Graffiti is one of many controversies in the art community. Is it a valid form of expression, done with technique and therefore art? Or is it crude, mindless vandalism from the younger generation?

I believe the former is closer to the truth, considering not only its extensive history, but the unique form of story-telling and expression it provides for artists.

However, one cannot argue either side of this case without first being able to answer the question: what is art?

While the details of that are also up for debate, the basic definition of art, from the Oxford Dictionary, is “works produced by human creative skill and imagination.” This is the definition that will be used during this essay.

The next question is: what is graffiti?

The word graffiti originates from the Italian ‘graffio’ meaning ‘a scratch.’

Looking again at the Oxford Dictionary, it will be found that graffiti is “writings or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.” The earliest forms of graffiti, though not illicit, were found in prehistoric caves, made using animal bones and pigments.

Graffiti is usually done on public property without permission; hence it being called illicit. However, graffiti artists are often commissioned for pieces such as murals.

Similar in style to graffiti, graffiti art takes the techniques of street graffiti and applies them to other media, such as canvas. This allows the style of graffiti to be exhibited and sold.

Even when done illegally, graffiti allows artists to show what they believe in. Graffiti often expresses a need for some kind of change, or a statement about society as it is now. Artists aren't tied down by institutional censorship, and can share their truths.

Icy and Sot, Iranian brothers and street artists, address many issues in their work, such as war, poverty, censorship and the plight of children.

Their pieces in New York are quite popular, and people go out of their way to see them.

While it could be debated whether their art should be displayed illegally, it is undeniably: art.

Addressing social truths and issues by means of visual communication definitely falls under “works produced by human creative skill and imagination.”

Many graffiti artists express similar themes in their art. Some make pieces without any apparent meaning- striking fonts and doodles. These, too, are made with “human creative skill and imagination.”

Whether you agree with graffiti placement or not, it is a unique form of expression, and it is art.

This image of the children is a famous piece from Icy and Sot, painted on an abandoned building in New York.