city gang's mainly in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles in the 1970's; but nobody knew about the connection back then. Everyone disliked having graffiti around and most thought that graffiti was vandalism and made the city look terrible. However, reality of it was that even though graffiti started showing up in the 1970's, graffiti's identity really started to form around the 1960's.
The thing about it all was that graffiti was being recognized by art critics all over the world by the 1980's. Graffiti actually comes from the Italian word "Graffiare", meaning to scratch, graffiti is a form of expression made with spray paint or markers or even etched with sharp objects. Graffiti pretty much includes marking, drawings, initials, and sayings, and most of those things make graffiti what it is today. Ever heard of people that started it all? By that I mean started graffiti and made it into a subculture that we still have to this day. Well, Taki183's role in graffiti was that he was one of the first to "tag", or in other words, write his name on walls. Taki183 was a messenger. What he would do is bring a marker to whatever place he went and write or leave his name there. Eventually he became known all throughout the city as this really mysterious figure. A lot of kids realized that if you did graffiti it would make you famous so they emulated him and kids all started competing for the fame. Demetris was the first writer or even the first king to be known for graffiti (Taki183). He was however the first to be recognized outside for the newly formed subculture that we now call graffiti.
Most of the people doing graffiti don't get caught because of their ability to make their way around everything. Most of the time you never see it on the clean walls of streets on a specific day, but the next day it would be in front of one's face when it wasn't there the day before. People who are unsuccessful get caught and either go to jail for a few months, have to pay an excessive fee, paint/clean it off, or a combination of any of those three. Richmond High School was full of taggers and artists (Orellana). One would always see black books or huge sharpie markers, even some markers that most people never knew existed. If you ever go there you would see a bunch of the city walls with some kind of graffiti, even the fences of private houses were full of graffiti.
It doesn't really matter where one is at because even in Martinez people seem to find graffiti. Have you ever been to the freeway where you see the train tracks full of graffiti? Or the public storage rooms that have graffiti on them? Next time someone passes the freeway you can see that the train track bridge has "Casp" and other different kinds of graffiti; and think about it, who did that? How did it get up there? Did they get caught?
That's why they need to be so secret about the idea of even "tagging." They have to be as sneaky as possible to show the whole world the work of a mysterious figure that couldn't show his face in public because the person would be criticized and commented on if he did. That's why it is tough to be a graffiti artist sometimes. I know, but how do I know you say? Well because of the fact that I used to tag, but not on walls. I used to have a black book and couldn't show anyone but my friends because if the principle caught me then I could have been suspended or even expelled; but I didn't want that, all I wanted was to tag. Then one day, my friend talks to me about a graffiti battle that the schools funds are going to be sponsoring. I thought to myself about doing it but later decided not to because I had never tried to do a huge piece; I've always done it on paper. But at the same time I wanted to be there to see what other people had so I took my camera and took pictures. Guess what? All of the pieces that were put together by the students looked fantastic. It didn't look anything like those scribbles that people have on the walls made in about 30 seconds. That's probably how fast it takes to make a fast semi-small piece. If you want to make a really nice piece it would take the most an hour or so. But how much does it take to remove it? The effects that graffiti had and still has on the world are that it hurts the environment, the cities/ cities reputation, it pollutes, and the cost of it all harms everyone. If you think about it, your environment is being harmed by all of the toxics in the spray paint. It hurts to see the cities all torn apart by the vandalism and corruption of the young kids or adults doing all that to the cities making it look bad. That chains into hurting the city's reputation and making it less valuable of a city.
