Graffiti should be considered art

Over the past several weeks, dozens of artists have descended upon the Oceanwide Plaza in Los Angeles. Shrouded in night, they’ve tagged almost every floor of the 40-story skyrises with bright, beautiful graffiti. The shining neon spray paint covers glass windows, a billboard for the artists’ names and slogans. The plaza has become an art gallery, glittering in the California sun and towering over the skyline. But it has still become a target for insults. People have called it “an eyesore” and say the art doesn’t represent Los Angeles well.  Graffiti has historically been used by marginalized communities as a method for protest and activism. It sparks conversation about what was written, what building was tagged and all possible messages the artist could be communicating.   Unfortunately, society continuously ignores graffiti as an art form. Through street art, murals and tags, these artists are showing us problems in the best way they know how. It’s time we open our eyes and learn. Art is defined as a painting, drawing or sculpture meant to express a thought. The “thought” or message of an art piece is one of its key defining characteristics, one of the things that truly makes it art. Graffiti...