Graffiti is misunderstood. Graffiti is ignored by most, despised by some, and appreciated by few. Graffiti is a form of public artistic expression. Imagine the streets without public art, without billboards, without street signs, without anything but cold concrete, asphalt, and iron bars. It would be a prison. Yet without the freedom to publicly express ourselves, freedom of speech is extinguished and we become prisoners. It is unjust to financially discriminate against the graffiti artist. Government-sponsored art exists because the government has money and power. Sprawling billboards and neon signs exist because the corporate industry has money and power. Graffiti exists because those without money and power share the universal need to be seen, to be known, and to express themselves.

 Yet graffiti is illegal and those with power increasingly pursue felony charges against graffiti artists. The term "vandalism" replaces "graffiti" or "public art" as if the only purpose of street expression is destruction of property. Laws have been implemented that forbid the underage purchase of spray paint and other media. Curfew laws have been designed with intentions of eliminating graffiti. Illegal searches of suspected graffiti artists, while violating civil liberties and human dignity, increase in number. Yet graffiti continues to fill the streets. In fact, an entire subculture built around graffiti unifies artists and continues to prosper. Until lawmakers address the artistic needs of those without resources, illegal trespassing and destruction of public property will continue. Sidewalks and mailboxes will flow with unique geometries, cement walls will emanate color and life, and police cars will advertise the unquenchable human desire to create, explore, and communicate.

 Graffiti comes in many flavours. In fact, graffiti can be defined along broad dimensions of medium, content, and location, or along finer dimensions of style, aesthetics, creativity, and skill. Within the broader context of graffiti characterization, artistic venue tends to correlate well with implied risk and thus expressional status. For example, an illegal splash of color on a police car holds more artistic weight than a sprawling mural in my basement. An artist's medium, on the other hand, is more closely associated with content: the types of images, produced with a pencil are quite different than those created with several cans of spray paint. These elements also relate to artistic style. Spray paint is to bold and flashy art what brushes are to detailed murals what markers are to tribal design. Aesthetics involves subjective opinions that vary from "I am clueless about graffiti" to "Steal's bold locations do not excuse his lack of creativity." And, finally, as with most anything, skill is associated with those who practice. Whereas just about any shmoe can sketch an elaborate graffiti design on paper, it takes a dedicated, talented artist to represent streetside.

Atlas / *01

Atlas / *02

Zekis / *02

Zekis / *02