Art or Vandalism-An Argumentative Essay-English Composition I PDF

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This is an argumentative essay on the act of graffiti. Is it art or vandalism? In my opinion I believe the act of graffiti is an art. It is full of bright and vibrant colors....

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Brinna Miller 27 July 2021 English Composition I Art or Vandalism Graffiti is full of vibrant colors and graphics, however it wasn’t always like it is today. It is a debated topic because graffiti is illegal since it is considered vandalism but graffiti is also an art. Graffiti dates back as far as 13,000 to 9,000 BCE from the “Cueva de las Manos” painting in Santa Cruz, Argentina (Blazeski, 2016). Graffiti is much more than vandalism, it is an amazing art form that should be seen as more than it normally is. Graffiti Graffiti is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “usually unauthorized writing or drawing on a public surface.” Graffiti is considered a form of visual communication. It can usually be found in heavily trafficked areas to gain attention. Graffiti is more popular in bigger cities than in smaller ones because of the vast population but it is found all over. Graffiti has a long and interesting history. The act of graffiti began even before written language. Images from thousands of years ago can be found in caves. The ancient Romans and Greeks began writing words on buildings many years later. They would carve their names and protest poems to get their points across. Modern graffiti became popular in the 1960s in Philadelphia and migrated to New York. Modern graffiti took off in the 70’s with more vibrant colors and messages. Also around this time is when people started to “tag” their work. It was also in the 70’s when gangs started to use graffiti to tag and mark their territory in big cities.

Graffiti, though it can be beautiful, it can also be a danger. Some dangers of graffiti include drugs and gangs. According to National Addiction Resources, those who graffiti are more than likely on drugs. Those who do graffiti use drugs and graffiti to make a statement by “expressing their emotions and making their presence in the community known” (National Addiction Resources). Gangs play a role in how graffiti is viewed as well. Gangs use graffiti as a way to communicate, give them a reputation, and to mark their own areas. Gangs are able to express themselves and what they believe in by using graffiti (Evo). With drugs and gangs there is a lot of crossover when it comes to graffiti. Graffiti is not just used by those who are in gangs or on drugs. Sometimes a person just wants to feel the rush of adrenaline that comes with graffiting. The thought of getting caught is almost a high in itself. Doing graffiti can spice up a life that seems dull and boring. Graffiti can also help tell a story in a creative way (Thach, 2016). There are two different kinds of graffiti users. One term is taggers, “usually inexperienced adolescents who scribble on the walls of public/private buildings” (Kim, 2018). Those who tag are usually the ones where their graffiti is more looked at as illegal. Whereas, graffiti artists are viewed more as artists and are accepted more for their sense of beauty. Graffiti artists “create a thought out artistic piece” (Kim, 2018). There are many cons and pros of graffiti. Graffiti can lead to other crimes, such as robbery and drugs. It is expensive to clean up, a community has to use tax dollars to clean up graffiti then put it to use to improve school, roadways, and community projects. Graffiti can include curse words and sexual images that children see on a daily basis.

Also like already mentioned, graffiti is used by gangs to mark their territory. Even though there is a lot of ugliness with graffiti it can still be a good thing. It can be used to express oneself using an artistic outlet. Graffiti can be used to make personal and social statements. Another pro is that graffiti decorates a community. Though some may see it as an annoyance, graffiti can bring life and color to a community (Evo). Vandalism Vandalism is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property.” There are six different forms of vandalism and why people do it: ideological, acquisitive, tactical, vindictive, play, and malicious vandalism. Ideological vandalism is the act of vandalising for a cause, politically, socially, or historically. Acquisitive vandalism is to help gain money or property. Tactical vandalism is trying to achieve another kind of end to something. Vindictive vandalism is to get revenge on someone, some place, or something. Play vandalism is just for fun and nothing more. Lastly, malicious vandalism is vicious and meaningless (UKEssays, 2015). Art Graffiti is considered vandalism in the law because it defaces property. Though vandalism is illegal, graffiti can still be considered an art to some people. Graffiti became a popular art form in the 1970s when TAKI 183 became very big in New York City. Taggers, after that, would change their style and make their tags more vibrant with colors trying to outdo someone else’s work (Blazeski, 2016). Subway trains were considered works of art by the mid-1970s. Around this time is when art galleries started to buy graffiti as art for studios. Graffiti art is constantly

becoming more evolved, known, and popular. Graffiti is considered one of the four elements in hip-hop as well (Blazeski, 2016). Conclusion Graffiti has many ups and downs. It can be found in almost every city around because it conveys visual communication. Graffiti began thousands of years ago on cave walls and grew into vibrant colors and pieces of artwork in modern day. With graffiti can come dangers, sometimes gangs or drugs or sometimes both. There are many reasons someone might pick up the skill of graffiti, but one that stands out the most is the rush of adrenaline of the possibility of being caught by the authorities. Graffiti can convey a message and decorate a community with colors and pictures that are so beautiful. Graffiti should not be considered vandalism because it takes a skill to create something so beautiful. (1003 words)

References Blazeski, G. (2016, November 17). The history of graffiti from ancient times to modern days. The Vintage News. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/11/17/the-history-of-graffiti-from-ancienttimes-to-modern-days/ Evo. (n.d.). Graffiti Related to Gangs. Evo. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from http://evograffiti.weebly.com/graffiti-related-to-gangs.html Evo. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Graffiti. Evo. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from http://evograffiti.weebly.com/pros-and-cons-of-graffiti.html Kim, G. (2018, June 4). Can Graffiti Ever be Consider Art? The Wrangler. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://ylhsthewrangler.com/15619/features/cangraffiti-ever-be-considered-art/#:~:text=Graffiti%2C%20also%20known%20as %20street,illegal%20in%20the%20United%20States. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Graffiti. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graffiti National Addiction Resources. (n.d.). Addict Help: Drug Use and Graffiti. National Addiction Resources. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://addicthelp.org/addicthelp-drug-use-and-graffiti/ Thach, B. (2016, March 17). What is The Purpose of Graffiti? The Cardinal. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://thehoovercardinal.org/1348/opinion/what-isthe-purpose-of-graffiti/ UKEssays. (2015, January 1). Is Graffiti Art Or Vandalism Cultural Studies Essay. UKEssays. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from

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1. What have you learned about how to present a strong argument? How could/will you apply this knowledge in your professional or everyday life?

To present a strong argument it takes a lot of research. It also takes a lot of time and dedication to argue about your topic. I plan to use this quite often because it could be the make or break in a lot of situations. 2. Consider the English Composition I course as a whole. What have you learned about yourself as a writer? I have learned a lot about myself as a writer. I have learned that I need to slow down and pay attention to what I’m actually writing. I also have learned that I might have multiple drafts of a paper before I’m actually ready to turn it in. The writing process is a lot harder than I ever actually noticed and a lot of time has to go into it to make sure it’s all good....