The goal of this thesis is to explore graffiti and street art and explain why this art form deserves to be respected. I will challenge the negative connotations of street art and graffiti by looking at how graffiti has been used as a means to do good throughout its existence and why it has earned its place in society. I will discuss his appearances in New York City and his importance in the Egyptian revolution, as well as why graffiti and street art should remain on the streets and not in a gallery. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Graffiti has been around since the late 1960s and has influenced many people over time and has given the world some artists of great importance to art history like Jean-Michel Basquiat for example. It has its roots planted in struggle and the need to demand and receive respect and to have a voice when you feel like you are being silenced. “It's an opportunity to vent frustrations, to say things I wouldn't dare talk about openly.” Graffiti and street art are mediums that have always divided the public, some understand the motivations and believe it is a beneficial art form that we can all appreciate, however on the other end of the spectrum there are people who have an extremely negative of graffiti and street art. This art form is often frowned upon because it breaks out of the mold that society has painted for us. We are expected to stay within this box and act accordingly according to the four lines that surround us, whether we like it or not. Graffiti challenges this psychology and is therefore seen as a gross manifestation of disturbance and disrespect. However, if you are not satisfied with the limits and restrictions placed by society and believe that there is room for change, it is much easier to change or challenge the system by breaking out of those boxes. Acting from the outside shows that you will not conform to social norms and this is often seen as a shock because we as a society are so used to living within boundaries, even without realizing it. This therefore causes controversy and brings awareness to certain issues. The main goal of graffiti is not to make physical changes but rather to create a conversation and therefore there is much more meaning in how the message is conveyed than the meaning itself. “The medium is the message”Not all street art has to have a political motivation behind it to be appreciated, however nowadays we see everything in black, white and shades of grey. Graffiti is imaginative, expressive and artistic, it is something that shows us the colors of the world. Graffiti initially began making an appearance in New York in the 1970s. The city was in complete disorder; on the verge of bankruptcy, the growth of developing slums and rising crime rates. The sudden explosion of graffiti was a visual representation of New York City at the time. Small marker labels quickly evolved into vast, elaborate works of art, and the larger the art, the larger the canvas. Subway cars became a favorite canvas for New York writers, if you wanted to get a message across, scribbling on a wall in your neighborhood wasn't enough, New York subway cars ran all over the city and everyone was guaranteed to they would put what you wanted to put out there. This is a key motivation behind graffiti and street art, allowing everyone from different walks of life to see the writings of these artists raises awareness of how the other half lives. The financial strugglesof the city have also aided the rise of graffiti - with the city unable to remove and counter it, the urban decor built around the city. Eventually graffiti began to become more and more associated with crime and thus the misconception arose that all graffiti artists were vandals and criminals. While we cannot deny that graffiti is an act of vandalism, I do not believe that it is carried out just because someone wants to tag public or private property and pose a threat to society. Except for a few. There's a drive behind why these writers do it. The presence of graffiti, no matter where it is, automatically allows it to become a catalyst for dialogue, good or bad. While many graffiti artists gain experience experimenting with forms of vandalism, some do not consider their artwork to be a defacement of public or private property at all, but rather see it as a way to give voice to the powerless. Over time, the financial burden that graffiti has since controlled cities has changed, some graffiti and street art are likely contributing to gentrification and the increased attractiveness of some neighborhoods. An example of this is neighborhoods like SoHo, statistics show that despite having larger collections of graffiti, crime rates are quite low. And street art in New York, once seen as a sign of criminal disorder, now attracts tourists and the more urban consumers that businesses and advertising aim to reach. This in turn becomes a huge benefit to the economy, proving that street art and graffiti can actually benefit society and that these elaborate works bring so much more to the table. The people who want to remove graffiti and the people who make it ultimately work towards the same goal, only in opposite terms: to make their surroundings a more beautiful place. Terminology also has an effect on how graffiti is interpreted. While "graffiti" is mostly related to gangs and "irrelevant" labels scrawled all over cities, the term "street art" softens the perception of these pieces, this could be due to the fact that the use of the word “art” shows that there is a process behind the piece and literally calls it art, but you can’t have one without the other. This method of thinking is supported by the theory of symbolic interactionism: people act towards things based on the meaning these things have for them, and that these meanings are derived from social interaction and modified through interpretation. A practical