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Journal Writing Project: Is graffiti art or vandalism?

December 2, 2019 by Fillmore County Journal 62 Comments

By Makayla Braaten

Have you ever been driving and notice a painting on the side of a building? Would you consider that art or vandalism? Graffiti is writing or drawings on a wall or other surface, usually as a form of an artistic expression, without permission and within public view. Furthermore, where is the line between art and vandalism? Ironically, if you look up vandalism, the first picture to pop up is a graffiti painting. 

When people in our society see any form of graffiti, they shut it down. We have told ourselves that spray painted art is vandalism. In reality, a spraypaint can is just a tool that artists use to create an art piece. Like painting tools, graffiti is a tool for the mass communications of the world. It can get a person’s opinions and voices heard in an anonymous way, and get people talking. 

Twelve-year custom painter Diego Gonzalez was asked by a teacher to paint some murals in the schooling facility where she worked. He said yes and took the whole night creating things that the students could connect to and would enjoy seeing during the school day. As soon as students walked in the next day, the atmosphere changed. The hallways they took to get to class wasn’t as boring as before, now it had so much color. The students also started taking different hallways to class so they could see his murals every day because it had such an impact on them. The students then started to come up with their own creative ideas and started painting murals within the school. People who aren’t even artists were influenced greatly and created things that have a very positive impact on their community.

Diego Gonzalez mentions in his Ted Talk a study done by two researchers on how people would react to an abandoned car in the middle of a city. The researchers left a car with nothing wrong with it on the side of the road, and a few weeks later they came back to see if anything was messed with, but nothing was wrong with it. They then broke a window and left some scratches to see if people would react to the abandoned car. A few weeks later the researchers came back and noticed that the car had more scratches, broken windows and a couple of paintings on it. When the car was sitting there abandoned, but not broken into, people weren’t phased by it. But, when something happened to it, people began to follow along by also breaking windows or scratching it up. Graffiti can have a positive affect on people, but it can also have negative effects.

Though the building value of businesses can go up for the measure of art displayed on them, or even having an art piece from street artist Banksy on the building, it can also cost businesses tens of millions of tax dollars just by cleaning it up. Businesses could spend that money on things that can benefit their community. Another negative affect is graffiti is considered to be a gateway crime, leading people to alcohol, drugs or gang activity. Graffiti is out in the open where everyone can see; yes it’s anonymous, but by displaying any hate crime or profanity, it can really affect society. This has also caused many people to feel unsafe. So, do the negatives outweigh the positive?

Graffiti is seen as a form of artistic expression and can have positive outcomes for people, it is also illegal and considered vandalism. So, where is the line between art and vandalism? Artists are going out and creating art, but not with permission to do so. To some extent, graffiti is a little bit of both art and vandalism. 

Makayla Braaten is a student at Fillmore Central High School. She is one of eight area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 21st year.

Filed Under: Journal Writing Project Tagged With: Journal Writing Project

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    May 8, 2024 at 10:41 am

    um what the sigma

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    March 25, 2024 at 2:53 pm

    You’re all so bad

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      May 8, 2024 at 10:40 am

      um what the sigma

      Reply
  3. benny boy says

    February 14, 2023 at 12:52 pm

    while reading this was interesting, the comments deserve more love since they’re all so silly 😂

    Reply
  4. olivia says

    January 5, 2023 at 10:20 am

    Gaffic is something that symbol art
    but for me i dont see a prombem with it

    Reply
    • inkedtheskulls says

      February 14, 2023 at 12:59 pm

      Graffiti IS a symbol of art, inspiration, and sometimes even a promise. It has a large impact on most of us when we do see it! Most people don’t have problems with it, but others do as it is sometimes private property to someone. All in all, it heavily inspires me to be more creative with my art and spread good things through my art.

      Reply
  5. General Hux says

    February 14, 2022 at 2:40 am

    And will remember this as the LAAAAAST DAy of the graffiti

    Reply
  6. Chip says

    November 30, 2021 at 8:54 am

    Graffiti is only legal if you have the owners permission or you own it.

    Reply
    • leah says

      January 5, 2022 at 12:27 pm

      you got them mixed up

      Reply
      • Daddy says

        February 17, 2022 at 8:58 am

        Hey daddy😩

        Reply
        • Fernan says

          March 9, 2022 at 3:18 am

          🗿

          Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    November 18, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    i like turtles

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      February 22, 2022 at 11:48 am

      nobody asked

      Reply
    • who cares says

      February 22, 2022 at 11:49 am

      nobody asked

      Reply
  8. man says

    September 8, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    I’m a man

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      November 10, 2021 at 1:55 pm

      meow

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        November 12, 2021 at 1:43 pm

        WOOF

        Reply
        • Ur mom says

          November 17, 2021 at 6:13 am

          MOOO

          Reply
          • Anonymous says

            November 30, 2021 at 8:55 am

            B R U H

        • hi says

          February 9, 2022 at 3:25 pm

          eww

          Reply
    • Anonymous says

      November 15, 2021 at 11:07 am

      aye

      Reply
  9. woman says

    June 10, 2021 at 12:13 pm

    im woman

    Reply
    • man says

      September 8, 2021 at 12:14 pm

      I’m a man

      Reply
      • -A says

        November 9, 2022 at 5:21 pm

        Nobody Asked

        Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    May 12, 2021 at 11:30 am

    yes

    Reply
  11. azaria says

    March 4, 2021 at 2:43 pm

    i think it’s cool

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      November 15, 2021 at 12:57 pm

      your wrong

      Reply
      • cat says

        February 17, 2022 at 3:58 am

        you’re

        Reply
  12. me says

    March 3, 2021 at 12:57 pm

    this is very interesting and provoking there is a lot of good reosons

    Reply
  13. elijah says

    March 2, 2021 at 4:13 pm

    yes it is illegal because if u don’t own it and damage it u will have to pay up and if u don’t u will have to be put in jail.

