Street Art: art or vandalism?
Murals are pictorial representations made on urban material, in order to be shared with as many people as possible. They have often been seen as acts of vandalism because the supports used are public vehicles and buildings.
First of all, what is depicted distinguishes the act of vandalism from the work of art, because it symbolizes the artist’s philosophy. Vandals use materials which cause deterioration over time making the subject unpleasant to the eye. On the contrary, artists who want to make their city beautiful use waterproof or hydrophobic paints.
Next, street art must remain within certain limits as regards the message. It must not harm anyone’s image, insult religions, make negative political propaganda or incite hatred. It must also respect the places, such as churches, hospitals and other public buildings.
Finally, street art can pay homage to important people or raise awareness of certain topics in the community.
In conclusion, it can be said that there is a big difference between art and vandalism: the former expresses a thought and follows certain rules, while the latter is only a wrong way of protesting.
(articolo a cura di Caterina Chiacchella — classe 2A classico)
