Grafiti, also known as street art, defines as drawing on someone’s property without their consent. Graffiti is most often seen in urban areas such as New York or Los Angeles, but it can pretty much be seen anywhere one goes.

Graffiti is definitely art, but there are exceptions of what graffiti can be deemed as art. People use graffiti in many different ways. Some utilize graffiti to support drugs, violence, and gangs while others actually create a thoughtful, artistic piece to express a thought or message.

These imaginative creations often portray a meaning. Therefore, they are considered as art.

For example, a graffiti artist by the name of Banksy creates multitudes of graffiti art. His most renowned piece of art is called “Balloon Girl”; depicting a young toddler releasing a red, heart-shaped balloon.

The balloon represents innocence, love, and hope. In all, the whole picture illustrates how there is always hope. In fact, Banksy painted the words “There is always hope” besides the picture. Banksy is not the only graffiti artist out there; there are many more such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel-Basquiat.

As said before, people use graffiti to express a thought, so graffiti artist with a platform could communicate a comment a society. As a result, graffiti can be beneficial for the community by giving the people a voice to convey their opinions on a certain matter in their society.

People can argue that graffiti makes an unsafe ambience. They feel insecure around graffiti because they usually correlate graffiti with gangs. Gangs scribble these drawings to intimidate other gangs and stake their territory, not to threaten ordinary pedestrians. Not to mention, massive amounts of tax money is spent on removing graffiti, only to be scribbled all over again.

According to https://www.lataco.com/graffiti-costs-13-of-litter-los-angeles-freeways/, “CalTrans, which is responsible for our city (and state’s) freeways, has released some interesting numbers that help put graffiti crimes and cleanup into context.

In the past year, CalTrans spent $2.7m cleaning up graffiti along the city’s freeways.” Instead of spending tax money on graffiti, it should be spent on improving education and schools or on hospitals.

Tay, a freshman at Troy High School and Matthew Cheng, a freshman a Valencia High School both say,”I agree with the idea that tax money shouldn’t be used on graffiti, rather it should be utilized for other things such as education and hospitals.” In conclusion, graffiti is considered as art.

<Brian Lee/ Troy High School 9th>