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      March 9, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      wrong wrong and wrong

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        May 11, 2021 at 6:20 pm

        elijah says

        March 2, 2021 at 4:13 pm

        yes it is illegal because if u don’t own it and damage it u will have to pay up and if u don’t u will have to be put in jail.

        This it absolutely correct. You’re an idiot anonymous.

        Reply
        • elijah says

          August 30, 2021 at 3:11 am

          no you

          Reply
    • huh says

      February 7, 2023 at 4:42 pm

      calm down

      Reply
  14. me says

    March 2, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    i think that graffiti is a type of art that i really like but a lot of people don’t like it but in my opinion grafity is the best type of art…

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    March 2, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    I think it cool

    Reply
  16. mr matt says

    March 2, 2021 at 2:47 pm

    hi mr matthei

    Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    March 2, 2021 at 2:45 pm

    hi

    Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    February 9, 2021 at 2:08 pm

    I think graffiti is vandalism because if you don’t own the building car place whatever it’s not okay because it’s not yours so you don’t need to also because I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.

    Reply
    • elijah says

      March 2, 2021 at 4:11 pm

      yes it is illegal because if u don’t own it and damage it u will have to pay up and if u don’t u will have to be put in jail.

      Reply
    • VG says

      March 23, 2021 at 11:16 am

      but why? its art. anything is art. ya sure some people do hurtful graffiti and yes that should be illegal. but look at the art in Sacramento Downtown its also graffiti and look how beautiful it is. its art.

      Reply
  19. Anonymous says

    February 8, 2021 at 3:26 pm

    I need to make a RACE response for this, and this doesn’t explain anything!

    Reply
  20. Anonymous says

    January 28, 2021 at 11:10 am

    Good work

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      February 5, 2021 at 11:51 am

      I think graffiti is vandalism because if you don’t own the vehicle or building it’s not okay because the text Another negative affect is graffiti is considered to be a gateway crime, leading people to alcohol, drugs or gang activity what I’m saying is that it can have a negative and positive effect on people.

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        March 26, 2021 at 10:50 am

        Correct

        Reply
      • Anonymous says

        April 20, 2021 at 8:44 am

        i agree with you but graffiti can also be considered art it just honestly depends on what exactly that person is gonna do with the graffiti you know? Sure it can lead most people to alcohol, drugs, and gang activity but does it necessarily have to be bad all the time? Just think of it this way, in Mexico there are many murals that have graffiti on them and i think that is considered art because most of it is like History kind of. And btw im pretty sure its only illegal if u do it without permission. Anyways thats all im gonna say i just wanted to say what i was thinking. Bye!

        Reply
  21. tom says

    January 8, 2021 at 3:38 pm

    very good exsplanation

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    December 14, 2020 at 10:58 am

    yes graphitti is beutiful and congrats

    Reply
  23. Underfell Sans says

    November 23, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    I agree, but I don’t really care. this was a convincing article.

    Reply
  24. her says

    November 16, 2020 at 8:31 am

    Have you ever seen art on a wall and considered it art or a crime. I think vandalism is art because it amazes me how people can do things like that. Some people do art to express their feelings. People with depression anxiety or anger do vandalism or other things of art.

    Reply
  25. God says

    November 9, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    you plagiarized an entire paragraph.

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:41 am

      tea

      Reply
    • Anonymous says

      November 30, 2021 at 8:56 am

      LMAO

      Reply
  26. Toe says

    November 7, 2020 at 9:38 am

    If it is done on a public or private “canvas” in which the “artist” has no right to put the graffiti up, it is a crime. It is vandalism. It is arrogance for an “artist” to think that they have the right to do so publicly. That is different than appreciating art.

    Reply
  27. Random Googler says

    September 8, 2020 at 3:26 pm

    I googled graffiti art vs vandalism and this came up. It was a nice read, agree with your grandma. Good job! i hope you’re still writing, even among all this insanely shitty stuff.

    Reply
    • googler says

      September 22, 2020 at 11:10 am

      BAHAHHAHAHAHA

      Reply
  28. John Cena says

    August 12, 2020 at 12:47 am

    That is kinda true

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      September 16, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      I agree

      Reply
      • meedskeed says

        February 9, 2021 at 10:11 am

        same

        Reply
        • Anonymous says

          February 15, 2021 at 1:38 am

          Yea

          Reply
          • Anonymous says

            May 24, 2021 at 9:55 am

            yah

  29. Grandma says

    December 2, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Very interesting and thought provoking. Good job. Congraduation on being published!C
    I agree graffiti has its own beauty.There is some good in everything if you have an open mind and look for!

    Reply

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Fillmore County Journal - Your number one source for news and community information in Fillmore County Minnesota
Fillmore County Journal - Your number one source for news and community information in Fillmore County Minnesota
Fillmore County Journal - Your number one source for news and community information in Fillmore County Minnesota

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