Graffiti Facts : Problems

Is Graffiti Really That Big of a Problem?

Graffiti is everywhere. Every city, every country, nearly every continent (We can’t say for sure that Antarctica has been tagged.) has been impacted by graffiti. The change of graffiti from social or political expression to a culture where monikers, volume and fame created a lifestyle started in the 70’s in predominately Philadelphia and New York City. With the growth of the internet graffiti was quickly shared and supported through easy and semi-anonymous communication with other vandals. The Internet became a graffiti gallery with the birth of Art Crimes in 1994. Art Crimes, the first graffiti website, was sponsored by Georgia Tech University and designed by Susan Farrell, a graduate student. This web site remained on the Georgia Tech server until December 1997. By then the damage was done, in that 500 graffiti copycat sites had been put on line all over the world. ArtCrimes is still a Mecca for graffiti vandals, from toys to veterans; Farrell is their heroic icon. She continues to run ArtCrimes as a private web site.

Look around just about any community and you will see traces of vandalism in the streets. Signs, sidewalks, walls, windows, paper boxes, fences, poles, mailboxes even trees are all common surfaces on which to find graffiti. Subway systems and railways inspired subcultures within the graffiti world in which the vandals specialize in rolling canvases. Even when a city seems to be graffiti free a close look by an experienced eye will reveal evidence of vandalism. Commonly high level graffiti, called “heavens” pieces in the graffiti culture will remain for years due to the difficulty and expense of removal. Small marks or stickers can be overlooked for long periods as well.

Not only are we assaulted by vandalism in our communities, we are also being victimized by a corporate controlled consumer culture in which popular trends, acceptable or not, are glorified and legitimized through advertising and products. Graffiti was co-opted by this strategy years ago. As the popularity of graffiti grew within the youth culture we saw a similar growth in the use of graffiti style and culture in corporate advertising. When using graffiti as a concept in mainstream advertising several things are happening.

Recruitment – New vandals are further encouraged by the acceptability and legitimacy of graffiti being reinforced by its use in mainstream venues. Additionally they are looking up to the vandals that developed their talents to a point that they are now being paid handsomely by the same companies.

Desensitization – When the public is continually exposed to graffiti styles and culture in ads, commercials, movies, and games they do not notice the illegal vandalism on the streets. It doesn’t have the same shock factor that it did when graffiti was only viewed as the result of vandalism.

Validation – There is a flawed argument that graffiti is art and not a crime. The simple truth that seems to be hard for many to understand is that the difference between graffiti and art is permission. Any graffiti that is applied without the permission of the property owner is not art, it is a crime. By continually using illegal vandals to create brand custom graffiti by corporations and calling them artists supports the argument of the vandals themselves. Most artisans spend time struggling financial with all free funds going to art supplies. For a traditional painter this includes canvases. Graffiti vandals have no cost for canvas, and if they “rack” or steal their paint there is no expense there either. They are literally developing their talents on the backs of property owners and businesses. And now they are being rewarded for their actions with endorsements and lucrative contracts.