Graffiti- Art or senseless vandalism?

[Wolf_Man]

Edit: Sorry, it's so big, the scan didn't look that massive on my computer, but yeah, some alright stuff, I'm no divinci or anything...

Isnt that supposed to be "I'm no picasso or anything" ?

I dont think that Di Vinci was an artist.

[echo_trail]

You get the point, don't you? Besides, I think it's pretty safe to say that Di Vinci brought his science to an artistic level.

[a-4-year-old]

I dont think that Di Vinci was an artist.

he was an excellent artist and a pioneer in the arts.

[Wolf_Man]

Yea, sorta. It's a little vague.

I dont think that Di Vinci was an artist.

he was an excellent artist and a pioneer in the arts.

Ah, my bad then.

[TBDM]

you guys do know there is a difference btween graffiti and tagging?

tagging is just spraying names everywhere to claim it as yours

graffiti is just making art on large pieces


to me, it's art.no discussion

[a-4-year-old]

its a lot of lines drawn randomly, it isn't art.

[echo_trail]

Then so isn't anything.

[ds dude]

You just might as well draw a line on a piece of paper and call it art.

Btw Pie, that's some impressive stuff.  The only thing I can do that's even close to graffiti is drawing "Pop out" letters. lol.

[Pie]

For echo, It's not really anything, I just like drawing the letters I and N. I added an O just because it seemed right.

I was reading an article and apparently Brisbane alone spends up to, approximately, $4 million on removing graffiti, Why not spend that money elsewhere?
Graffiti is not necessarily bad if done in the right place, along train lines, on ally walls, they're all blank canvas's and it doesn't necessarily effect anyone immediately, until that is, they have to clean  it.

That 4 million could be used to further fund hospitals, public education, roads. hell, it could even be used to stop our economy eating it's own anus...

Graffiti isn't bad, it adds a little colour to things and if done properly, has meaning behind it. What would you rather see if you were on a train looking out the window, Colourful and interesting art, or gray, blank walls?

[Twistkill]

I think we've established the dividing line between art and vandalism at this point. It seems there's an unanimous agreement that graffiti, if done properly, contributes positively to an environment, particularly urban ones. I love looking at graphic art when I'm on the subway or walking downtown. It adds variety and something better to look at when compared to blank wall, as Pie said, although I must say it can become too distracting if taken to an extreme level.

Some graphic artists are actually hired by some people in Toronto to put graffiti on their walls downtown to make it stand out. I'll get some pictures for you guys next time I'm there.

[Lord Frunkamunch]

For echo, It's not really anything, I just like drawing the letters I and N. I added an O just because it seemed right.

I was reading an article and apparently Brisbane alone spends up to, approximately, $4 million on removing graffiti, Why not spend that money elsewhere?
Graffiti is not necessarily bad if done in the right place, along train lines, on ally walls, they're all blank canvas's and it doesn't necessarily effect anyone immediately, until that is, they have to clean  it.

That 4 million could be used to further fund hospitals, public education, roads. hell, it could even be used to stop our economy eating it's own anus...

Graffiti isn't bad, it adds a little colour to things and if done properly, has meaning behind it. What would you rather see if you were on a train looking out the window, Colourful and interesting art, or gray, blank walls?

The money is almost definitely going towards the removal of crappy tags, swear words and the like. I doubt the real art is getting removed at all.

[Smegma]

Bombing is nice.

[Mistercharles]

There's good art, there's bad art. Most art is bad, but some of it is excellent. ALL art is like that (paintings/ drawings, music, vandalism).

Graffiti is art.

On a side note, I painted a giant cat (16'x9') on a bridge about three months ago, with two friends. Nine cans of paint, got caught, class A misdemeanor, 30 hours of community service each, I'm now on my ACD and my record will be clean in three more months... it was fun. The highway department liked it, and they refuse to remove it. Thus, it's there forever (or at least for a long time), and every person that walks by smiles when they see it. That's what graffiti is about.

[Blue-ninja]

There was this local skateboard park in my town, and a filming crew (for some sort of documentary), had to put graffiti all over the skateboarding cement parts, ramps, halfpipes, etc...it was cool. Regrettably, I didn't have a camera on me, and the next day, city hall charged them with cleaning up their "mess". Personally, I don't think the park maintenance crew would mind. It was decent graffiti art. It was art.

My say in this topic? Graffiti is art. Just underrated and underpromoted by the cops, heh.

[Pie]

The money is almost definitely going towards the removal of crappy tags, swear words and the like. I doubt the real art is getting removed at all.

Not necessarily, a lot of decent graffiti gets buffed as well as the tags. It's generally due to the workers not caring...

[echo_trail]

There's good art, there's bad art. Most art is bad, but some of it is excellent. ALL art is like that (paintings/ drawings, music, vandalism).

Graffiti is art.

On a side note, I painted a giant cat (16'x9') on a bridge about three months ago, with two friends. Nine cans of paint, got caught, class A misdemeanor, 30 hours of community service each, I'm now on my ACD and my record will be clean in three more months... it was fun. The highway department liked it, and they refuse to remove it. Thus, it's there forever (or at least for a long time), and every person that walks by smiles when they see it. That's what graffiti is about.

Hamster, you've gotta show some pics there, mate!

[blackdevil0742]

pfft, Vandalism!

[RabidTreeFrog]

There's good art, there's bad art. Most art is bad, but some of it is excellent. ALL art is like that (paintings/ drawings, music, vandalism).

Graffiti is art.

On a side note, I painted a giant cat (16'x9') on a bridge about three months ago, with two friends. Nine cans of paint, got caught, class A misdemeanor, 30 hours of community service each, I'm now on my ACD and my record will be clean in three more months... it was fun. The highway department liked it, and they refuse to remove it. Thus, it's there forever (or at least for a long time), and every person that walks by smiles when they see it. That's what graffiti is about.

this post is useless without pics

[Mistercharles]

Okay, okay. Next time I'm in that area I'll bring a camera.

[The Geologist]

Graffiti commissioned by a business owner or some other party is art.

Graffiti done in some tasteful fashion by an unknown individual can be art.

Tagging is not art.

Tagging/graffiti sprayed on businesses/homes where the property owner has to pay to get it painted over is a problem.  Art should be enjoyed by everyone, but not at the expense of people who didn't want anything to do with it in the first place. 

And no, it's not a lot of lines drawn randomly.