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Mollie Reiter
Mr. Polking
Comp. 2
11 April 2016
Choose The Canvas Carefully
Every hour of every day, one of the oldest forms of transportation rumbles
through the country, from coast to coast and town to town. Although this form of
transportation isnt used the same way it was used in the early years when America was
forming, it still has a major impact on our lives. This is no longer the main means of
transporting people, but rather large products such as cars and machinery, and also
natural fuels such as coal and oil. Trains have been around for hundreds of years and in
this decade another use for them has been found. The plain, boring, steel cars of these
trains were not made for what several people have created them to be. For an artist,
more specifically a graffiti artist, these vast train cars are canvases for their art work. Art
work that now travels from coast to coast and town to town, being marveled by some
and hated by others. There has always been the controversial debate about whether
graffiti is art or vandalism. In some cases it is considered to be both. By jumping on this
train ride, I have come to my own belief about what graffiti is or isnt.
There are people that claim that graffiti is always vandalism with no ifs, ands, or
buts about it. To them, graffiti is vandalism because it occurs on property without the
owner's approval or consent. Their mindset is that graffiti is a crime right from the start
with not a care for the slightest possibility to simply stand back and view it as a form of
art. Cities all over the world have been working on city-wide removal of graffiti. On top of

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this they are creating laws and fines to prevent future graffiti. Certain restrictions that the
city has limits the use of graffiti even if a business owner allows a graffiti artist to
decorate their business. These include the fact that the city has to approve of the place
where the graffiti is placed and if it is acceptable (Bloomberg).
In an article by the New York Times Opinion Pages titled Graffiti is Always
Vandalism, the writer states that, "Graffiti is always vandalism. By definition it is
committed without permission on another person's property, in an adolescent display of
entitlement. Whether particular viewers find any given piece of graffiti artistically
compelling is irrelevant. Graffitis most salient characteristic is that it is a crime"
(Donald). This writer refuses to consider the other side of the argument and continues to
repeat herself over and over, making a poor argument.
In another source titled Combating Graffiti; Reclaiming the Public Spaces of
New York, the New York Police Department states graffiti is ". . . a mark upon public or
private property, with the intent to damage such property" (Bloomberg). While this might
be true in some cases, not all graffiti artists want to destroy or damage their "canvas."
On one hand I agree with their statement that there needs to be certain restrictions on
graffiti. The restrictions that I agree with are the certain areas that graffiti should be
allowed. Areas that have older architectural buildings should be off limits to graffiti, along
with areas around schools. On the other hand, however, I believe that these restrictions
should not be to ban graffiti entirely. By banning it completely, the art world loses one of
its forms and many great masterpieces. To completely understand the whole argument
about graffiti being art, vandalism, or both, they must look at the basic facts and try to
understand both sides of the issue before they make a decision.

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Before anyone can make a solid stand on either side of the issue, they should
cover the basic questions of What is graffiti? Many people associate graffiti with gang
signs made with spray paint. Others view it as basic scribbles that have no meaning.
The dictionary defines graffiti as writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed
illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place. The word graffiti comes from the
Italian word graffito, meaning a scratch. Graffiti is not made with only spray paint like
many believe, however. It can be made with a variety of art tools, such as pencils,
stickers, charcoal, and many others. With so many different ways to be created, graffiti
is one of the most diverse forms of art that expresses cultures and personalities.
The article Graffiti: Art or Vandalism, by Greg Eickmier, makes a great point
about graffiti:
When people today talk about graffiti it is most frequently thought of with some
negative connotation. Some consider it to be synonymous with vandalism or
even property destruction. But for all intents and purposes graffiti has existed
since prehistoric times and has also given us great insight into more recent
cultures and civilizations as well (Eickmier).
Graffiti has been around for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest forms
of art. Cavemen used graffiti to tell stories about their lives, a way to document history. It
has always allowed artists to express themselves through their work, just like all other
types of art. Eickmier explains this in two simple sentences: Graffiti artist call
themselves writers because words and letterforms were the most common type of
imagery represented within the movement. Words have power (Eickmier). I agree with
these few statements from Eickmier about Graffiti being an important form of art. Every

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form of art plays an important role in our society and history. Yet to what extent graffiti
can be used is a whole different issue.
In the Combating Graffiti; Reclaiming the Public Spaces of New York article, the
New York Police Department says that graffiti is a crime that has major issues. I agree
with their claims such as Once considered a small problem caused by a handful of
teenagers, graffiti has erupted into a nationwide epidemic costing billions of dollars each
year (Bloomberg). Many people believe that all graffiti is a result from gangs and
crimes. This is not entirely true, as there are artists out there that just want to express
themselves to the world by using graffiti. Even people who disapprove of graffiti should
not criticize it without seeing both sides of the issue.
People prefer to not look at the art side of the argument. Art is something that
can take someones breath away, make your mind wander to a different world, a
different time period, even a different universe. Graffiti is considered a crime and
because of this it is frowned upon instead of looked upon as something to admire. I
believe that there should be certain laws to help maintain graffiti so it doesnt get out of
hand. On the other hand, I believe that graffiti shouldnt be banned completely. There
are several different ways that certain restrictions can be created for graffiti. Some of
these include the idea of licenses that artists can apply for that will allow them to create
their masterpieces in certain areas of the cities. Another is to have certain areas around
cities where this form of art can be displayed for a certain amount of time, allowing new
art to continually be created. These are just a few ideas that I believe in to help handle
and control graffiti. After all, why try to eliminate and ban future art, in the form of graffiti,
if it is not only a piece of the past and the present, but also something to marvel at?

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Works Cited
Bloomberg, Michael R., Mayor, and Raymond W. Kelly, Police Commissioner.
"COMBATING GRAFFITI 'Reclaiming the Public Spaces of New York'"" New York
Police Department. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. <chromeextension://kjnclckkljgkjkephofiphecmokenanp/http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downl
oads/pdf/anti_graffiti/Combating_Graffiti.pdf>.
Donald, Heather Mac. "Graffiti Is Always Vandalism." New York Times Opinion Pages.
New York Times, 4 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/07/11/when-does-graffiti-becomeart/graffiti-is-always-vandalism>.
Eickmier, Greg. " Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?" Museum of the City. N.p., n.d. Web. 29
Mar. 2016. <http://www.museumofthecity.org/project/graffiti-art-or-vandalism/>.
Hughes, Melissa L. "Street Art & Graffiti Art: Developing an Understanding." Georgia
State University. N.p., 16 June 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. <chromeextension://kjnclckkljgkjkephofiphecmokenanp/http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/vie
wcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=art_design_theses>.