Is graffitti propaganda or just vandalism?

[Angry Young Man]

Come on: if it's private property, surely even if it was just vandalism it can't be all that bad; but if it brings attention to the cause, it must have some credability as propaganda.

[which doctor]

I like to call it urban beautification.

[razboz]

Of course its porpaganda. What do you think billboards are doing? propagandising you into buying.

having said that you do have to make several important distinctions. theres is some graffitti which is ibviously propaganda. There is other graffitti which as Fist of Blood put it is urban beautificaton. You also get tags but those are in a league of their own. Then you get the mix between political graffitti and urban beautification. The bouandaries are a bit fuzzy.

[EusebioScrib]

You better believe it is! That's why it's always handy to carry around magic markers or spray paint wherever you go.

[Comrade Don]

Its never vandalism, Every spray you make , makes a differance.

[ahab]

graffiti to me is art, neither vandalism nor propaganda. It's a way of expressing one's feelings about something whether it be political or not, the difference between billboards and graffiti is the billboards have paid sponsors that WANT you to buy or go to their stores, see their movies etc. Graffiti is just expressings one's feelings the artist (usually) isnt trying to force some ideology on you, we usually just want to make a piece that stands out, even when it is poliyical i.e. anti-bush, anti-war whatever it's just stating someone's opinion on the matter.

[kaaos_af]

I.... er... "Lucy"... doesn't believe that it's cool to spray on poor people's houses and fences. That's just imposing our trip on them, and they don't appreciate it. I know I didn't appreciate it when someone wrote 'brotherz pride 2003' on my house.

[Black Dagger]

For anyone interested there's a longer discussion on this sort of topic in DIY, http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=45488

[ricardsju]

I can't see how someone writing "john banks was here 6/4/2006" or "NGKF" on the side of some ones house or historic site is urban beautificaton. On corporate property, that then would be a small spanner in the cogs of the capitalist machine :D , And if it was leftish propaganda than all the better!