Graffiti War: Art vs. Vandalism

Denver VoKom Vang

Anecdote

• Luther Burbank Graffiti Incident (LBGI)• Many were angry, and many were angry it was

gone.• Anger had brought up two unanswered

questions: is graffiti art or vandalism?

OverviewGraffiti is Art:• Knowledge Issue: Sense of Perception

– Linking question: Art– Linking question: History

• Knowledge Issue: Emotion– Linking question: Language

• Knowledge Issue: Logic– Linking question: Ethics

• Conclusion• Discussion

– Citation

Knowledge Issue: Perception

• How is our perception a reliable way of identifying Graffiti?

• What we see contributes to how we react.

Knowledge Issue: Perception

• Shepard Fairey • Famous and recognized artist arrested

by Boston Detective Bill Kelley

• Claims– Graffiti is a valid form of art

(Graffiti writers, ICA)– Graffiti are “scribbled words on the side of trash”

(Detectives, supportive officers, Graffiti buffers)

Knowledge Issue: Perception

• Claim: Graffiti is a valid form of art

Shepard Fairey was undoubtfully recognizable by the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA).

Knowledge Issue: Perception

• Claim: Graffiti are scribbled words on the side of trash (vandalism).

• Damaging property• Tired of cleaning• Cost moneys for removal

Graffiti-gone.com

Linking Question: Art• To what extent can graffiti and art be in comparison?

What is art?• the use of painting, drawing, SCULPTURE etc to represent things or

express ideas.

what is graffiti?• The use of images or lettering scratched, spray-painted on a surface

However…• Not all graffiti is art.• Not all art is graffiti.

Linking Question: History

• What did Pompeii perceives Graffiti as?

• Historically, Pompeii accepts graffiti.

• Origin 71 A.D. Italy• Graffiti is common by Roman culture• Helps appeal to emotion

Knowledge Issue: Perception

• How is our perception a reliable way of identifying Graffiti?

• Our perception are opinion-based by instinct in accordance to our liking.

Knowledge Issue: Emotion

• How does Graffiti reflects on the community?

• Sights within secure and insecure images, relatively, affects our emotions toward it.

Knowledge Issue: Emotion

• Thierry Furger• Buffed Painter who had mixed feelings

toward graffiti: graffiti and tag

• Claims:• Graffiti are waves of creativity to public inspirations

(Graffiti artists, art supporters, drawn observers)

• Graffiti and gangs: the mess makes them unsafe (Police witness, observers)

Knowledge Issue: Emotion

• Claim: Graffiti are waves of creativity to public inspirations

• Gathers inspiration for creative ideas• Adds life to dull buildings

Photo imaging Studio

Knowledge Issue: Emotion

• Claim: Graffiti is associated with gangs

• Gang graffiti is used by gangsters to communicate or to identify themselves.

• We fear of being attacked by gangs• Insecure contributes to our hate, labeled vandalism

“They feel insecure. It makes people feel unsafe, that they've been violated.” -Montes

Linking Question: Language

• How does the diction of Graffiti influences one’s emotions?

• language is an instrument or form of power• Graffiti uses text in a form of power

Knowledge Issue: Emotion

• How does Graffiti reflects on the community?

• Our emotions either plays a part in deciding between different ideas: Art and Vandalism by love or by hate.

Knowledge Issue: Logic

• Why is Graffiti considered illegal?

• Majority of the area rules Graffiti illegal

Knowledge Issue: Logic

• Gov. Schwarzenegger• Signed Graffiti Vandalism Legislature

• Claims:• Graffiti deserves to be a form of free expression

(Designers, Artists, Gangs, Marc Ecko)• Graffito are unwanted to publicity

(Government, observers, workers)

Knowledge Issue: Logic

• Claim: Graffiti deserves to be a form of free expression

• Mark Ecko used the First Amendment to argue in favor of free expressionism.

• “[They] tried to censor my first amendment rights and those of these great artists by attempting to dictate how we express ourselves.”

Knowledge Issue: Logic

• Claim: Graffito are unwanted to publicity

• “By cleaning up graffiti and holding offenders accountable for their actions, this legislation will make our streets and neighborhoods a safer and cleaner place to live.” -Gov. Schwarzenegger

Linking Question: Ethics

• To what extent does John Locke’s Theory of Property and Natural Law plays in with Graffiti?

• John Locke was a philosophers of the late 17th and 18th century.

• Natural Law- everyone born as a free man.• Theory of Property – private property is absolutely essential

for liberty: “every Man has a Property in his own Person. – John Locke

Knowledge Issue: Logic

• Why is Graffiti considered illegal?

• Reasons convinces the outcome of the Graffiti case. John Locke ideals were not appealing to audiences. Government favors majority who dislikes Graffiti. Minority, art scene, loses to majority by reasons.

Conclusion

• Graffiti are either as well as neither art or vandalism by beholder’s own personal view, emotion, and logic.

Discussions• What position do you take on the Graffiti

debate? Include your views, emotion, or reasons for why.

Citation•

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