Exit Through the Gift Shop: Popularising the Art of Graffiti

I believe that posting a form repeatedly is a form of artistic expression in the beginning. Once people relate it to something or make a meaning out of it, it might become a brand or a logo. Making the art is as equally as important as the art itself. The material you used, the time you put int it, the research you have done, the canvas you chose, the time you sacrificed – those are all the factors to consider when evaluating an artwork. While most people only see the finished product – Picasso’s Guernica for example – others might see the work and the struggle put into the making of the artwork.

Street artists are trying to express their creativity through graffiti. Wherever people go, whether it is a quiet one-way street or a loud neighborhood, they cannot escape graffiti. Many of these graffiti are shaping the world and giving it meaning. Some people do graffiti to mark their territory – gangs for example. Some people do it just because it is fun to do something illegal, express your creativity and hope not to get caught. There are many reasons why people do graffiti. Some want to tell a story and inform others (war of words, as mentioned in the video). Some just want to leave a note hoping someone would read it and maybe feel better. Others want to be seen and noticed and do it for the art!

Graffiti has been around for thousands of years. It makes statements about politics, history, art, etc. while some people see it as destruction. For some, it is a way of communication. I think it depends on how you look at it. If someone was to paint or scribble something over the wall of my house or my fence, I would definitely consider it vandalism. It would mean someone has trespassed my property and invaded my privacy. However, if I were to walk through the streets of Amsterdam and look at all the amazing ways people express themselves through graffiti, I would consider it art? Why? Because I feel like it gives the city more color, meaning and life. There is some kind of story behind it, a man/woman expressing their creativity, which for me makes it art. So, I think location plays a big factor. Some people look at it as vandalism just because it is illegal, or because they do not understand it or its purpose. I believe it is amazing what street artists do with abandoned buildings. They use the walls of those buildings as canvas and just like any kind of art, it is not supposed to be liked by everyone. That is what makes it art.

I do not believe that the cost of art speaks to the worth of a piece of art. I believe that we cannot really put a price on a piece of art. We can estimate how much it is worth by looking at several factors, but we cannot know the actual worth. Moreover, people do not look at art the same way. While I might consider something an artwork, others may think it is absolutely worthless and meaningless. Something that you might say is worth $30 may actually worth $50,000 to me because of how much I value it, how I approach it etc.

Marketing plays a huge role in the success of a piece of art and the success of an artist. Imagine if all the famous paintings and sculptures were not talked about and advertised so much. They probably would not be so famous and successful. However, I believe that the statement of the artwork itself is far more important than the marketing/recognition of a piece of art. When I first saw Guernica, I knew that it was famous and praised by a lot of people but I did not know why. The moment I realized what the painting was about and learned about its many meanings was the moment I truly started valuing the painting.