Graffiti: Works of art, or Illegal tagging?

Personally I live in a smaller city where there isn't a whole lot of gang related news. At least not that I hear of. So most of the graffiti that I see is on a train that goes who knows were. And lately I haven't even been seeing that. There are those street tags where there's a small time teenage gang trying to "own this street" and such, but it's mostly back ally things that no one really sees or cares about. Basically I don't have a graffiti ridden city, which is good, and bad. I keep talking about the type of graffiti that we all think of; tags, gang related lettering, The kind of graffiti that makes you think of all those movies with the youth gangs that go around killing students who try to excel and get out of the gang life. There are other types of graffiti though. There are beautiful pieces of art that aren't considered art because they have the graffiti feel, or are on a wall in a subway tunnel. Pieces like these:

 

These are just some of the millions of amazing graffiti that I found. There is no doubt that Graffiti is illegal because it's on public property and these artist's are defacing that property, but think about how these artists do this without letting the world know who they are. They don't do it for fame, or money, they do it for the love of art. And I think that is an honorable reason to do this. Maybe the city can create a designated area for graffiti artists to do their work, but that's but that's not how it works. These artists do it for a reason, the placement of these pieces of art are specific and meaningful. Each piece has its own story, and if there is a designated area for these specific works of art, what makes them so shocking and moving? Part of the graffiti scene is that there is the shock at seeing something on what used to be a blank wall.

 

That's the beauty of this art form, the shocking part makes the painting stick in your head, plus the sheer beauty of the style. I don't know anyone who can make the graffiti lettering because it's not just a easy thing that BOOM you know, some are lucky where its easy for them, but like most artist, that's the case. Creation is what comes naturally to them. Graffiti is a hot topic lately, but the thing is, everyone has their own view on what is art or not, and this is mine. And I look forward to hearing your view.

 

Until I write again

Au revoir,

~Rayne