1. E100 Text & Image / Bendorf Spring 2015
What is public space?
What is vandalism?
What is graffiti?
What is street art?
Here’s what you said:

2. “To me, street art is often things that some
people are too afraid to say on their own. Since
there is so much anonymity in the realm of
street art, artists aren’t afraid to cross
boundaries with pictures or words.”

3. “I see graffiti as the bridge between the other
two terms since it can be vandalism and it can
be art”

4. “Street art has many benefits, but it can lead to
problems when it is unwanted. With an
appropriate intent, a community can always
benefit from street art.”

5. “Public space is a term that can be defined
many different ways. Is it for everyone? Can I
alter how it appears? Why are there so many
restrictions on it? I believe that the true
definition should be space that can be enjoyed
by everyone. It can be a place where people
can voice their opinions and not get punished
for it.”

6. “Street art is viewed as artwork that enhances
the beauty of the street and can give away the
political, racial and socioeconomic status of the
particular area the work is in.”

7. “I think vandalism and graffiti suggest a bias
much worse than street art. ”

8. “There is a fine line between the words
vandalism and street art. It is left to the viewer
to decide; this sometimes shifts the meaning to
the opposite of its original purpose. This fine
line is the problem the artists face when they
paint or draw in public space. They may have
meant to improve the medium but the
community may not think it belongs or is
appropriate. All of these pieces produce a
meaning and have a context; sometimes they
just are not in the right location to succeed. ”

9. “I think public space is made for the people,
which begs for the question, “why can’t people
use it for art?””

10. “The word ‘street art’ has a more neutral
connotation than the words ‘vandalism’ and
‘graffiti,’ but I still have a slightly negative
connotation with it. I cannot explain why, but I
often associate the word ‘street art’ with a
version of graffiti. Although I do not think street
art is bad in itself, my general assumption is
that it is bad because of the way that I connect
it to graffiti. I realize that this is an incorrect
assumption after deeper consideration, but my
initial feelings about street art are usually
negative. ”

11. “When I think of the word graffiti, messily spray
painted words in alleys or on train cars are the
first things that come to my mind. I think of
graffiti as usually vulgar and associated with
gangs… I think that street art is almost always
involving more artistic skill than graffiti. Street
art brings to mind images of intricate murals
that likely took hours or even days to
complete.”

12. “I personally love street art, because I think
that the expression of ideas is more
meaningful when it is not wanted. Even murals
and large billboards, are often more
enchanting for me than a piece of art in a
museum. I enjoy the spontaneity of street art
because you never know where you will find it,
and how long it will last. ”

13. “Public spaces and street art are linked
because public spaces are the canvas for
street artists. Public spaces act as the
influence, canvas and source for street art. ”

14. “Public spaces and street art are linked
because public spaces are the canvas for
street artists. Public spaces act as the
influence, canvas and source for street art. ”

15. “Growing up, I always thought that graffiti was
a bad thing because it involved destruction of
someone else’s property. Even though this
may be the intention of some graffiti artists,
many artists just want to let out their creativity.”

16. “The history of street art should blossom over the next couple
decades and hopefully will be encouraged rather than frowned
upon. I understand that some people may paint rude and
inappropriate pictures, which will always happen. Instead of
ruining street art for everyone, the local authorities should
implement a committee to decide if the painting is safe enough
to paint. All artists should have to go through this council
before they paint anything. A small fund could be set up for
removing the unauthorized paintings in the city.”

17. “In my perspective, I believe that art should
attract attention. Hence why public art causes
so much controversy. Why make a boring
piece of art when you could create something
that draws out intense emotion in the
audience. Varying opinion is inevitable. To be
honest, it is a sign that the public is
acknowledging the art rather than ignoring it.
Public art challenges stigmas and stirs
reactions. ”

18. “A public space is a place in which someone should have this
ability to express their ideas and opinions without worry.
This concept of freedom of expression becomes a
little blurry when it comes to physically changing aspects of a
location. For example holding protests, performing a certain
musical talent or spending time playing a game with friends are
all activities that do not affect the environment of a space...
Once a person chooses to to impact this natural or created
environment however, the experience is changed for the next
person who wants to use that place.”

19. “With regards to the audience of each of these acts, I believe they differ greatly.
Vandalism is mainly meant for the owner of whatever property was destroyed,
and could be used in a threatening manner to get back at a person. The
audience of vandalism is very limited and unless it is a huge act of vandalism,
only the owner and possibly the police will see it. Graffiti has the chance to
appear to a larger audience because it tends to appear in more public places;
personally I have seen a decent amount of graffiti on train cars as they pass by
or under bridges as I drive past... The intent of street art is similar to graffiti in
that the artists want to create a reaction within the general public who sees the
art; for example in Barcelona, when street art is created, thousands of people
see their creation in one day.”

20. “It can be easy to forget that being in public
and being in a public space are not the same. I
think that is why defining a public space is
harder than one might initially think.”

21. “Vandalism provokes images of destroyed
walls, red spray-painted x's and large words
covering something else. When I think graffiti I
think of words brightly spray-painted on the
side of train cars. Yet, when I think of street art
I think of murals painted on the sides of
buildings, and playgrounds with the United
States painted across the concrete. ”

22. “When I was little I was always told that
vandalism and graffiti were bad. Those were
things that gangs did, and they were illegal.
Thinking about it now, I find this very
interesting, because a lot of times what one
person considers vandalism another considers
a work of art.”

23. “Whenever I hear the word vandalism, I
immediately think something was broken or
destroyed by a delinquent kid. ”

24. “More and more street art nowadays is located
in private galleries. Years ago, artists could
easily display their art in public spaces,
however laws changed and so did the way in
which some perceived public space art. ”

25. “The two aspects that I believe influence
peoples opinions on whether something is
considered vandalism or not is where it is
placed and how permanent the work is. ”

26. “The reasons to paint on a wall instead of an alternate canvas
are the audience, the meaning, and the anonymity. The
audience changes because people who may not want to see
the art will see it anyways while passing by. This means more
people will notice and think about the artwork in comparison to
in a gallery or an auction. Another significant change is the
meaning, as the rebellious nature of street art demonstrates
anarchy, as the artist created this piece in spite of the
government. The change in meaning can easily alter one's
perspective on what the purpose of creating the art is. Finally,
the artist who paints with street art can much more easily
remain anonymous. This allows the viewer to judge the art only
by itself and its surroundings, as no background on the artist is
available.”

27. “The actions of the artist may promote
creativity and diversity, but also destroy
government and unity.
The main problem existing in street art
is the various legal ways artists can express
themselves without the need to destroy
property.”

28. “Street art (when not permitted) causes too
much damage and creates an insecure feeling
causing most people to feel uninvited. Public
space is reserved for everyone, and nobody
should feel left out due to safety concerns.
Artwork can be placed in public space if it is
universally wanted. Otherwise, the rebellious
nature of this style art causes too much
insecurity for it to be justifiable. ”

29. Debating the Texas
tree & billboard bill
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/
03/23/bill-would-allow-
businesses-to-cut-down-
trees-around-billboards/

30. Format: Things to
consider:
1. Opening statements
(include 3 arguments)
2. Rebuttals
3. Closing arguments
(include a quote from
Ways of Seeing pp. 129-
154 that supports your
team’s position)
● Audience
● Purpose
● Location
● Public space (What it is,
what it’s for)
● Images (What they are,
what they’re for)