Is graffiti art? Yes, yes it is. Art is defined as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture.”
Graffiti is usually found on the sides of buildings, under bridges, and on train cars and buses. Some people see it and turn their heads in disgust. They see it as vandalism and make the argument that not only is it defacing public property, but it’s illegal. And while I understand that yes, it is illegal, I also think graffiti should be recognized as a legitimate art form by everyone. Sure, there are people that “tag” meaningless graphics just for the fun of it. However, there are also a good number of graffiti artists that do what they do as actual artists.
Take Banksy for example. I'm sure there are a lot of people who have never heard of him, but there are also a lot of people all over that know the name and follow his work. This is not just by people in the art world either. His work has been dissected over and over again on the news, on TV, and in documentaries. Banksy is a very well known street artist from England. He is a political activist and his work takes after that. Through his satirical art, work he calls attention to hope, love, war, social media, and politics, just to name a few things.
He’s caused controversy. He’s gotten the world talking through his art... And he's done it all while maintaining a concealed identity. Nobody knows who he is. Nobody has seen his face. Nobody knows his real name. He’s done a few interviews and he’s been featured in documentaries, but he always keeps his face hidden and changes his voice. He is an artist who loves to push the limits, and he understands that his work comes with risks. As amazing as his art is, its still considered illegal and someone of his caliber must stay hidden if he wants to keep getting his message across and change the world.
Art is political, art has meaning, art brings people together, and art can even divide people in some cases. But one thing's for sure, street art or “graffiti” is absolutely art. Yes, it may still be illegal, but when an image painted on the side of a wall by a masked man has the power to get "BBC News" and "The New York Times" talking about it, that's when you know it’s serious. Art comes in many different forms whether it’s a painting or a sketch, a sculpture or a mural on the underside of a bridge done with spray paint. Just because it’s different from the norm doesn't mean it should be discredited as a form of art.
