Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?

A look at the different forms of graffiti, and what constitutes as art, or mere vandalism.

Modern Graffiti comes in many different forms, from the scrawled message in a public bathroom stall to the spray-painted murals boasted on subway walls. The simplest form of graffiti is scrawled message; “Sally loves Peter” or “James woz here.” Many regard these impromptu writings as vandalism, as they lack artistic merit, yet the point of graffiti is to send an expressive message to the reader, whether it is a political, social or personal view.
Some graffiti is used as a territory marker, called “tagging”. These can often be seen on street corners, street signs and suburban walls. It is simply a signature of the person who is laying claim to that area as being in their territory.

Stenciling is a popular form of modern graffiti, and is often used to convey political and social messages to the viewer in a pictorial form. A famous stenciling artist is Banksy, with his provocative and thought-provoking work that can be appreciated as more than just mere vandalism, as seen below.

Graffitti artists commonly utilize spray paint as their medium, using different size nozzles to achieve broader or more precise lines. However, some graffiti artists choose to use brushes or sponges, sometimes combining all three in their artwork.

Modern graffitti does not require that a certain style is used. Cartoons, caricatures and portraits are often used to convey a message, with decorative text styles and interesting uses of perspective.
Modern graffiti is true street art, appearing overnight on walls, in subways and on buildings. Graffitti artists often paint their murals illegally, working under cover of darkness with a team of sentries to watch for law enforcers or pedestrians. Because of the controversial material contained in many murals, graffiti is now considered to be a form of resistance art, in rebellion against common public beliefs and government laws. This example is of a statement made by Barack Obama, as expressed by the graffiti artist.

The ultimate achievement for many graffiti artists is to create their work in places that are dangerous to get to, or difficult to paint on. Spraying a piece on the side of a train, for example, is quite an achievement, as trains are often under close guard, and have a slick surface which causes the paint to run.

As with all genres of art, there are amazing graffiti artists, and those who attempt to be amazing, but fall far short of their goal, and end up being mere vandals.

However, there is a lot of amazing graffiti out there, and many graffiti artists are now being commissioned to decorate buildings and offices. As an art form, it requires not only technical ability, to use the tools required, but creativity and personal opinion.

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Patriotic New York Tattoos

Patriotic New Yorkers show allegiance to their city, their sports teams, their landmarks and historic events by inking images of these into their skin.

I ♥ NY

The “I love New York” logo was created in the 1970s by Milton Glaser to promote tourism in New York City. The emblem has found its way onto t-shirts, hats, hoodies, stickers and even into tattoo designs. The “I heart New York” tattoo below is a design based on Milton Glaser’s logo.

New York Yankees and Brooklyn Mets

Many New Yorkers are avid baseball fans. There is a huge amount of competition between New York Yankees fans and Brooklyn Mets fans. Some of these fans have decided to show their support for their teams by having their team logos tattooed onto their skin. 

September 11 Tattoos

On September 11, 2001, New York City was the victim of a terrorist attack. Two planes were flown into the famous Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, killing thousands of people. This event shocked America and the world. Nine Eleven has been remembered in many ways, with memorial services to commemorate those who died, artworks, books and documentaries. There are a number of people who have chosen to have tattoo designs so that they will never forget the attack. Most of these designs incorporate the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, to memorialize the destruction of these buildings in the aftermath of the attack. The New York skyline transformed when these buildings fell, changing the lives of New Yorkers.

Many of these 9/11 tattoos are worn by family members of those who passed away on September Eleventh, to commemorate their loved ones.

Statue of Liberty Tattoos

The Statue of Liberty, finished in 1886, stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. The sculpture is of Libertas, the Roman Goddess of Freedom. She holds a flaming torch and a book of law, and at her feet are broken chains. The Statue of Liberty is the most famous New York landmark, and is a symbol of the American dream. The statue was a gift from France to America, to unite the French and American citizens. The Statue of Liberty tattoos shown below use the statue as a symbol of freedom and independence.

Empire State Building Tattoos

The Empire State Building is another famous New York landmark, named after New York’s nickname, The Empire State. Between 1931 and 1972, the Empire State Building was the world’s tallest building. It became New York’s second tallest building when the North Tower of The World Trade Center was completed in 1972. Following the bombing of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became New York’s tallest building. With it’s recognizable architecture, it’s no wonder that many people have chosen to create Empire State Building tattoo designs.

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