Name of Art Piece: Untitled (Tori Speech)

Tori Leggett

AP Academy Language and Composition

12/13/2015

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Name of Art Piece: Untitled

The other day I was baking a cake and the directions called for eggs, water, flour, sugar, etc. the only problem was, when the cake called for a cup and a half of water, I added three. The cake came out runny, and full of disappointment. It’s very important to follow exact directions when youre baking, fortunately this isn’t the case with art. Especially graffiti art, you can use it to simply express yourself, like the elder artist Kenny Scharf who found inspiration in pop culture, or make a statement, like the currently famous Banksy. I’d like to talk to you about graffiti art, how it’s treated and viewed, how we could change this and why it could be beneficial.

Graffiti art is the act of using spray paint, to create art; mostly in the subway systems and on the sides of buildings. The graffiti movement can be traced back to the 1970’s, and has since then evolved from just spray paint; it has created yet another kind of art form, commonly called street art, where they use the normal spray paint, along with stencils and sometimes even stickers. Shepard Fairey, for example, is a very well-known street artist, he used stickers with the face of Andre the Giant and OBEY written underneath, and they were posted on bill boards, on walls, everywhere. Even better known, he was the artist that created the red and blue picture of president Obama that was used for his campaign. When artists create graffiti art, they put it on the sides of buildings knowing that it will probably be gone the next day. But they do it anyways because they want to create art, they want to show case their art.

Graffiti art gives artists a way to communicate their thoughts freely and where ever they want. Except they can’t. States like New York have Anti- Graffiti laws. The issue with the laws is that graffiti art is unable to be distinguished from gang graffiti and it makes all graffiti illegal. The New York City Graffiti Law says, “No person shall write, paint or draw any inscription, figure or mark of any type on public or private building or other structure…” the law goes on to prevent people from being in possession of aerosol spray cans, felt tip markers, and etching acids. This is in response to the large amounts of graffiti covering the city.

“Exit through the gift shop” is a documentary made by Banksy that follows many street artists, and shows what it’s like to climb the buildings and create the art. It has scenes of police officers telling them that they couldn’t have the equipment they did, and they needed to leave, even if they didn’t have the intention of putting graffiti on the building. This is how a lot of police officers respond to artists, simply telling them to leave, and if they catch them in the act they arrest them. Which they should, it’s against the law. Defacing someone’s property is illegal, considered vandalism even if it is art. The law says they need to ask permission to graffiti anything, but the issue comes when the artist desires to remain anonymous. Banksy for example, is an Englishman whose art has become a worldwide phenomenon. His true identity is unknown; he doesn’t even carry a phone for people to get a hold of him. And if an artist wishes to be unseen and unknown, how is he supposed to ask permission to graffiti the side of a building. Part of the reason artists partake in graffiti is because it is illegal, and asking permission from an owner takes part of the art away. It takes away the surprise when people walk down the street in the morning and see a new art piece. Art is encouraged in schools, be creative, create something meaningful. Isn’t that what street artists are doing? So why are we completely cutting them off, instead of giving them rules to follow? The laws should be amended so that there is a sign or sticker of some kind, on each building that doesn’t wish to be graffitied that conveys a message that this building is off limits for graffiti. The law should also be more specific, and say that gang graffiti, and simply tagging places with your name or something mundane, is not allowed. The graffiti should not be defamatory, or unnecessarily offensive, as that would be taking advantage of the ability to create art in public. The small adjustments to the laws would make it easier for artists to remain anonymous, they’re art would be on display for longer than a day, and they won’t get arrested, so long as they follow the law.

“Doing art has meaning not just for the individual doing it, but also for a society, for a culture (Friedman).”  The street art community is a close knit group, for example in the interview Building Detroit, the artist Nekst had passed recently and a crew of ten or more artists created a large mural in honor of him. People were really excited to see what the artists had in store. Graffiti art has become such a phenomenon that well known artists have gallery shows, and even sell some of their pieces. The artist creates art for the community, for the people viewing the piece, for themselves. Art can be created for the simple pleasure of creating something, expressing yourself; it’s even used to help people cope with mental illnesses. Allowing artists to express themselves could have a positive impact on their health and even making the people who see the art, a little happier. Creating graffiti art is just like someone playing an instrument, or writing a novel, or even creating art in their home. The right to express themselves shouldn’t be taken away, if there are other alternatives.

Art can have many benefits, and the law shouldn’t prevent artists from creating their art. The law should be amended to have designated signs, or stickers on each building to convey whether or not graffiti art is allowed on that building. There should also be specifics in the law that say that overly offensive art is not allowed, and that the building owner does have the right to remove the art, or ask the artist to not return to their building. This would allow artists to create art, artists to remain anonymous if they wish, artists a lower risk of being arrested, and all the while, we can continue to enjoy the amazing art pieces in the streets.

 

Bibliography

"Building Detroit." Interview by Colin M. Day. YouTube. MOCA, 29 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHF1huG-qZc>.

"Anti-Graffiti City and State Legislation." Anti-Graffiti City and State Legislation. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

Exit through the Gift Shop 2010. Dir. Banksy. Perf. Thierry Guetta and Banksy. Madman, 2010. Netflix. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Friedman, .Michael. "Art Can Be Good for Mental Health." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 6 June 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.