Graffiti Case

The definition of art has been scrutinized, debated and speculated for centuries. It seems that art is the driving force in our world for change. It can also be said that the change in culture can only be accurately portrayed through art. In order to fully grasp the importance of art in our world, the intellectual discoveries by Immanuel Kant must be included in the debate surrounding one of the most influential and controversial styles of art in the twenty-first century, Graffiti.

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who published several influential works surrounding the developing mind. In his work entitled, Critique of Pure Reason, Kant purposed that the mind can only comprehend situations and events based on its own experience with that certain circumstance. He also believed that humans view things through causality, which is done by defining everything experienced as either a cause or effect. In stating this, Kant concluded that man can never fully grasp the nature of the world because it is impossible to experience every worldly thing. Kant also concluded that art is something which must be experienced through intuitions and sensations instead of concepts, which are already known (http://www.artsz.org/kant-what-is-art/). Thus, the only way art can truly be appreciated is through viewing each piece or style as independent from every other form of work in the world.

Graffiti is a form of art that can be dated back to the Paleochristian times between the first and sixth century and was derived from the classic Greco-roman art. The word graffiti is plural for the Italian derivative "graffito" which is translated to describe works of art created by scratching a design on a surface. The earliest forms of this art style can be found in the catacombs of the Roman Empire. The purpose behind the Christian "graffito" on the catacombs was to communicate messages that sought to bring the light of the Gospel into the dark and cold chamber, revealing details of who they were and what they believed in. "Graffito" was also common among the Egyptians and Etruscans which employed "graffito" to depict mythical stories, historical moments, religious rituals, and signs and symbols of their ancient communication techniques (http://www.arsmar.com/ce_art.htm).

Over the years, the art form of graffiti has been transformed by the advancement and needs of society. Most scholars agree that the origin of graffiti began in World War II, with the popular cartoon image known as, "Kilroy was here". Following the creation of "Kilroy", along with the inclusion of aircraft in the war, began the common trend of "nose art" on the tip of the airplanes. In the second half of the 20th century, graffiti was used by American gangs to mark their territory. The end of the 20th century brought the institution of graffiti in the art world, and simultaneously began the controversial debate over whether graffiti is art or vandalism.

Post World War II was the time when the United States first saw the boom of urban graffiti. With the large-scale urbanization occurring in the last half of the 20th century, urban gangs marked their territories through 'tagging' the walls of public property in their territory. There is much debate surrounding the birthplace of graffiti in the United States. Amongst those in contention for the title is New York City and Philadelphia. However, the first documented cases of illegal markings through the medium of spray-paint was attributed to the Philadelphian artist, "Cornbread" the in the 1960s. (http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Graffiti_-_History_of_graffiti/id/1437176). During the 1970's a New York based artist known as "TAKI 183" who became famous due to a New York Times article that featured his use of the tagging technique all over the city of New York.(http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/graffitiarticles/historyofgraff-arpone.asp) Tacki 183 was responsible for creating an underground artistic revolution that has influenced popular culture. Regardless of the debate, the fact remains that by the end of the 20th century; graffiti was absorbed by the art world and transformed into one of the most popular ways to publically display artistic creations.

The 1980's was a plateau period for the art. The Metropolitan Transit Authority began stopping New York based artists from displaying their art along the sides of subway trains or the walls of subways. The cost of removing the graffiti from the sides of subway trains and the walls in the subway station amounted to roughly three-hundred-thousand dollars (http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/graffitiarticles/historyofgraff-arpone.asp) for the city to pay.

The art of graffiti progressed to a technique called "Piece" which is short for masterpiece. Due to the rapid spread of graffiti all over cities, this new style incorporated larger graphics with added outlines. Within a short amount of time, artists began to add a third dimension. Progressing over time, background elements were thus added to the genre. In the art world, the progression and evolution of this genre was all the rage; however, the city officials did not see graffiti in such a positive light. The city was forced to invent a technique in order to remove the spray paint from the sides of subways, which cost roughly $78,000 per car. By the end of 1978, artists faced the challenge of writing on the sides of the newly buffed subway cars. The MTA was also forced to build security systems in their subway systems.

With the set back of the heightened security in the subway systems, artists like Lee Quinones, began painting on sides of walls around the city. Lee transformed his grim neighborhood into a gallery of famous graffiti near the Brooklyn Bridge.

Around the country there are laws in regards to graffiti. According to New York City graffiti laws, the art is defined legally as, "Defacement of property, possession, sale and display of aerosol spray paint cans, and broad tipped markers and etching acid" (§10-117). The law continues in stating that,

(http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/a-z/vandalism.html?DCMP=KNC-Vandalism&HBX_PK=graffiti+laws&HBX_OU=50)