A misunderstood form of self-expression or anti-social behaviour which degrades cities? We explore what makes graffiti worth millions or worth calling in professional graffiti removal specialists.
‘Gaius was here’
The origins of graffiti can be traced back thousands of years - from the earliest cave drawings to scrawled inscriptions on the Colosseum (the term comes from ‘graffiato’, the Italian word for ‘scratched’) - providing fascinating insight into ancient civilisations. This graffiti offers “a hidden history [largely created by] transgressors, the people at the bottom of society, or the people that are often forgotten.” In some cases, like Gaius whose etchings on the ruins of Pompeii date back to 78 BC, it’s simply an ordinary person’s wish to be immortalised. What was, at the time, vandalism, is now considered historically and culturally significant. Would future historians say the same of graffiti today?
Modern graffiti
Graffiti as we know it developed in line with the invention of the spray paint can in 1949, with which individuals would write their name (tag) or gangs would mark their territory. By the 1960s, a global subculture had emerged, exploding out of New York, where illegible scrawls and symbols were hailed ‘the voice of youth’ - expressing the experience and feeling of the time in rebellion against the establishment.
Graffiti has always been controversial, complex and divisive. It can capture the mood of the day, evoke intimidation, brighten a drab building, cause offence. It can cause huge upset, inconvenience and expense. It can bring communities together. While over the years, some examples met critical acclaim (such as Basquiat), to most people, graffiti remains mindless vandalism and the defacement of others’ properties, not an art form.
That said, opinion does seem to differ depending on whether the graffiti is high or low quality.
Good graffiti vs bad graffiti
Research shows that there are different attitudes towards types of graffiti. Tagging and offensive slurs are naturally viewed as objectionable and unacceptable; a criminal offence that’s rightly punishable by fines or imprisonment and requires urgent emergency graffiti removal to avoid further upset, damage or escalation. In contrast, community projects and higher quality pictorial ‘art’ are more likely to be tolerated. It’s good graffiti vs bad graffiti.
Take the example of graffiti ‘murals’ and youth projects which bring people together and are initiated by local councils. These are said to also deter illegal graffiti. Then there’s street art. Go to almost any city in the world and there’s usually a guided street art walk where celebrated works feature the artists’ Instagram handles - no fear of reprisal. In some places, residents are honoured if an artist wants to use their property as a canvas.
And then there’s Banksy, famous for his stencilled graffiti which comments on society and is typically stolen as soon as it’s been officially claimed. Although not always. In 2020, Transport for London scrubbed his series of Covid-inspired work: ‘If you don’t mask, you don’t get’ from its trains and stations under a ‘strict anti-graffiti policy’. It just goes to show, one man’s multi-million-pound street art is another man’s vandalism.
It’s worth remembering that graffiti - even ‘high quality’ street art - can often invite further tagging and vandalism, so it’s important to apply anti-graffiti coatings on high-risk surfaces. These preventive measures can help protect buildings and minimise repeat offences.
The graffiti impact on victims
Regardless of personal opinion, the effects of spray-painted scrawls - whether simple tagging or hateful slurs - are devastating to business and property owners, so removing graffiti quickly is critical for the avoidance of further damage and to maintain brand reputation. Though the victims may not be personally targeted - perhaps it’s just a ‘good’ site for a peer-impressing tag - this deliberate damage to property can not only be frightening, but also have a huge impact on perception of the affected building, business or area. It appears neglected, run-down, undesirable; not a place in which you’d want to, say, eat or shop. It’s hard not to take this sort of crime personally and it can leave victims feeling vulnerable. Emergency graffiti removal services and surface-safe graffiti removal techniques ensure that buildings are restored fast, without causing additional damage and with minimal disruption.
The good news is that instances of reported graffiti crime have dropped, according to ONS data, suggesting that deterrents and other techniques to prevent it might be having an effect. Also, professional graffiti removal uses methods which avoids further damage to surfaces and can also reduce the likelihood of repeat offences.
The question of whether graffiti is vandalism or art, then, can probably be put down to a) the type of graffiti and b) the intent. If both are considered good, then the work is considered art, if not, then it’s time to call in the commercial graffiti removal experts.
If you're a business or property owner that has experienced this type of vandalism, REACT offers specialist graffiti removal services using surface-safe techniques that quickly restore your building. We can also apply anti-graffiti protection measures to prevent future tagging. Available 24/7, we can remove graffiti around the clock, before the wider public even notices, in some cases.
If you’d like to find out about our vandalism cleaning service or just talk to us about how to deter vandals, then please get in touch. We’d be happy to chat through our solutions.
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