Taking a Look at Street Art

A perfect example of the presence of artworks available for viewing is in graffiti. Graffiti is often a derogative term used to describe writing, drawing, or images placed on the surfaces of public buildings or areas. Although not considered fine art by many, as an expression of creativity and imagination, it falls under the category of artworks. What separates this form of artwork from those found in galleries is the atmosphere and environment that is attached to graffiti that cannot be replicated or found in art galleries. The raw nature of graffiti makes it appealing for viewers, however, the fact it is abundant in the urban environment justifies the idea that it can be viewed without the need for an art gallery.

Graffiti has been used many times in history to preserve and show political and religious ideas of the past. Street artists are preserving the history that is deemed “illegal” at this time. Graffiti itself is history, and it tells stories as well as preserving cities and adding a creative aspect to everyday life. The “...first forms of scripture and storytelling … were through drawings on walls. Stories passed through generations… were preserved on rocks or walls.” (Lloyd, Alexis). Now street artists are simply doing the same, whether it’s murals, tags, or people just messing around; They are preserving the unique cultures that we have today, or trying to make a name for themselves through art, or portray a political message. 85% of graffiti is just tags. (Akbar, Airfa). People's names or words made to look interesting. People trying to preserve their name through art. And this is considered a crime. Splashing your political views on a building through a mural to some people is offensive and the fact that this is illegal is a violation of the 1st amendment. Making graffiti or street art illegal is limiting an expression of people's ideas and religion.

Graffiti has been around for more than half a decade and practiced worldwide. However there is debate between whether it is a form of art or vandalism. Graffiti artists’ debate that many do not understand the reason most graffiti artist take the risk of incarceration, fines, injuries, and in some cases death to paint a wall. A graffiti artist can have the simple desire to become recognized, or to create a piece that speaks to their audience as a form of self expression. Because graffiti is associated with gangs and acts of destruction to some many cannot see the history and importance graffiti can have on a worldwide scale. Due to the fact that graffiti is usually produced illegally, meaning it is

Most people can argue that there is a fine distinction between what is recognized as art and vandalism. The individual is often faced with uncertainty when the topic of graffiti arises. The public often portray graffiti as a destructive act towards his or her surroundings however; graffiti can also be considered a form of self-expression. Many questions can be made pertaining to the graffiti movement, but the main question is graffiti a crime or an art? The answers lie in the complex phrase of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

When driving or walking anywhere in Los Angeles there is graffiti or street art all around. Some say vandalism and I say ART. There is so many types of street art, like tagging, stickers, characters, murals, and more. Places in Los Angeles are mostly covered with beautiful murals. When street artists create murals they create a voice for everyone in that community without saying a word.

Street art is a visual art created all over the streets, it can be present in a form of posters, graffiti, window paints, and murals, among others. All of those artists that chose to exhibit their art on the streets, rather than in a museum or gallery is because they are situated it in a non-art context. The products they use to produce their art works most of the time are: free hand aerosol paints, krink markers, plutonium paints and graffiti remover used to create perfect images all over the cities. Street art adorn the urban landscape, explode the skills of the artists, and finally but no less important, is constructive providing a specific social message for all the audience.

The cutting edge of the public art development, connected with the hip-hop society of breakdancing and rap music, began with African-American and Latino teenagers in Philadelphia and New York in the late 1960s (MacDonald 1). At that time graffiti to most, was considered to be a form of art work. Regardless of those that thought of it as art, there were and are still numerous individuals that loathe the graffiti movement. Works of art have been dependably charming for ages, as it is a method for self-expression and inventiveness. Artistic expressions have advanced in many ways, such as public canvases offering an approach to modern day unique artwork. Graffiti is progressively turning into a hobby. Although one of the major controversies of graffiti surround the statement that it is not art and considered vandalism, graffiti allow artists to display grateful meanings, skills and expressions to the public.

In the article, Public Art and Street Art, by Patrick Frank, the author, talks about the idea and meaning behind public art.

1.Street Art is visual created in public. In many places street art is considered to be illegal but in other places people and government services pay commission for them to express their feeing in the world or anything else.

What this means is legitimate street art it's an attractive mural, instead of people writing scribble. artists take the time to actually masterpieces that allows the audience to be amazed.

To fully understand street art as a concept in itself, it is vital to explore why the art is made on, and for, the street. According to Chung (2009) art on the street “allows artists a platform to reach a broader audience than traditional art forms”. This is supported by Young (2016) who argues that the “street is the biggest gallery you could ever want”, the author goes on to note that often a “galleries audience is self-selecting and homogenous”- belonging in an “elitist art world”. This implies that unlike classical art in galleries, street art cannot discriminate and is open and available to everyone despite their background or beliefs. Not only does the street allow the art to be widely seen, its accessibility indicates the ideas of

For my 'Graffiti Name Piece' I was inspired by the many different variations of street art especially those who incorporated bubble and wild style text but also jumbled the letters differentiating from capital or lowercase into their artworks not only that but lettering that had curves rather than straight lines. I was not a fan of the block letter style as I thought it was a bit plain and in my head, I could not see it become apart of my final graffiti name piece. Below are some pieces of street art which influenced my final graffiti name piece.

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination” (Henry David Thoreau). Artist’s now and then have come in all shapes and forms as does the art itself. An old saying goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This mean that if i view something as beautiful does not mean everyone else will view it the same way I have. This applys alot to art. Some people view some art in different ways than other view it. This also applies to graffiti. Some view it as art ,others as vandalism. It’s all in the eye of the beholder

The presence of graffiti in art galleries shows this. “[G]raffiti art has been shown in various galleries in New York and London, and artists are often commissioned to do legal murals and other work for art shows” ("Graffiti: Art Through Vandalism”). Graffiti artists demonstrate their skill through various pieces to receive attention from those who can hire them. In order to be recognized by the public, these artists must master the use of spray paint. This is difficult because it can not be erased or removed and the artist must work their mistakes into the piece. It takes time for graffiti artists to improve because “[a]s in any art form, authority of creative expression develops through committed practice and thought” (Grody 7). Grody describes the commitment that is necessary in graffiti art. Graffiti artists often plan out their pieces and think through their ideas before beginning the process of painting. They must quickly and carefully execute their art to avoid being noticed. It takes time to acquire such a precise skill. It is important to recognize the skill that graffiti requires to be

This negative shadow on the art form of graffiti has caused the decline of the graffiti movement. As many have predicted, “graffiti may eventually disappear” (“The Writing's on the Wall; Graffiti”). Graffiti has already begun to dwindle from what was once a flourishing art movement, to an almost disesteemed hobby. However, a soiled reputation is not the only culprit in the murder of authentic graffiti. The occupation of the current generation with technology and social media has caused many artists to focus solely on selling their work and gaining attention through social networking platforms. Another, perhaps more common, reason for the decline is the improvement of police work and punishments for those indulging in the illegal form of graffiti (“The Writing's on the Wall; Graffiti”). Because of this decline in authentic and prohibited graffiti, artists have channeled their work into new forms and established their own artistic community.