When walking around New York City, one sees a lot of artwork. From graphic designed commercial advertisements to fresco paintings along the sides of buildings. Art is everywhere!
A question that often arises in the "Art World" is this:
Is graffiti art or vandalism?
I think that it can be both, depending on the intent of the graffiti artist.
One definition of art from the Merriam Webster Dictionary reads: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects. If the artist sets out to execute a creative work of art, then I think that it is art. If their plan is to simply write their name, without striving for an aesthetic creation, then it is not art. The underlying aspect in this definition, for me, is the intent that one has.
But, in the end, there is no concrete black and white classification for this creative medium because it can be many different things for many different people. A look back at the Dada art movement is a clear example of this, with Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" being the quintessential piece of "art".
Here are some photographs of local graffiti works,
what do you consider them to be?
Third Avenue, New York City
Dream
Lower East Side (1), NYC
Stickers and Texts
Lower East Side (2), NYC
Caged Creations
Astor Place, NYC
Musical Contours