Art or Vandalism? What do you think? I'm pretty sure that most people would think vandalism but I think that they are wrong. It seems to occur to me that just because the walls are painted doesn't mean that it's bad. Have you seen how clean and nicely done some of the graffiti is on walls out there? Those murals that have been painted look beautiful and I think that people who tag should not get in trouble because they just want to create things that make the world look more joyful and happier. Graffiti also brings out the creativeness in artists that have never wondered about seriously pursuing their art dreams or if they really want to, they could be experienced and take the fields of drawing things other than "hitting up walls" on streets. They could go to the city and ask for a specific wall to make a gigantic mural or something, that way they get to show off their skills in front of everyone who gets the chance to see and to the people, who don't get to see, get to look at the painting that they had left behind. I also think that having graffiti or the people that do graffiti influence them to make better decisions in life and become more role models to people and that know the difference between right and wrong. Having people who are challenged to everyday life and still have the minds to be themselves and be happy everyday are the kinds of people the earth needs. But wait. Don't you think that it's bad to do graffiti? I think that graffiti is bad because not only is it vandalism but its defacing property and do you know how much the world has to spend annually to remove graffiti? I don't even think that the numbers are from ALL the graffiti in the United States. So don't even think for one second that if you do graffiti, you're not part of the problem, because you are! Even though I love graffiti that is one of the reasons that I also don't like it so much. It costs the cities way too much to remove every single piece of writing on the walls or fences or even the private properties that aren't theirs. Expert estimate that nationwide efforts aimed at controlling graffiti and the cost is more than $5 billion a year. That's why some communities try to prevent that by forbidding store owners to sell any kind of paint, marker, spray, that can cause minor to want to buy them and have graffiti on the walls. Other cities require business owners to remove the graffiti that occurs on their property. But why do kids and adults do it if they know that business people won't try to get rid of it or not sell them the markers and spray paint they need to do the artwork? I think that those kinds of people are just took it and still take it too far. If you want something, try to pursue it differently. Don't try to be a bad person and get a bunch of attention. Try other methods like drawing or writing on normal or even super big paper if you like. Be creative in your own way and don't try to be a follower. That's what it think graffiti artists think. Well, at least the people that are role models by not showing off.
This is one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had. Like really I've learned that you need to have a lot of time and patience to make one of these research papers. But since this is the rough draft I still need to figure out what I want my conclusion to be. Maybe that's one of my weak points. I think that overall I do good. Especially if I have the time, but if you don't then the paper doesn't seem as good as you want it to be. But the point is that graffiti is cool only if you don't try too hard to kill the earth with pollution so here's the solution; draw it out, use more black books, stop using spray paint and sharpies on walls and use more pencil and pen to save earth the pollution, money, and cost to removing graffiti. Because of graffiti's component to make people think differently, it's that reason why artists are role models. But just because I say this to you, you don't have to take my word for it.
I think that you need to strengthen your arguments a little more. At times it seems like you are arguing against graffiti and then in the next sentence you will say how valuable it is. Maybe you need to be clearer on the distinction between what is and what is not acceptable in your mind. With a little more organization, some strong talking points, and a better conclusion *grin*, this will be a great essay.
Here's an example of one way you might organize your essay:
I. Write a brief introduction with an overview of what the rest of the essay will contain.
II. Define the different types of graffiti. Talk about the history here and then segue into modern graffiti. Assume that your reader knows next to nothing about your subject. Talk about the difference between a tag and piece, the desire for exposure (and how graffiti artists can increase their exposure by writing on train cars and trucks), and other things that you can think of to teach the reader about graffiti. You might want to mention the "Kilroy Was Here" that American soldiers put up around the world in World War II and Korea-it might legitimize graffiti to an extent in your teacher's mind.
III. Examples of what you might deem unacceptable could be "tags" that don't have artistic merit but are more a means of self promotion or claiming territory for gangs. Graffiti that is on private property without the owner's permission.
IV. Then extol the virtues of graffiti. Talk about the colors and designs that are put into large "pieces" and how the art form has grown. Maybe mention a few galleries that showcase graffiti art.
V. Then you could state your feelings on graffiti. What are the boundaries? How can society provide a legal and safe outlet that recognizes this art form? You mention environmental damage from spray paint and markers, but it is tough to have it both ways. I don't think I'd bring that up unless you would also propose doing away with all spray paint and markers.