example of this theory is that when you are faced with an artist who does the same graffiti but one with a brush and the other with a can of spray paint, the brush is seen as a much less "criminal" tool. while the spray can already has terribly negative connotations, so society will react as such. Graffiti artist Veng is the perfect example of this problem, he claims that when he paints outdoors with brushes he is ignored but when he paints exactly the same piece with spray paint he is viewed with suspicion and is often questioned by the police. Graffiti and street art paradise However, it has not only proven to be a beneficial factor for a city's economy and tourism. They are a sign of hope. Moving away from the painted subway cars of the 1970s, we continue towards the walls of Egypt. In April 2008, the April 6 youth movement was founded to promote peaceful political activism. Originally to support the workers of El-Mahalla, an industrial city in northern Egypt. The workers intended to strike on April 6 to protest workers' rights.The purpose of this group was originally just to document the country's struggles on social media, however, as the crackdown on protests continued, Egyptian activists called for an uprising in January 2011, to protest the poverty and corruption that the country was experiencing. facing for 30 years. under the government of President Hosni Mubarak. This uprising was fomented by the death of Khaled Said at the hands of the Egyptian police a year earlier. Graffiti became another tool for April 6 to show the struggle their country was facing. First the silhouettes of Khaled Said appeared and then those of other people who suffered at the hands of the authorities. When street art began to appear it was confirmed that all these artists were a small part of something big. It did what art should do: show feelings, thoughts and impulses shared by many or many needed to hear. Many think that graffiti manifests itself simply as paint on a wall but in reality it can be exhibited in many other forms. There is a graffiti subculture related to advertising because it is something that is familiar to people and will resonate with them. An example of this is Ganzeer, an artist who used posters and stickers to show his opposition. This type of graffiti could be more accepted by society because they are more appropriate methods. Most of the artists involved in April 6 were young and educated. “The artists I met were all kind, intelligent minds who had so much more to say than just making art on the wall.” This addresses the misconception that all graffiti writers are ignorant thugs who would otherwise be better off not defacing public property. Street art became such an important part of the uprising that "How to Rebel Smart" posters began circulating, giving people important instructions and tactics on how to deal with tear gas canisters and rubber bullets if they were caught writing by authority. This shows that graffiti can be a dangerous game and writing has so much purpose that they risk their lives to do it. Another example of artists who know their craft is a group of people in Cambridge who have tagged luxury homes with Latin script. 'locus in domos' and 'loci populum' mean 'room in the house' and 'local people'. This is proof that graffiti artists can be intelligent people who know their area and their audience, and that what is seen as "senseless vandalism" requires a lot of thought. Street art reflects the difference between the revolution and the system. While the system killed and caused pain to many, the revolution immortalized and brought comfort, proving that the Egyptian people will never forget. While the system built walls in the streets of the country, the revolution transformed what should have been obstructive into colorful and playful pieces. Once you've thrown a piece on a wall and advertised your feelings so publicly, that emotion is no longer yours. It belongs to everyone. Show the world the vulnerability of an artist. And this is an important factor in inciting change because it not only communicates with people, but encourages them to interact with it, through social media or even responding by making their own graffiti. This serves as a reminder that graffiti artists are not emotionless beings without regard for their surroundings, because despite being unpleasant, graffiti gives the public a glimpse into the minds of these artists. From a graphic design perspective, encouraging conversation and interaction through my work is important because it shows that the message has been spread and hasreached its target audience. The political motivation of street art is not limited to the Middle East. Closer to home, artists like Banksy also produce their works with the aim of raising public awareness and opening doors to conversation. “I like to think I have the courage to stand up to democracy and ask for things no one else believes in, like peace, justice and freedom” Banksy has turned this undercover hobby into a profitable career which proves Banksy's points and many other artists like to demonstrate society. His pieces have become very valuable and sought after, the popularity of his work has brought graffiti and street art to the forefront of contemporary art and, in turn, made graffiti a slightly more acceptable art form just because bring money. Banksy's works are almost always against capitalism and "making a lot of money". The people who govern our country and our cities do not believe that graffiti, along with anything else, deserves to exist unless it brings profit. “But if you only value money, your opinion is worth nothing. The highest ranks of society are always at the heart of his messages, yet it is precisely those ranks of society who shun graffiti and want to restrict such art and who are also very willing to pay £500.00 for a piece of Banksy. When people buy pieces like this, they expect to be able to do what they want with it and get further benefit from it. The city would be much happier if they could take that £500,000 piece of Bansky off the wall and put it in a gallery, however this is not well received by artists and those who have a genuine love of graffiti, like me. Street art isn't street art if it's not on the street. 