is Graffiti Vandalism?
Throughout time, place, culture, and history, writing or painting on walls has been practiced. Originating from the Greek term “graphein,” graffiti (urban spraying, urban art) as marks on public or private property have existed with humans since the earliest graffiti markings were found 73,000 years ago. However, although they have existed for so long, graffiti as a modern art form only began in the late 1960s. Graffiti as a type of modern art, as Belton points out, first existed as an underground practice until it was finally legitimized as an actual art form and moved into museums and art exhibitions. As it is, graffiti is art, written, etched, or sprayed illegally on a surface or wall in a public place. This form of street art is done for several different purposes, such as the beauty of the artwork itself, the ability in which the artwork can express ideas, and is even used as political activism and a movement of resistance against corruption. Regardless of this, graffiti has nevertheless been considered a harmful tradition; a reasonable observation since graffiti is done illegally, vandalizing public and private property. In addition to its illegal status, graffiti is hard to clean. Where graffiti is most common, there have been businesses established that exist solely to erase and clean graffiti tags in a city, highlighting the enormous financial expenses of clean-up for graffiti alone. Graffiti’s presence in a community can also result in what’s been theorized as the broken window effect. Originally developed by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, the broken windows theory claims that public signs of disorder and abandonment, such as broken windows (or graffiti), could lead to a reduction in neighborhood safety and an escalation in crime, possibly amplifying robberies, violence, and even rates of murder in an area. Lastly, graffiti’s tendency to spread gang affiliation and contribution to the communication of harmful ideas can pose a threat to communities.
While most tend to dwell on graffiti’s negative aftereffects, it is crucial to consider its benefits to society. Most urban artworks are a result of socio-political and economic reactions to current events within a community or nation. Essentially, graffiti is a sort of output that allows people to express feelings or emotions on pressing topics. Thus, trends are formed from the works that can be perceived to convey habits and attitudes in society. According to the research carried out by Reisner, when thoroughly studied, such trends can reveal a community’s raw reaction to some governmental policies, ongoing events, and decision-making maneuvers. That is, graffiti is the voice of the poor and less privileged classes. Leaving aside its use in communicative situations, graffiti can also be aesthetically pleasing. Seen from the perspective of Popular street artists like Banksy, Keith Haring, and El Mac, their contributions in contributing to society through graffiti are popular, inspiring thousands of people around the world through their displays of culture. Furthermore, embracing such artworks can be enchanting in communicating cultural and traditional practices in a society, having a huge impact on tourism. In the street art bonanza of Bristol, over 50,000 people gathered to see the artwork for sale, infusing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy; Norway’s NuArt festival, one of the largest gatherings of art in the world, specializes in street art and values its impact globally; and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, much of the city is covered with thousands of colorful murals that reflects the history and culture of the city—a tour of the artwork can be taken for $25 (£16). Aside from boosting the local economy, these art pieces provide visitors with a lively, cultural, and memorable experience. However, in Buenos Aires, graffiti is not merely used to attract tourists. There, it is always used as a vehicle for political communication, resistance, and activism. Whether it is praised as an art form or not, graffiti can also be considered as a form of communication. In that regard, graffiti is not vandalism, but rebellion, challenging social convention and defying authority. Continuing artistic resistance of this kind has the potential to set public opinion, build consciousness, and solidify a sense of community. As political graffiti in critical times: The aesthetics of street politics, argues, graffiti will flare up in response to crisis in a community or region through city art to confront power and give voice to the voiceless, proving that graffiti can be a powerful tool for communication in society.
