You’ve seen it everywhere. On the outside of buildings, inside bathroom stalls, high effort, and low effort. Some hate it, some love it. Is graffiti something that we should be more accepting of and give more thought to, or should it be painted over and ignored? And is it really art? Graffiti is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “writings or drawings that are scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public space.” This definition, however, sets graffiti off on the wrong foot, as it is not always illegal. Local businesses may hire graffiti artists, such as the Minnesota Graffiti & Mural Company, to decorate their building. Since graffiti has its roots in communal and urban spaces, when it is supported, it uplifts all of the people in the community who are engaging in it instead of putting graffiti artists down. These commisions also serve as opportunities to show the real artistic talent that graffiti can showcase. Just because their canvas resides on the side of a building doesn’t affect the potential quality of the art. Lara Aksan, ‘26, thought that it “add[ed] to the cultural landscape and simply is cool,” noting how “oftentimes graffiti comes with messages or stories about the people who share a given space [which] gives a unique character to [the] buildings.”
However, not everyone looks at graffiti as positively. Unfortunately, it’s not always made with the intent to spread a well-meaning message. Hate speech, racist imagery and symbols, and other similar topics are not uncommon to see in graffiti. Elizabeth Donohue, ‘27, highlighted that “graffiti can be used for really mean things sometimes, and they’re out in the open, so you can’t decide if you want to see it.” This, along with the fact that a lot of graffiti is in fact illegally made, gives graffiti a very bad look, es- pecially because it can represent the community it is found within.
Despite this, there is nothing guaranteeing that an oil paint- ing cannot contain the same or similar upsetting content as this graffiti. As such, it should not be held against the artistic legitimacy of graffiti, as one bad painting or tag is not representative of the entire art form. Graffiti, for most, is a fun way to share art with people and promote a sense of community and artistic expression.
