IS GRAFFITI ART?

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Is GRAFFITI ART?

 

A-) Sandra Jameson, art critic of The Times

        The other day I saw some graffiti on an old factory wall. It was absolutely fantastic: imaginative and beautifully done. Much better, In fact, than a lot of art that you can see in art galleries and exhibitions. Unfortunately, not all graffiti is so beautiful. Although it is true that some talented artists started their careers by painting on walls, most graffiti has no artistic merit at all. It's just people shouting to the world, 'I exist!' I understand why they do it. Young people don't own any buildings, and spraying wall is a way of 'owning' a piece of where you live. But it's a pity it's often so ugly. I think we should tolerate graffiti on old abandoned buildings. After all, they can't look any worse than they do. But it's wrong to paint graffiti on the walls of buildings where people live or work.
Teresa Powell, Member of Parliment for East Swindon
          Everywhere you, you walls covered in stupid names and swear words. I don't know anyone who thinks it is attrative. More importantly, graffiti is a crime. Where do these so-called graffiti artists paint? On private property. And that means they're breaking the law. I'm sure they wouldn't like it. if I spray painted ''Teresa is cool!' on their living room walls. So why do they think it's alright for them to paint anywhere they want to? Sociologists talk about the 'Broken Window Syndrome'. When building is covered in ugly graffiti. it's an invitation for young people to vandalise. it even more. So graffiti encourages more crime. And finally, it's dangerous - many artists climb high walls or buildings or vandalise trains at night When they have an accident, we all have to pay their hospital costs. Graffiti is not acceptable and it should be stopped.

C-) Mike Lees, Graffiti artist.
          A politician recently said that graffiti artists were vandals and that graffiti was a crime. I totally disagree. Graffiti is an art form. It's been with us for thousands of years. Graffiti has been discovered in the ruins of Pompeii, and it tells us more about ordinary life than statues and monuments do. And today graffiti gives colour to our grey city centres. It is true that some graffiti is limited - 'Terry loves June' is not exactly creative. But a lot of graffiti is brillant and imaginative. It's radical, it's fun, it's beautiful ... and it's free. Many artists in history have been misunderstood. When Vincent Van Gogh was alive, nobody wanted to buy his paintings, and critics said he was a maniac. Today, his masterpieces are sold for millions. One day people will understand that some of the greatest art of our time isn't galleris, but on factory walls and urban trains.

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