Act of vandalism - Graffiti Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Act of vandalism - Graffiti - Term Paper Example One reason why graffiti is often considered to have little artistic merit is that it is often done by young people who are still developing and practicing their artistic abilities. There is no guarantee that just because someone has the ability to graffiti that their work will necessarily be any good in the artistic sense however this is defined. Graffiti is connected with gangs who use tags to mark their territories, often to warn off other gangs as described by the web page Graffiti Art. In Northern Ireland large wall paintings, often on gable ends, serve as territorial markers between the different sectarian groups. In New York it appears on sub way cars. Sometimes graffiti, especially tags, which came into prominence in the1990’s, is used as a form of initiation, especially if in a hard to reach place. This gives it associations with both serious organized crime such drug dealing, as well as anti social behavior and what are seen as the more serious acts of vandalism such as smashing windows arson. Although some spectacular graffiti is done using spray cans, most is done on such places as toilet walls or back seats of buses, either by scratching into a surface using a sharp object (this type of graffiti is undoubtedly vandalism as it damages) or using a pen or pens. The aim of top graffiti artists such as Banksy in the United Kingdom, and is to create their own unique and recognizable style and to have their pieces in prominent places where they will attract attention.