Art is much more than a few brush strokes on a canvas.
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It’s a varied and renowned form of expression.
For those who can’t write or dance or express their emotions in any other way, there is art.
And we should never discourage self expression.
But there is difference between creating artwork and defiling public property.
Graffiti has often been a problem in cities, appearing at sporting fields, on the sides of buildings, abandoned vehicles and sidewalks.
Occasionally, it appears in the forms of ‘tags’, symbols relating to certain gangs or individuals.
It’s a way of claiming stake to their work (which seems bizarre for people who are usually trying to not get caught).
But other times, it’s pre-planned, carefully-designed images.
These are for visual gratification or to make a political statement.
There’s skill involved in using spray cans or getting the dimensions right to create such a large-scale image.
Sure, they are illegal if not commissioned but they generate such heated discussion.
Now, what if there was a place these images could be done legally?
It’s a proposal going to Wagga City Council on Monday night for spaces that will separate street art from illegal tagging.
The wall will predominantly be used by youth, specifically teenagers, who want to practise this artform but don’t want the fines that accompany it.
The sites would be places in the city where people could go to peruse raw forms of art in its natural state.
But will the wall deter illegal forms of graffiti?
There’s little doubt a dedicated space should be established but how far will it go to deter illegal activity?
And if there is a space that invites people to spray their images all over it, does graffiti lose its appeal?
Is the appeal that it is so taboo and a bit naughty?
Graffiti as art should be encouraged but graffiti as vandalism should be stamped out.
Any options are worth exploring.
And any facility should be accompanied by proper facilities for disposal of spray cans otherwise the problem escalates.
Wagga City Council is expected to discuss the issue on Monday night.