Below is an essay I wrote for the New York Times' annual editorial writing contest.
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Will
Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?
What is art, or what makes something art?Art by definition is a form
of expressing yourself through visual representation. Art nonetheless is art,
whether it’s on a wall, a canvas, a piece of paper, or anywhere else for that
matter.I,
personally would not have considered a red splatter of paint on white canvas as
art, but paintings like that have been sold for thousands of dollars. As that
effortless painting is considered art, wouldn’t intricate, vibrantly colored
pieces of graffiti also be considered art?
Some people feel disdain
for graffiti, because graffiti has been stereotypically associated with gang-related
activity, rough neighborhoods or violence.
Not all pieces of graffiti are vulgar. Take Banksy for example, this
anonymous English artist not only has spread satirical messages
about politics with his art, but has made an impact on the world, although many
of his pieces have been whitewashed already.
Art isn’t seen from a legal aspect, but seen from artistic point of
view. George C. Stowers, a professional graffiti artist, affirms this point bysaying
that he too, believes by aesthetic criteria, that graffiti
is definitely considered an art form.
One cannot determine whether or not something is
considered art based on where the art is located. In the same way, most people
consider doodles or sketches a form of art. If a student doodled on his test, most
people believe that the test is the teacher’s property, similarly,with
graffiti, doodles would be defacing someone else’s property, therefore not art.
In Dr. Martin Luther King’s
“Letter From a Birmingham Jail” he says, “To put in terms of St. Thomas
Aquanis: An unjust law is a human law not rooted in eternal law and natural
law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades
human personality is unjust.” Each individual piece of graffiti is a part of
the artist’s personality, something that the artist poured his heart and soul
into to make. The only difference is thatthese artists are displaying a
different type of “right”to express themselves. I am not saying that the right
to express artistic freedom is equal to the fight for civil rights; however I
do find the use of his quote appropriate from my stance.
Art cannot be seen from a legal perspective, nor can it be prejudiced against because the location may not be ideal. Art is open to anyone's interpretation, some may like it, some may not. It's all in how you look at it, either half glass that's full or half a glass it's empty. It is thus, that I believe, graffiti, without question, is art.
Works Cited:
"Graffiti: Art through
Vandalism." Graffiti: Art through Vandalism. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
<http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall07/sanchez/uses.html>.
Buckley, Cara, and Marc Santora. "Night
Falls, and 5Pointz, a Graffiti Mecca, Is Whited Out in Queens." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/nyregion/5pointz-a-graffiti-mecca-in-queens-is-wiped-clean-overnight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.
"Graffiti
Art." Debate Argument:. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.debate.org/debates/Graffiti-Art/1/>.
