Who says Graffiti can’t be art? Graffiti is one of today’s many new ways of showing your opinions and expressions through a stencil and a can of paint. It may seem like Graffiti is just a quick sketch or word sprayed through a piece of cardboard, but hours and hours of hard work can be put into making even the tiniest stencil. Almost every single piece of graffiti you see splashed across a brick wall has it’s own meaning or story behind it. I personal don’t see much graffiti living in a small mountain town, but I think graffiti is one of today’s newest and most interesting forms of modern art.  I believe this because it is unique, colorful, and usually drives a strong message. Infact, some people have become very famous from mastering the art of graffiti.

Do you know who Banksy is? Banksy is a famous, anonymous, graffiti artist who uses his unique stencils to create interesting pieces of art that reflect the media, capitalism, and politics. He is yet another great example of why graffiti can have artistic expressions and value. His works of art have appeared all over the world including, New York City, Australia, and the Israeli West Bank Wall. As one of the most popular and famous street artists there is, Banksy’s unique style has been copied and imitated by many other people.  He may not have sold his art personally, but some of his masterpieces have sold for millions of dollars at auctions around the globe. One of his more famous pieces depicts a man wearing a bandana over his face and a backwards baseball cap throwing a bouquet of flowers as if the flowers were a hand grenade. This striking image is an example of his unique style where the entire image is black and white except for the one part of the image which is always the subject of the the message being pushed. In this image, only the flowers have been colored. I think Banksy is one of today’s greatest artists because he creates his pieces sorely for the public eye. He doesn't paint and spray walls so he can sell his work for millions of dollars, he does it because he feels his art should be shared with everyone where others can be inspired by it and imitate it.

Another reason why I think graffiti is a fascinating form of art is because anyone with a stencil, a blank wall, and a can of paint can do it. Infact, many cities around the planet have been encouraging this new form of art. For example, the city of Cheyenne in south Wyoming, has set up a large wall at Brimmer Park where any member of the community can use a stencil to paint their own unique image. Every couple weeks the city hires construction workers to paint over the wall and create a fresh canvas to paint on. Local Cheyenne gallery owner, Harvey Deselms claims that he likes the stencils because they often have a message to share(Rhoten). All the way across the continent in the city of Toronto, local citizens are taking their own actions in appreciating graffiti. Here in Toronto you can take a guided tour through the downtown streets to view all types of graffiti from large murals to small sketches. “ Sometimes works pop up overnight” says tour guide, Sean Martindale(Pagliaro). I personally think the best part of graffiti is how it can turn the most boring and basic brick wall into an awe inspiring masterpiece.

In conclusion, not only do I think graffiti is a form of art, I think graffiti is the most interesting form of art there is. I believe that people like Rob Ford(Pagliaro), or anyone else that doesn't think graffiti is art should not only rethink their definition of art, but also take a step into trying to understand and appreciate graffiti. If you don't think graffiti is or can be art, then I suggest that you try it out yourself and see how fun it is.  First grab a piece of cardboard and a pair of scissors to create your own stencil, next find a flat and legal surface to tag your piece on. Finally just point and spray your can of paint onto the stencil and in seconds you have created your first piece.  I think everybody would start appreciating graffiti more if they stopped thinking about it as if it was vandalism and more as if it was art.

Sources Cited
Pagliaro, Jennifer “where Art Meets Street,” Toronto Star. 22 Mar. 2012: n. pag. print. wed 21. oct. 2015.

Rhoten, Josh. “Graffiti: legally It’s vandalism, but can it be art?” Wyoming Tribune Eagle.(cheyenne). 6 Oct. 2011: n. page. peint. 21 Oct. 2015.