May 08, 2008

Art or vandalism?

I found this online and it made me laugh. There are also graffiti images from Berlin on Letitiah's blog: Fabriquer

Even when it's artistic, is graffiti really funny? Can any of it be considered art?

29 comments:

Lisa's RetroStyle said...

I think so. Petroglyphs are graffiti. I can see some stone age woman complaining stop writing on my walls it makes the cave look so trashy! We have train tracks in the middle of our town. I love the train graffiti. I like to think about who and where the artist is. What kind of a person they are. What there like is like. If they ever think about who down the line is looking at their work. I think your questions, especially the first one is very psycologically deep. Obviously it can be funny, you laughed, so did I as I'm sure others did. But would it be any less funny if it were on the side of your building or your house? Very interesting question. I'll be pondering it today! Thanks for something to think about.

Michelle Engel Bencsko said...

Vandalism implies that one is destroying or damaging something- generally something that does not belong to them in the first place. Art implies that it's raised to another level of interest and attitude. I rather think this particular piece is neither. More of an opportunity. I despise graffiti, but I love wit. I'm on the fence on this one. This is a topic where it's not all black and white- unless you are only considering the law, then I suppose it is...
Could be a hot topic, Diva. I will check back to see other responses!

High Desert Diva said...

Good point Lisa!

Cicada...I think you might be right...this could get interesting.

Rosebud Collection said...

I think it might be considered art, but not to the owners of buildings that have to clean it off..It is becoming quite the problem in Portland, ME..

Ana said...

That is total art! And I think that's the great thing about art is that it can be found everywhere. I love this!

Kirsten said...

That particular one looks pretty good.

I don't know if I'd want gang or drug related tagging on my building.

Is there a difference between art graffiti and drug/gang related tagging?

GalleryJuana said...

I think if a wall of my house were painted without my permission, no matter how good it was, I would be upset. However, I do enjoy viewing grafitti, just as long as it is on someone's else's wall. (Hypocritical and Terrible of me to say.)
Gallery Juana

Ivy & Mae said...

As someone who lives in the historical district of town, where houses (people's residences) are being *tagged* by the most hideous spray paint squiggles (0 artistic value) ever, probably done by bored 12 year olds--I have a pretty hard stance on the whole graffiti debate. Unless the owner of that building likes it, it is vandalism...

So without what the owner of that building thinks I with hold my offical judgement.

Tess Kincaid said...

Creative art, very witty indeed. Love it.

Victoria said...

I do not believe that I could articulate this gray area any better than Cicada has.

Grizzly Mountain Arts said...

While that is very creative, unless you commission someone to paint on your home/place of business, it is defacing private property in my opinion.

Stacy said...

I think it is art. I agree with cicada studio when she says "vandalism implies that one is destroying or damaging something"

I don't think the person who did this destroyed the wall. He/She mad it better.

Unknown said...

i absolutely love this incredible piece of street art you have featured. indeed, i do believe it art. to me art is an expression of oneself. entirely subjective its power lie in the ability to raise passion (joy, humor, anger, disbelief, etc...) in others. if it succeeds, i believe it art.

letitiah said...

I hate stupid tags, but I also really dislike a lot of the terribly done graffiti removal that we see in north america a lot. A grey wall with a beige patch on it and a darker grey patch on top of that ... now that is ugly.

Graffiti can be fantastic but I don't think it's fair to graffiti private property. Public property, on the other hand -- well, I prefer graffiti to advertising, that's for sure.

Thanks for the shout-out.

SandraRee said...

Wouldn't it be nice if you could make all grafitti look like art? That would take care of that problem. :)

Unknown said...

I am a huge fan of graffiti when it is done artistically like this, not just a bunch of black spray paint with no purpose. If I ever owned a city building I would put up a sign inviting this style of artist to go to town on the side of my building as long as it was non-offensive, tasteful and super creative! Something like this that looks like a cowboy riding a brick pig would be exactly what I would love!

This is just my opinion and others may feel that it is a crime to deface someone else's property but what if that artist simply can not afford studio space and if given the chance will be the next Pollock? Who am I to hold back their talent?

Hot topic for sure :)

T.Allen said...

Forever the rebel; I think it is art. That being said, so is the human form-but short of Vincent D'Onofrio I don't want any uninvited naked humans aside my property either. It really is a matter of personal preference like all art...so I guess I'm calling it art then, huh...geesh! Okay art, final answer.

picciolo said...

what a fantastic image, you could argue that they have done this to improve the look of the falling down wall, its more of a statement than graffiti for graffitis sake. If of course the owners of the building are behind it!
: )

Anonymous said...

That is hilarious. There is an anonymous graffiti artist in London who goes by the name of Banksy.. his graffiti is so great that people have considered it art, because they aren't just random scribbles, they all have political meanings.. and actually there are art exhibitions of his work...that go for millions.

High Desert Diva said...

Nuvonova...
That is so interesting. I came across the image on Ffffound.com, but the link they gave was Bansky.uk something...but it didn't go anywhere.

T. Kimberlyn said...

I say ART! I used a pic of graffiti for one of my classes as my definition of 2-dimensional art. I believe that it makes what was an eyesore....beautiful. And this one is just hilarious : )

Anonymous said...

I think there's a difference between graffiti and vandalism. Graffiti is art. Vandalism is a kid with spray paint and nothing better to do.

StaroftheEast said...

Some graffiti is really amazing. I know in Holland that some shopowners let there doors graffiti by profs so that others won't make it 'ugly' :) a smart way, I think. But I have seen the most incredibble graffiti and I consider that art but not on my walls please :)

Ed Mahony said...

Interesting question.

Firstly, if the images don't affect someone's private life or livlihood, and are done in a place which would look better with images (i.e parts of the urban concrete jungle), and where time and effort is applied to the images, then I don't think that is graffiti.

And it could be a way of allowing kids in their teens who live in the concrete jungles to do something positive / creative (as long as, of course, it not deliberately meant to target someone / and is not meant to cause damage to a nice looking neighbourhood).

Hey Harriet said...

That's great! I view graffiti as an artform. & sometimes vandalism. I don't believe legalities have anything to do with something being considered art or not. I wouldn't consider all graffiti as art either. Silly squiggles are just...well, silly squiggles. Yet some people may see silly squiggles as art.

Lavinia said...

I do like this. Clever!

Tizzalicious said...

That's fantastic, I'd definitely call that art!

Mélanie said...

For me , it is art. I love it , the way this artist turns something destroyed into beauty

littlebird said...

it is kind of the same as cloud gazing isn't it? you know when you lie on the grass and try to visualize shapes in the clouds, well some one must have been looking at shapes here on the ground and seen a wee pig here : )