'Street art should be seen in its natural environment, not in a gallery or some rich kid's house. That's why it's called street art.'The placement of an artist's work is as important as its content and as such it is better when it is site-specific. An example of this is Banksy's work in the West Bank, the two freestanding walls were apparently sold to the Keszler Gallery by the Palestinian authorities who then attempted to resell these pieces for as much as $750,000. This defeats the entire purpose of the piece. The Palestine works are some of Bansky's most popular works and were intended to show the struggle of the Palestinian people in the Palestine/Israel conflict and to bring some color to a place that would otherwise be dust and rubble. Using a visual approach like graffiti to explain a specific topic or issue that is abstract or unknown to most of the world is refreshing and brings these issues to the forefront. Banksy-inspired graffiti has recently been used in primary schools as a means to facilitate learning and help children understand current events. Children are often shielded from sensitive topics such as extremism and any opinions they have are often overlooked because they are children. Some topics are difficult to explain and difficult to talk about with children and the use of graffiti is a good way to allow them to express their feelings. A primary school in Slough has used Banksy as a source of inspiration for children to tackle the topic of extremism. Graffiti is a significant art form and can be beneficial to young minds, not only to encourage them to simply appreciate the art form, but it also encourages personal growth because it allows them to explore and develop their personal identity. Since there is no right or wrong in the way graffiti is done, they are able to share their thoughts and emotions with those around them, marking their identitysocial and cultural. As well as finding a form of escape from your worries and turning those worries and fears into something creative and colorful, which serves as a form of self-reflection and a message to others. Graffiti and street art by the likes of Banksy and Blek le Rat has given rise to what is known as the guerrilla art movement, this movement still has the same intention as traditional graffiti but incorporates a variety of other mediums beyond just painting and to the pasted posters. Some of these art forms include digital technology, performance art, and installations. There are no rules on which means to use and this favors the possibility of opening people's minds, often without them realizing it. An example of guerrilla art is the augmented reality app "Frenchising the Mona Lisa" created by Amir Baradaran. Baradaran created this channel in response to France banning the hijab in public. “In France, the hijab has become a lightning rod for “Frenchness,” a visual threat to the ideals of the so-called secular state. This app showed the iconic Mona Lisa painting coming to life through a mobile phone screen and placing the French flag hijab on her head. This provokes a reflection on what national identity is and whether it really exists. After all, Lisa del Giocondo was an Italian woman with no ties to France and has become part of one of the most iconic monuments in the country's capital. Graffiti has also become an entire language for some groups of people. When it comes to wall writing, it's hard to avoid the ancient hieroglyphics of Egypt. But in more recent times, there existed what was known as the Hobo Code, a hieroglyphic-like language used by the Hobos as a means of communicating with each other. Hobos were nomadic individuals who traveled the country looking for any type of honest work. They traveled from place to place and were often treated as outcasts and did whatever they could to survive. In an effort to care for each other they created a secret language of little icons. To the common eye, these icons looked like ordinary graffiti on a wall, however, to these nomads, these tags had much more meaning. These icons welcomed and alerted people. Letting them know that they were not alone and that someone was looking out for them while they were on the hunt to provide a better life for their families. These icons indicated a number of different things such as; where to find food, whether a certain area was safe for sleeping, whether there was work available and even how to get food. This language was very carefully thought out and required many people to suffer and endure unfortunate circumstances to create this language in the first place. And this language constantly changed over time to keep up with life's changes. As a designer, this is relatable because it is important to keep up to date with current trends and technological advancements. This was a very innovative language and is carried forward to the present day, when looking at blogs and brochures and through word of mouth, for example, people tell you where to go and where not to go when traveling to new and unfamiliar places. Hobos developed a strict code of ethics along with this language in the late 1880s, which once again disproves many stereotypes about graffiti and graffiti writers. The code consisted of 15 different guidelines for living an honest life, which consisted of being selfless and helping those around you if they needed it, no matter who they were.1 Living an honest and courteous life is something that hobos they took pride in and the ethics behind their lifestyle is something we should follow to this day. That is.