Graffiti / Street Art

If you've ever traveled through a city, you've most likely seen some sort of graffiti.  Whether it be an amateur scribble on a fence, and an incredible work by Banksy on a six story building, the world is covered in street art.  But whether it's graffiti or street art is up for some debate.

Watch it.  It's good.

Having just watched Exit Through the Gift Shop, a Banksy-directed film about graffiti artists, I am a huge fan of street art.  I've always thought it was really interesting to look at, but I never gave it much thought until watching the film.  A quick synopsis:  Theirry Guetta, a French born shop owner turned videographer living in Los Angeles, stumbles into the world of graffiti after filming his cousin, street artist Invador, putting some pieces up in Paris.  He then becomes enraptured in the world of graffiti, meets many prominent artists,  and makes it his goal to find and film Banksy, the most famous-- and elusive-- graffiti artist in the world.  But Guetta's world cyclones from being a filmer following the artists to becoming an artist himself.  Adopting the name Mr. Brainwash, Guetta begins making his own graffiti and becomes a successful artist in the LA area.  Banksy directed the film, which was made almost entirely from Guetta's old film rolls, yet manages to remain completely anonymous.  I found the film to be gripping and incredibly interesting (and so did the Acaemy: it was nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Oscars).  It delved into the to world of street artists, and showed that they have intricate plans for their art, and are more than a 'screw you' to the police.

A Banksy Classic.

As shown in Exit Through the Gift Shop, the world of graffiti and street art (are they one in the same?) is so much more than a hastily scribbled pentagram made by a couple of 14 year olds sneaking out after bed time.  The artists have elaborate plans for their art, and often need weeks of planning to pull off the perfect art.  The pieces often have a distinct meaning, sometimes political, sometimes social commentary, and all are very well put together.  But some people believe that the works of these artists are degrading the structures on which their are being painted.  I am over the opposite opinion.  I think these pieces are true works of art and should be encouraged.  They make an otherwise bland wall into something thought provoking and interesting.  On that note, I an going to leave you with my all time favorite piece by Banksy.  He took a trip to Israel and painted many pieces on the West Bank wall.  This is one of them.

What do you think?