Essay Sample on Graffiti and Street Art: A Vanishing Art Form

Introduction

Street art and graffiti is vandalism. Any uncommissioned work on another person's property does not have another name. There is no debate about that. Whether these form of art has positive connotations or not, it should be removed from public places. That has been the fate of most of the greatest graffiti works in the last 40 or so years (Gopnik 113-4). Shortly after it goes public, it is removed. Whatever remains are those masterpieces painted on old buildings and abandoned settlements.

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It is also one of the most powerful socio-political tools of the 21st century. Its positive influence in the world is undeniable. Its overall value on humanity is potentially priceless. Artists of the modern revolution such as Banksy, Sanki King, Shepard Fairey, and Zhang Dali see graffiti as a rhetorical device. It is a way to be responsive to the things that are in the world. Example graffiti works include Banksy's near Bethlehem and Zhang's Chinese Offspring painted on buildings marked for demolition.

Apart from those good artistic works that scholars talk about when making a case for graffiti, there is another brand of street hooliganism that no one will want to see. Not every kid who gets a spray can will have good intentions. Profane graffiti is the norm in the streets of America. In China, things are quite conservative. If you combine the desire for fame and achievement with that of street art, controversy sells better. Before artists are noticed for mainstream murals, they must make a name for themselves.

To understand the capacity of street art and graffiti, we have to look at it in terms of its intentions. The artists are trying to enlighten society about a certain issue. A rhetorical device such as a poem, song, film, or art displays three key characteristics; it has an intended message, a channel or medium, and an audience (Herrick 8-9). Does street art achieve those grounds for it to be a rhetorical device?

The very purpose of placing the graffiti in public places where it can attract attention is an indicator that there is an audience. The location of art is paramount for it to bring the intended intensity (Stryker 285). Artists capitalize on the moment to express their messages in places that have an emotional connection with the message that the person wants to portray. For example, Detroit's street art hub is a testament to the city's violent past. Zhang Dali's political graffiti of the past showed certain social excesses in the works of the Chinese Offspring (Valjakka 73).

To make the message effective, much of the graffiti culture now rests in the Capital Beijing. Zhang is no longer doing politically instigated art with an AK-47 signature anymore, but the graffiti culture is spreading fast to other cities such as Shanghai (Gopnik 113). The message is clear from the onset. In America, a kid holding a spray can is better off than the one holding a gun. If a message can be expressed using ink and not a bullet in the streets, it is a welcome gesture.

The only place where street art fails is the medium. The chosen medium is illegal. An artist cannot just decide to paint something beautiful in a busy street and the middle of the night and expect adoration and respect. What most artists do not do is to seek approval of their works. Some authorities argue that graffiti is welcome in the city as long as it is legal (Stryker 287). Sadly, it is not.

Some people feel that street art should be tolerated because it plays a vital role in society. Indeed, graffiti and street art usage in modern revolutions is impressive. Almost all cities in the free world have a form of street art imprinted on it. It can be an art that symbolizes a drug pick up point or one that is infused with socio-political context. The Arab spring featured all kinds of media. Graffiti on the walls was a common signature-and still is in Syria, Libya, and such countries. When people want to defy authority, graffiti is a natural fit, and that is probably what makes it a popular form of messaging to a large audience (Gopnik 113).

Modern artists are not relying on the general street art that vandalizes walls and buildings; it is far much more elaborate. Artists such as Shepard Fairey of the Obey Giant logo have a rich background and acceptance in the street art, but they have commercialized their ventures such as the Obey Giant film directed by James Moll. Banksy, the British most celebrated street artist, is a commercial genius even though he remains anonymous. He uses all the rhetorical appeals, similar to those of a Coca-Cola ad to convey his messages. Unlike Fairey, Banksy remains unknown because of his notoriety. Thanks to that controversy, Banksy is a celebrated international artist. His portfolio includes films and other commercial products. To such artists, fame and recognition are paying handsomely and so is their socio-political footprint (Stryker 290).

As long as these artists are in the business of activism, people believe that their activism justifies their actions. In an economic sense, vandalism is inexcusable. In the current age of digital explosion, access is almost ubiquitous. Street art, being a planned venture, ought to find ways in which it can operate within legal means. It should not be just about using its cultural disposition only; it should harness positive values, aspirations, and beliefs within the wider audience (Herrick 9). Zhang Dali and Ai Weiwei are contrasting figures in the world of graffiti. Zhang specialized in mainstream art after making a name in the world of socio-political activism. Weiwei uses mainstream media such as videos to speak about the government's excesses.

Conclusion

In the modern world, the avenues to display art as a change agent are abundant. They are also quite cheap. Online publishing can reach an international audience. In countries where freedom of internet usage is not available such as China, street art is still a viable tool. Unfortunately, the repercussions of the form of art are dire. In America, there is no excuse to vandalize someone else's building in the name of social activism. An artist has enough avenues at his disposal. In China and other places where democracy and the rule of law are blurred, street art is an effective way of bringing the message. Positive graffiti, infused with socio-political messages that seek to improve society, far transcends any claims of vandalism that may be leveled against it. Its overall goodness is a mirror for a community that hates excesses. In such a situation, the art's benefits outweigh the harm done.

Works Cited

Gopnik, Blake. "Revolution in a Can." Culture, 2011.Herrick, James A. "An Overview of Rhetoric." A History and Theory of Rhetoric: AnIntroduction, 4th ed. Pearson, 2009.

Obey Giant. Directed by James Moll, performances by Shepard Fairey, Amanda Fairey,and Robbie Conal, Hulu, 2017.

Stryker, Mark. "A Street Art Culture Clash as Graffiti Goes Mainstream." Culture, 2015.

Valjakka, Minna. "Graffiti in China-Chinese Graffiti?." The Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies 29.1 (2013): 61-91.