VI. Then write your conclusion. Reiterate graffiti's value as an art form and an outlet and provide a solution (public walls, paper, private property with permission, commissioned pieces) that recognizes a balance between the rights of property owners and the need for creative expression.
Let me know if you want me to take a look at your grammar or help you in other ways.
this is great..but i need to know some things on my grammer...my teacher says my research paper should be informational and not conversational.. that i use I, you, and we too much in my paper..so how do i fix each one?
Do people admire the work as that of an artist, or would people rather think that it was vandalism and makes the world look bad?
There might be better artists out there than you realized.
The interesting thing about the controversy was that graffiti was being recognized by art critics all over the world by the 1980's.
In this part, you seem to change your mind:
But wait. Don't you think that it's bad to do graffiti? I think that graffiti is bad because not only is it is vandalism -- defacing property -- and do you know how much the world has to spend annually to remove graffiti?
But why do kids and adults do it if they know that business people will get rid of it or not sell them the markers and spray paint they need to do the artwork ? I think that those kinds of people are just taking the art and still take it too far.
The most important advice I have for you is to say everything n fewer words. Make these sentences shorter, and it will be more persuasive. Eliminate unnecessary phrases that make sentences long and complicated. That will help a lot. There are lots of good insights in this essay.
Most importantly, state your argument at the beginning and stick with it. You are trying to change the reader's mind. Good luck!!!
Ever heard of people that started it all? By that I mean started graffiti and made it into a subculture that we still have to this day.
Don't ask your readers too many questions. You want to inform the reader instead. Rephrasing this would help you get rid of the "I" as well. Try something like this: The roots of modern graffiti and the graffiti subculture can be traced to a New York City man employed by a messenger service. (I also think that it is important to add a little clarity here. Tell *where* Taki was-I made the assumption that it was New York, correct it if it is wrong. Instead of saying that he was a messenger, which could mean that he spread his graffiti message, state that he worked as a messenger to clear it up in the readers' minds.)
Put your punctuation inside of your quotations marks. I know that it feels weird, but that is how it is done in American English (British English puts the punctuation on the outside).
Most of the people doing graffiti don't get caught because of their ability to make their way around everything. Most of the time you never see it on the clean walls of streets on a specific day, but the next day it would be in front of one's face when it wasn't there the day before.
Clarify this a little more as well. Maybe something like: Graffiti requires stealth. Spray painters and taggers work under the cover of darkness and are seldom caught.
One would always see black books or huge sharpie markers, even some markers that most people never knew existed.
I Googled "Black Book" because I didn't know what one was. You can assume that most readers won't either. You might want to inform the reader here as well: The tools of the trade, huge Sharpie (capitalize it because it is a brand name) markers and black books-sketch books that graffiti artists keep for practice and with ideas-are prevalent among the student body.
Have you ever been to the freeway where you see the train tracks full of graffiti? Or the public storage rooms that have graffiti on them? Next time someone passes the freeway you can see that the train track bridge has "Casp" and other different kinds of graffiti; and think about it, who did that? How did it get up there? Did they get caught?
A LOT of questions here. And a lot of "yous." Hmmmm: Graffiti artists seek high-visibility spots to create their tags and pieces. In Martinez, graffiti is especially rampant along the freeways, railroad tracks, and public storage rooms. Words such as "Casp" can be read on the railroad bridge attesting to the physical danger of difficult-to-reach locations and the legal risks faced in graffiti subculture.
I know, but how do I know you say? Well because of the fact that I used to tag, but not on walls. I used to have a black book and couldn't show anyone but my friends because if the principle caught me then I could have been suspended or even expelled; but I didn't want that, all I wanted was to tag. Then one day, my friend talks to me about a graffiti battle that the schools funds are going to be sponsoring. I thought to myself about doing it but later decided not to because I had never tried to do a huge piece; I've always done it on paper. But at the same time I wanted to be there to see what other people had so I took my camera and took pictures. Guess what? All of the pieces that were put together by the students looked fantastic.
