Graffiti (singular: graffito; the plural is used as a mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is any type of public markings that may appear in the forms of simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Graffiti has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.[1] In modern times, spray paint, normal paint and markers have become the most commonly used materials. In most countries, defacing property with graffiti without the property owner's consent is considered vandalism, which is punishable by law. Sometimes graffiti is employed to communicate social and political messages. To some, it is an art form worthy of display in galleries and exhibitions; to others it is merely vandalism. Graffiti has since evolved into a pop culture existence often related to underground hip hop music and b-boying creating a lifestyle that remains hidden from the general public.[2] Graffiti can be used as a gang signal to mark territory or to serve as an indicator or "tag" for gang-related activity. The controversies that surround graffiti continue to create disagreement amongst city officials/ law enforcement and graffitists looking to display their work in public locations. There are many different types and styles of graffiti and it is a rapidly developing artform whose value is highly contested, being reviled by many authorities while also subject to protection, sometimes within the same jurisdiction.
In my opinion graffiti can be art but then ...
- it has to be legal and
- it has to be made with permission.
I BRÅs rapport 2010:6 om elever i årskurs 9 "definieras" graffiti och klotter enligt:
Jag hade önskat en tydligare definition och inte endast en fotnot enligt nedan.
År 1995 gällde frågan hur många gånger man ”sprayat graffiti eller klottrat någonstans”. I de efterföljande undersökningarna gällde motsvarande fråga hur många gånger man ”klottrat s.k. ‘tags’ eller andra ord med tusch eller sprayfärg någonstans”. Sedan år 1997 finns även en fråga med om hur många gånger man ”utan tillstånd gjort större graffitimålning med flera olika sprayfärger på t.ex. en betongvägg”, vilket redovisas som graffiti i tabellerna. Nästan samtliga av eleverna som uppger att de målat graffiti har även klottrat (94 procent år 2008).
BRÅ rapport 2010:6 sid 25.
