INTRO:
Everywhere in the city we go, we see it. On the walls, behind the public toilet's door, on the alleyway we walk by every morning. It's sometimes small and discreet but at times also large and seemingly eye-catching. What is it? Graffiti, a word commonly mentioned and heard but often misunderstood. According to the online Oxford Dictionary, graffiti is defined as "writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place" (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). Many would dismiss it despite the size ranging from a full blown wall or a small scribble at the corner. However, the big question and ongoing debate still persists. We tend to ask ourselves about graffiti all the time; is it art or is it …show more content…
Vandalism is defined as an "action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property" (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). Many state laws and governments have considered graffiti to be illegal and is considered vandalism. Numerous clean up groups have been organized, and on cases that are far more serious, people that have been caught doing graffiti have been put to jail. In contrast to that, many still see graffiti as a form of art, some being presented and displayed at museums for thousands of dollars. This ongoing debate, however, does not seem to affect how it has left its mark in the art world. In present day, graffiti has found itself a spot in various forms of art and not just on the walls of city streets. In this essay, references from blogs, books, websites, dictionaries as well as many others will be included to prove that graffiti is indeed, very much
Everywhere in the city we go, we see it. On the walls, behind the public toilet's door, on the alleyway we walk by every morning. It's sometimes small and discreet but at times also large and seemingly eye-catching. What is it? Graffiti, a word commonly mentioned and heard but often misunderstood. According to the online Oxford Dictionary, graffiti is defined as "writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place" (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). Many would dismiss it despite the size ranging from a full blown wall or a small scribble at the corner. However, the big question and ongoing debate still persists. We tend to ask ourselves about graffiti all the time; is it art or is it …show more content…
Vandalism is defined as an "action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property" (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). Many state laws and governments have considered graffiti to be illegal and is considered vandalism. Numerous clean up groups have been organized, and on cases that are far more serious, people that have been caught doing graffiti have been put to jail. In contrast to that, many still see graffiti as a form of art, some being presented and displayed at museums for thousands of dollars. This ongoing debate, however, does not seem to affect how it has left its mark in the art world. In present day, graffiti has found itself a spot in various forms of art and not just on the walls of city streets. In this essay, references from blogs, books, websites, dictionaries as well as many others will be included to prove that graffiti is indeed, very much