This is the part of your paper that contains the most "I's". You could still use this, but depersonalize it. Something like: Students who keep black books show them to only their closest friends. If a teacher or principal (you had the wrong word here) catches a student with a sketch book of graffiti writing and ideas, that student risks suspension or expulsion. The irony is that the school district (state what district or school to clarify here) sponsored a graffiti battle (tell where or when). The student-created pieces looked fantastic.
Art or Vandalism? What do you think? I'm pretty sure that most people would think vandalism but I think that they are wrong. It seems to occur to me that just because the walls are painted doesn't mean that it's bad. Have you seen how clean and nicely done some of the graffiti is on walls out there? Those murals that have been painted look beautiful and I think that people who tag should not get in trouble because they just want to create things that make the world look more joyful and happier.
Art or vandalism? (I think it is fie to ask a question here because you are not asking it of your reader, but limit the other questions in the rest of the essay). The answer lies in the eye of the beholder. Many people think of graffiti as vandalism, but an increasing number value the artistic merits of a well-executed piece. Murals done in graffiti style enhance our city and make the our world a more joyful place.
. . . that way they get to show off their skills in front of everyone who gets the chance to see and to the people, who don't get to see, get to look at the painting that they had left behind.
This is awkward. Try rephrasing it: . . . that way they get to show off their skills in front of everyone who has come to watch and create a painting for the city's residents to enjoy. (Okay, that isn't the best sentence either, but I hope you get the idea).
challenged by everyday life
But wait. Don't you think that it's bad to do graffiti? I think that graffiti is bad because not only is it vandalism but its defacing property and do you know how much the world has to spend annually to remove graffiti? I don't even think that the numbers are from ALL the graffiti in the United States.
Illegal graffiti and the defacement of property is vandalism and requires great effort, not to mention expense, to remove.
So don't even think for one second that if you do graffiti, you're not part of the problem, because you are! Even though I love graffiti that is one of the reasons that I also don't like it so much.
You could omit these two sentences.
If you want something, try to pursue it differently. Don't try to be a bad person and get a bunch of attention.
Graffitists (my computer highlights this as not a word, but it is) need to find other outlets to pursue their craft. Attention mongers who write their messy tags on public and private property give the art a bad name.
Whew! That took longer than I expected, but I have to admit that it was fun. I guess I am a "word nerd." I think that you can make this into a *great* paper. You are taking a subject that is controversial and persuading the reader to see it from the other side. If you want to do a rewrite, I can try to help you formulate a conclusion. When is it due?
this is gonna be a really great paper..ill get started on rewriting it and post back up a.s.a.p. thanks.
Awesome, good luck, I look forward to it. I am SO impressed by some of Eric's advice... he explained some things much better than I could have!
Your essay is really interesting, as I already said. I don't know what my own opinion is. Graffiti is certainly vandalism, and it is also certainly art. Also, painting on things in the environment is the most natural thing in the world, like ancient drawings on the walls of caves.
Still, it is other people's stuff! I simply can't figure out how I feel about it. I hope you can! Thanks for causing me to ponder.
I'd say your essay needs to deal more with the issue of where graffiti is placed. I don't think anyone has a problem with graffiti done as art on sidewalks outside of businesses or on the walls of buildings whose owners have given permission to the artist. Graffiti only becomes vandalism when it is placed on other people's property without their permission. Of course, even then, the person whose property was vandalized might like the graffiti and consider it art, so the same piece could be either art or vandalism, depending upon the point of view of the person who owned the property it was on. You might also look at the intention of the artist. Scrawls meant to convey gang symbols, or insults, or even a desire to deface, are probably always vandalism. Images created to impress and to move, though, are more likely to be art. So, the question isn't really whether graffiti is art or vandalism, but when it is art as opposed to vandalism.
