Sometimes it's so ugly - but sometimes it's beautiful

Howdy ,

I was on a train just after Christmas. Written on the wall (where it shouldn't have been!) was a word that one of my friends uses, so I took a picture of it and emailed her with a message to be careful - she'd have to pay a fine (1) if she was caught 😉.

OK, I could have been wrong, but I was sure that she'd never break the law like that. Thankfully, she understood that my message was a joke, but also was amazed that her word was written there, in public.

And that got me thinking about graffiti.

Usually, I think of it in a bad way. It's younger people with spray paint (or maybe markers) making a mess that other people then have to try and clean away. That's what my friend's word on the train was. It was vandalism (2). It made that part of the train ugly and also made it feel a bit dirty.

But as I travel around, I see other examples of graffiti. I hate to admit it (3), but some of it is impressive! Yes, these artists are breaking the law, but some of them are skilled and produce amazing works or art.

(Am I allowed to call 'graffiti' 'art'? As 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' (4) - (some) graffiti is art to me ...)

The works they do add to the area (beautify it) instead of making it look dirty and uncared for.

A few years ago I was speaking to someone about graffiti. One of her friends was officially a graffiti artist. He had turned it into proper (legal!) work by getting organisations to pay him for painting on walls or other spaces for them.

Sometimes I see 'graffiti' like that. An area is done by just one artist and has a special theme. Personally I have to give it the thumbs up 👍 - it is usually very well done and it stops other graffiti artists from just making a mess!

Well, it stops them for a while ...

So, what's your opinion, ? Is graffit dirt that needs to be cleaned away, or is it art that makes an area more beautiful?

Have a great week!

Andrea

(1) a fine - money we have to pay when we do something wrong, e.g. I was caught driving too fast in my car and now I have to pay a fine of €350.

(2) vandalism - when you purposely damage something that belongs to someone else, or damage or destroy something that is good. Someone who vandalises things is a vandal.

(3) I hate to admit it - there is a truth I should say (admit) about something, but I don't want to

(4) beauty is in the eye of the beholder - we are individuals and see things differently, so something I think is beautiful you might not think is so special at all. The eye of the beholder - the eye of the one doing the looking.