by: HANNAH NELSON/Staff Writer
Everyone sees it when they are driving through a city. The spray-painted pictures on the sides of buildings is known as graffiti.
Most people look at these pictures in disgust, because the act of graffiti is a form of vandalism. Many people will also spray many inappropriate pictures or words with their graffiti. Most people see graffiti as nothing but an ugly eyesore that makes everything around it seem trashy.
However, many pieces of graffiti that people see are much more than just the vandalism people know it as. These pieces can be true works of art that hold meaning and beauty. The spray-painted picture is just as magnificent as any other legitimate form of art that we would see in a museum.
When looking at the type of graffiti that consumes many buildings in a city, the number one thing that is normally seen are the names of the people who did the work. This image or signature that we see is known as a “Tag.” When you first look at graffiti, you will think that the artist of the work is doing nothing but tying to be rebellious by vandalizing someone’s property with his or her name.
However, what If you took the time to stop and really analyze the work that many people are quick to judge? Take the time to look at the entirety of the piece. Look at the shape of the letters, the design, and the colors. You may, at first, just be reading the name of the artist. But after really looking at a piece of graffiti, you can discover so much more. Every letter, every design, and every color is a message and/or story for the viewer to uncover.
The graffiti that we see can mean so many different things. It can be used to promote ethnic unity, as well as diversity. Through graffiti, someone could be telling you his or her life story, giving you an in-depth look into who they really are. These pieces of work are a true form of self-expression.
The definition of art is explained as the expression of human creative skills and a person’s imagination. Essentially, that is exactly what graffiti s. Graffiti is the act of someone using his or her imagination to create something that he or she feels will represent who they are to the people who see it, in the best way possible.
This form of art also takes a lot of skills. The artist is relying solely on a few cans of spray paint and his or her own hand to create the pieces of art that we see. So why not take the time to look at the art that is right in front of you, and uncover the story to be told.c
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