Graffiti.

Why do so many people disagree with Graffiti? Okay so no doubt I would be too if it was plastered on the side of my house by youths, but I do believe that it is a work of art. Understandably there is a negative connotation that comes with it, as certain gangs may use it to mark ‘their’ territory or people who think that it’s as easy as just spraying onto a surface and it looks good, they are the ones that I believe give graffiti a bad name. However I do believe that if people took the time to stop and look at the work that goes into graffiti they may change their minds, as there is some impressive detail that goes into these things.

One thing that I have always wondered, is that if graffiti is seen as a problem, then why not give those people somewhere to do it? I understand why graffiti artists give themselves a bad name, because of where they choose to spray their cans (no pun intended). I believe that if places were allocated where people were allowed to express themselves through art then it would be almost like an art gallery, people could choose to go and view the art for what it is and not necessarily view it as a bad thing.

Unfortunately it seems that graffiti has become a problem. In the UK, ‘The laws on public property are very strict and anyone caught doing graffiti can be arrested and prosecuted under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Offenders can be fined up to £5,000 if the damage caused is less than £5,000 or they may be given a community service order instead of a fine.’

http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/law/yourrights/graffitiandthelaw

I stand firm with my belief that if places were introduced for people to be able to legally graffiti, there would be a decrease in graffiti causing a problem for people, obviously this wouldn’t stop every graffitist from ‘tagging’ a place they shouldn’t, as some people just can’t resist the risk of getting into trouble. However those who believe that graffiti is a form of expression would probably be in support of this!