Graffiti as Street Art & A Second Look at “Street Art”

This is an on going battle in the art world. Is graffiti street art or is it just vandalism? Now I’m not saying all graffiti isn’t vandalism because there is stuff that is and it is done for that reason.

One of the things that I wonder is why ‘street art’ seems a more art-world politically correct term for graffiti? Why not just call it what it is? It feels like many people who call it street art want to call it that just to give it “cache” in the art world. If you call a ‘street art’ painting in a gallery, graffiti, does that devalue the work? Not really, to me - it is what it is. And street art is a completely different thing to graffiti, so why not let it be what it is. This does not solve the on-going argument if graffiti is art or not. That will probably be never solved. Just like what is public space and what isn’t when it comes to graffiti remains a question. At least give the name it’s own credit.

A Second Look at “Street Art”

With a second look at “Street Art” as a title of Graffiti, I know I questioned it. And said in the right way by the right people and direction of their nose I will question it. Here’s how I really think about it. “Street Art” should be looked and treated as the overall movement. It’s a movement that has spread over time more then any other. People have to start putting graffiti, public art, flash mobs, monuments and more into subcategories under “Street Art”. Other categories of street art have been since cave paintings and Egyptian monuments to public sculptures in today’s cities.

I accept “Street Art” as one term for all art on the street and out in the public spaces, but it has to not be used to discount the other sub-groups.

Originally Posted: April 15, 2011