Graffiti Art in NYC/5 Pointz

Is graffiti a form of art or vandalism? Is it right to only consider aesthetically-pleasing pieces as art and other “ugly” pieces of graffiti as vandalism? This debate has occurred for several years and is often brought up with the passing of new laws against vandalism and graffiti. There seems to be several ways of approaching this argument. A simple solution is to consider any graffiti on property that does not belong to the writer as vandalism. This is the current view of graffiti by most law enforcement bodies. The act of “bombing,” however, involves randomly going to different locations all throughout an area and spraying graffiti art. Full of adventure, thrill, and creativity, bombing, although physically not needed for an aerosol artist, is considered to be quintessential to graffiti culture. How can we limit graffiti vandalism without implicating restrictions upon the very culture and ideals that make graffiti so unique? The truth is we can’t. This also brings up other questions. If a graffiti artist at a public place writes a piece that is visually stunning to the general public and highly admired, is it still considered vandalism? What are your thoughts on this?