Graffiti Under Fire in Denver, But Is It Art?

Mayor John Hickenlooper held a summit on graffiti Wednesday morning that brought together all representatives of the issue including elected officials, property owners, and self-described graffiti artists.

[Dinah]

When it is plastered all over public areas without permission, it is NOT art; it is vandalism. They don't OWN the public streets or areas.

What is more, learn some about gangs. Public walls can become bulletin boards for gangs. Writers on the wall for the gangs are called taggers. By reading the walls police can tell what gangs are active in the area and approximately what they're up to by reading the graffiti.

[Dinah]

Muralist, eh? When they can get permission and PROVE that that they can actually make art outside of that oversized balloon like writing; THEN I'd believe them. Let's see them actually make some top rate art.

If they are the artists that they SAY they are; they will change when you tell them what they can do to get permission to " do their mural" on the walls, etc.

[alex]

are you serious graffiti can be art if you really dont think that it can be you really dont no what art is anything can be art so dont EVER say graffit cant be art

[Donnie]

Graffiti is definitely ART!!! But it is disrespectful when done on walls paid for by tax payer’s money. I do agree however there should be a community park with walls for the Graffiti. Let these kids/teens/artists prove their talent!! Give them some creditability. We need things for kids/teens/artists to do...so they can express themselves...But if they are caught doing it illegally there needs to be more punishment than “now clean up your mess.”

[Tim hardy aka tim tim]

Grifiti is an art it is a form of expreshion and nothing that cant be fixed with a paint roller but some people do do it fore fame i do it to tell a story about where i have ben

[jmknt76]

anyone remember this place north of denver?

[jmknt76]

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[Fiskle]

How has graffiti directly affected you in a bad way? There is a difference between vandalism and art.
Your sick of looking at it? Im sick of looking at your identical houses, all painted identical colors. I want a world of diversity, beauty, and color. Not this stale crap you're shoving in my face.
Walls are open bulletin boards for anybody. A fascist nazi political party could display an advertisment on the side of I-25 for $1000. Whats that? Anybody can do anything. Just cause you watched movie about gangs that has graffiti in it, dont act like you know the world of graffiti.
The people the design your billboards, your websites, you advertising campaigns. Most of them are graffiti artists, and the ones that arent, are probably really bad designers and look up to the cream of the crop, who happen to be graffiti artists. These people are the midle man of your economy. These people keep the world turning. These people suply you with the want and need for the things you enjoy and buy.
These people wait your food. These people bill your electricity. These people bag your food. These people protect your streets. These people own the gallery you buy your art from. These people sell you your furniture. Get off.

[Stan]

art is art, graffitti can be art, but gang tagging
is neither.all these weasles that damage public and private property need to be punished accordingly!

[The Boss]

I agree with Fiskle graffiti is an artform used by people of all ages to express the emotions that they couldn't otherwise express, I think it adds a personality to a city that doesn't have much of anything to be proud of. If you look at the cities that are most colorful and full of the most personality, the are all full of graffiti (Philadelphia, New York, Chicago). I think graffiti is the one thing that really makes people express themselves the most. Without graffiti I think that we would be living in a tasteless society much like the one in George Orwell's 1984.

[The Boss]

hey jmknt76 nice video man I haven't seen that place, but i think it is a prime example of how graffiti is artwork

[ChaChaBrazil]

since when does the definition of art have anything to do with ownership?

[ChaChaBrazil]

since when does the definition of art have anything to do woth ownership?

Dinah wrote:

When it is plastered all over public areas without permission, it is NOT art; it is vandalism. They don't OWN the public streets or areas.
What is more, learn some about gangs. Public walls can become bulletin boards for gangs. Writers on the wall for the gangs are called taggers. By reading the walls police can tell what gangs are active in the area and approximately what they're up to by reading the graffiti.

[Large Filipino Denver Co]

My son's an artist. He got caught years ago for tagging and payed for it,but it remains in his blood. I've let him tag in my garage and it looks great. And in Boulder they have what's called a free wall where kids can tag all they want.
We need more walls like that and stiffer sentences for tagging private property. But without more legal walls the tempation for our kids is too great.

[Bryce]

Who says walls in urban centers should be the color of concrete, brick or wood? If graffiti was legal, it would be self regulated (i.e. if a certain piece is of low quality, it will be painted over). Look at sections of Barcelona ins Spain, it's beautiful. The ties between gangs and graffiti are mostly in the minds of disgruntled law enforcement and are in no way grounded in reality.

[JOYCE]

IT'S ART WHEN IT'S ON YOUR WALL, IT'S VANDALIZM WHEN IT'S ON MY WALL! eXPRESS YOURSELF ALL YOU WANT TO ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY. KEEP YOUR SHIT OFF MINE! AND THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN CALL TAGGING ART. SCRIBBLING INITIALS ON THE WALL IS BULL SHIT. OH YEAH, YOU LOSERS DON'T OWN ANY PROPERTY....THAT'S THE PROBLEM, SO YOU ATTACK PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PRIVATE PROPERTY. ART-SMART, YEAH RIGHT. IF YOU HAD ANY TALENT YOU'D BE USING IT TO EARN A LIVING, GIVE ME A BREAK. AND IF YOU ARE SO FLIPPIN PROUD OF YOUR WORK, WHY DON'T YOU OWN IT? WHY IS IT DONE COVERTLY UNDER COVER OF DARK, SNEAKING AROUND IN BACK ALLEYS AND SO FORTH? I AM ALL FOR COLORFUL AND DIVERSE PUBLIC SPACES, BUT EVEN THE PUBLIC ART WORKS ARE VANDALIZED. GIANT MURALS ARE DEFACED BY TAGGERS REGULARLY. WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DEFACE BUSINESSES? oH YEAH, GRAFFITI ALL OVER THE CITY, TRUCKS, TRAINS, ALLEYS, BRIDGES, DUMPSTERS ETC SURE DRESSES UP THE CITY AND MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT EXPRESSING YOUR SELF, IT SAYS I HAVE NO CIVIC PRIDE, LITTLE COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT AND A TOTAL LACK OF EDUCATION, I'M A CRIMINAL...NICE EXPRESSION. GET REAL.

[LBP]

I don't even know what to say. How can you be so hateful toward our children. Yes it is art. The best art in history was never confined to earning money. BTW, have you any idea how difficult it is to earn a living as an artist. In the meantime, how do you get your art to the people. I agree with you about tagging. But grafitti is an advanced and developed artform. It has survived every kind of criticism and law. It is an old tradition which has evolved into a brilliant artform. You try it, if it seems like anything less than tremendous talent.

[guest]

all of this shit talking about graffiti makes me want to go tag even more how can you hate it if you never even tried it graffiti is an addiction it keeps people away from gettin shot and being in a gang graffiti is not dangerous its not guna kill you some people do it cuz they never had friends so they go paint everywhere then you get known and get on crews then they get friends!!!!

[Profit 1]

Graffiti is da titest art form of writing

[WesT siDe]

West up