A brief overview of an underestimated art form: Graffiti

  In the eyes of the law, graffiti is vandalism and is therefore illegal. As it can obscure important signs that are necessary for public welfare, it can be a safety hazard. In addition, it can be seen as a sign of neglect that attracts criminal activity which can cause residents to feel unsafe or contribute to a negative community image. The war against graffiti was declared by the mayor of New York in the 1980s, Edward Koch. Writers found it increasingly difficult to write on subway trains and public spaces, forcing established artists to revert to building roofs or canvases. The War on Graffiti’s tactics presaged a generation’s experience of law enforcement and personal freedom, beginning in the city that incubated one of the most important popular art movements of the 20th century. New york spent three hundred million dollars in their attempts to run graffiti-free trains, over the span of seventeen years, during a period when the subway barely functioned and the city teetered on the brink of insolvency. At the time the fight began, teenagers were also being arrested for breakdancing in subway stations, and throwing un-permitted parties in the asphalt schoolyards of the Bronx. Taken collectively, these...