Graffiti: Art or Not?

Determining whether graffiti is art is not a strictly black and white, cut and paste scenario. This determination lies within an area of vast grayness. The definition of art itself varies with every single person. The perception of art is never the same and works of art evoke differing emotions depending on social and cultural surroundings. To me art is anything that is created or destroyed through the expression of emotions or thoughts. This being my definition of art pushes me to accept all graffiti as a work of art regardless of its complexity, legality, or my personal opinion of the work. I might not like or understand some of the graffiti I see but the creator must have been feeling the need to express themselves. The particular graffiti that I chose to take a picture of is the epitome of the gray area I mentioned earlier. At first it looked like someone just decided to spray-paint the side of a dumpster. As I looked closer I could see that the artist had indeed included a name with his or her work. This indicated to me that this person wanted everyone to know that they had done this. It was important enough to them that they felt the urge to claim this work as their own. Regardless of its complexity it is still a moment in time when this person felt something and expressed themselves. To me that is art.It is impossible to set universal boundaries on art and say that one piece is art and another is not. There are as many opinions as there are people but the only one that really matters is the artist. As long as people perceive their works as something to be admired, studied, and contemplated upon then their works will always be considered art by me.


Brett Creech