Graffiti is a type of art that is often created using spray or wall paint to form a design. There are many different types of graffiti, but the most notable type is tags. Tags are the type of graffiti that you will often see on the sides of trains or on the walls of subways. This is simply vandalism for thrills and can often lead to severe injuries, especially places such as railroad tracks and highway passes. It is reckless for people to risk injuring themselves in order to put their signature in a place that a majority of people would not pay attention to.
Graffiti can be considered trespassing and vandalism depending on where it is done. This can lead to extensive criminal charges if caught. People risk facing one to 15 years in jail just to be able to say that they put their signature on an abandoned building that they are not allowed to be inside of in the first place, according to missourilegal.com.
The problem with tagging is that there is no meaning behind it. Tagging is simply done for the thrill and competition. People want to show off their skills by putting their signatures in hard to reach places to show what they are capable of, according to swinburne.edu.au.
Street art, on the other hand, has meaning and is often done with creativity in mind. It takes skill and dedication to create these amazing pieces of art. Not only for the artist to enjoy, but for others to appreciate on their drive to work or way home from school. These works of art take experience and work rather than just taking a can of paint filled air and putting a signature on a train.
Take “Girl with Balloon,” painted by Banksy in 2002. It is a work of art featuring a little girl extending her arm towards a red heart-shaped balloon. Along with the design, there are words that read “there is always hope.” Unfortunately, none of the original stencil murals are still around due to them either being painted over or weathered away over time.
However, in 2018, an art auction was held that included a framed portrait of “Girl with Balloon.” The painting was purchased for $1.4 million but began to self-destruct as soon as the purchase occurred. Banksy later confirmed that he had hidden a shredder in the frame and retitled the piece “Love is in the Bin,” according to npr.org.
What makes this art different is not only does it have a subject but there is symbolism, as well as a deeper meaning. The heart balloon in “Girl with Balloon” is the only color in the artwork and symbolizes innocence and hope while the girl represents purity and nostalgia. There is more to the artwork than to simply prove that they are good at art. They want to leave the viewer with a thought or an idea, according to banksyexplained.com.
Another example of street art being influential is “Etnias” by Eduardo Kobra. This mural has the world record for the largest mural in the world; however, that was not the point of the mural. The goal of the mural was to convey the message, “We are all one: the human race.” Kobra wanted to portray unity between all people through the use of the Olympics. To do this, he used five people from the native tribes of different countries. These countries were Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, according to freewalkertours.com.
One argument that is discussed about street art and graffiti being similar is that they tend to use spray paint. By this logic, however, a freshly-painted house is the same as the “Mona Lisa” because they both used paint. This would make a house painter on the same level as Leonardo Da Vinci just because they both work with the same volumes.
Another debate that can be made is that street art should not be created because the owners of the buildings usually do not want them on the walls. However, these pieces of art can bring major benefits to the communities they are located in. In the case of the more popular pieces of art, the economies of these areas flourish because of tourism. Street art also adds character and complexity to the communities they are in. An example of this is in Berlin. The art on the Berlin Wall brought in countless tourists and now receives 3 million visitors each year, according to germany.info.
On top of this, there are plenty of building owners that commission artists to work on the sides of their buildings. There are websites where business owners can be connected with street artists in order to commission art for their stores, according to graffiti-artist.net.
Another issue that street art shares with tagging is that both are illegal if the artists are not given proper permission. Using “Girl with Balloon” again as an example, Banksy did these stencil murals around London without permission, making them illegal. Just because both are illegal does not make them equal. No one would say that a robber who stole $5 from a purse is the same as someone who stole millions from a bank.
Street art and tagging are very different styles of art and should not be considered under the same category. Not only do they not look similar, but they also do not have any similar meanings or ideas. Instead, street art should be its own type of art rather than being grouped with graffiti.
