The Pros And Cons Of Art Vandalism

To understand the claim that graffiti is vandalism, one must first define what art means to them. The standard definition, or the most widely agreed upon version, is from Oxford dictionary which states that graffiti is “writing or drawings scribbled, scratched or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.” However, art is a highly subjective topic and can vary from person to person. To Vanessa Ochs, art is another realm where the artist imagines things that do not actually exist, art is not perfect to her, rather it is a perfect reflection of our imagination (Burrill, 2016). While graffiti fits both definitions in every aspect, it does not fall within the boundaries of the law. Graffiti, at its very core, is the act of committing a crime in order for an artist to be heard. Is this really the way an artist would prefer to be remembered? Artists like Lady Pink for example, have witnessed first hand the ruin of their graffiti paintings however, she still advocates the fact that it is “young, cool and creative” (Pink, 2014). She also believes that it is a medium for young artists to express their talent and prevents stagnancy of creativity in society. In spite of the fact that graffiti may provide a way for struggling artist to gain access to a platform where they can share their political views in a peaceful and anonymous manner, graffiti could degenerate into vandalism by defacing property that does not belong to the artist and encouraging rebellious