Even with its artistic and communicative value, graffiti still proves to be a very challenging problem for most cities and communities. Perhaps its most immediate problem is in its expense; illegal graffiti removal efforts demand much in terms of resources, labor, and maintenance. In Seattle alone, Public Utilities spent nearly $1 million in one year for graffiti enforcement, removal, education, and outreach; King County Metro Transit used another $734,000 to clean transit buses, tunnels, and other transit facilities. Millions of dollars are spent on cleaning up graffiti that could be spent on healthcare, public transportation, municipal development, and so on. In the same way, graffiti can also devalue properties and deter possible investors in a particular area. Wherever tagging and city spraying is a common phenomena, the perception of dirtiness and untidiness can deter possible customers and companies, thereby reducing economic potential within the area. Graffiti and vandalism, according to a study published in the Journal of Urban Economics, “are associated with lower property values because they contribute to the perception that the area is unsafe or deteriorating.” As a result, therefore, graffiti can not only be viewed as a cost of cleaning but also as an economic growth deterrent, further contributing to the decline of communities that are economically disadvantaged. Preceded by previous financial issues, graffiti can also be a tool of destructive communication. In most instances, offensive graffiti, especially directed at marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ community, reflects broader societal condemnation and prejudice. Kindsey’s 1953 statistics in the Sexual behavior in the human female claims that”most homosexual graffiti are a product of societal condemnation of homosexual activity, which allows this behavior to be utilized as an insulting device,” confirming the hypothesis. Also, one of the least welcome uses of graffiti is as gang communication, in that sprayed symbolic figures—”tags”—signal gang territories or send warning messages to other gangs. Tags are symbols, line drawings, or words indicating gang nicknames or individual signatures that herald jurisdiction over territories or corridors. As Ferrell illustrates, “Gang graffiti is frequently linked with the expression of territorial control, violence, and intimidation.” Graffiti is held accountable for the diffusion of criminality, disseminating violence and fear among neighborhoods. Lastly, by the broken window theory, urban spraying accelerates disorder and crime density in a neighborhood. Originally proposed by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, broken windows theory offers that the signs of abandonment like graffiti give the sense that the community already is abandoned or unsafe, making it that much easier to fall into temptation for offending. Similarly, the rates of offending in the regions with the look of graffiti have increased by roughly 100% or doubled robbery, thefts, and other forms of vandalism. A test done to demonstrate this found that “25 percent of the people observed swiped an envelope with a 5 euro note from a mailbox when there was graffiti on the walls or trash in the vicinity… compared to about 13 percent when the walls or zones were clean.”
Graffiti has existed in some form throughout nearly every period of human history. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, graffiti was commonly carved or painted onto public walls, temples, and monuments. These writings ranged from political messages and advertisements to poetry and personal reflections. It was only recently however, that modern graffiti began to take shape, where people began tagging subways, public walls—known as “canvases” in the urban art world—, and buildings. This form of expression, unfortunately, often became entangled with the law, as graffiti was painted without permission, typically on public or private property, making it an act of vandalism under most legal systems. Many graffiti artists, particularly those who engage in illegal tagging, see the act of vandalism as a fundamental part of the art form. “Legal painting? It’s just not the same feeling,” says Glynn Judd, a former train writer. “Graffiti is always about being slightly naughty … It’s a different mindset from painting legally,” he adds. Seemingly, the rebelliousness of illegal graffiti may add to its exhilaration, “It’s the tiger in a cage v the tiger running free through the jungle,” says one. For artists like these, the excitement of vandalizing property and getting away with it has become a part of the artistic tradition, highlighting the amoral and pernicious substrate graffiti is grounded in. Interestingly, the line between legal and illegal art isn’t as fine as one might imagine. “In December 2013, for instance, a magistrate glowingly used the phrase “the next Banksy” to describe a Manchester graffiti artist who ultimately avoided jail. But when sentencing London tagger Daniel “Tox” Halpin to a 27-month jail sentence in 2011, the prosecutor told the jury: “He is no Banksy. He doesn’t have the artistic skills.” But this authoritative distinction between “good” and “bad” graffiti does not have a place in the rulebooks.” While some works are praised, preserved, and even commissioned by cities, others are removed and penalized under vandalism laws. Indeed, the inconsistency and moral ramifications behind the removal and punishment of urban art reflect just how ambiguous the legal implications of each graffito can be.
Throughout history, humans have painted on walls to communicate, remember, or resist. From ancient cave markings to spray-painted murals on street walls, graffiti has remained a form of expression, adapting over time and reflecting the culture of each period. Although modern graffiti only began to take shape in the late 20th century, its influence has since expanded across the world. As previously mentioned, graffiti today is both praised and criticized; viewed as art by some and as a crime by others. While many around the world celebrate graffiti for its cultural impact, looks, and political voice, it continues to cause issues due to its illegal nature, its contribution to the broken window theory, and the financial burden it places on cities. Graffiti’s presence in a community can reveal important societal customs, expand our historical knowledge, or simply be pleasing to the eye. At the same time, it can mark gang territories, reflect societal prejudice, or signal communal neglect, fostering crime. The ambiguity surrounding what is considered “good” or “bad” graffiti further complicates the discussion, as legal consequences do not always align with artistic value. A city may protect one mural behind glass while erasing another of similar design on the next street over. This inconsistency, as seen in the treatment of artists like Daniel “Tox” Halpin, raises important questions about fairness, intent, and the role of public art. Ultimately, graffiti can’t be defined in absolute terms, it is art, rebellion, culture, vandalism, and communication all at once. Whether created in protest, painted in celebration, or sprayed without meaning, each graffito becomes a mark on the cityscape, each of them telling their own story. To dismiss graffiti entirely is to ignore the voices behind it and to accept it blindly is to overlook its consequences. As communities continue to grow and evolve, so will the conversation around graffiti, challenging us to think more deeply about graffiti and the messages left behind on every wall.
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