Tori Leggett
AP Academy Language and Composition
12/13/2015
/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.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.