When you think of graffiti, what do you imagine? You possibly imagine symbols plastered on buildings in a city or initials on abandoned houses. No matter what your definition of graffiti is, chances are that you do not imagine it as art.

Art has a broad definition. It can be music, paintings, sculptures, etc. I believe that graffiti is art as well. 

Graffiti is much more than spray-painted profanity and symbols; it’s a form of public art. Graffiti gives cities and towns a creative atmosphere if done properly. Just as a mural of butterflies is beautiful, graffiti can also be considered beautiful.

There are a couple of traffic cones painted with doodles in the downtown area of Cleveland, Miss. They are creative and entertaining to look at, adding a touch of expressiveness to the area. The artist who painted the cones goes by the name PC.

“I love to paint. It’s always been a fun hobby of mine,” PC says. “One day, I found an old cone slumped over on the side of the road, so I decided to give it a ‘paint job.’ I guess you would call it that. I ended up painting a cat on it. Not wanting my work to go to waste, I dropped it off somewhere I knew people would see it, hoping they’d find it as entertaining as I did.”

Just like PC, some people want to display their work in a public and unique atmosphere in order to gain the attention of others. Not many people will stop to look at a canvas in a window, but they’ll stop to acknowledge eye catching art on a building wall.

People tend to disapprove of graffiti due when it includes offensive language. People spray-paint more than bad words, though. Some people paint pictures, scenery and even blocked or bubbled words. 

“I never paint anything offensive, because who would want to look at that?” PC states. “I’m trying to captivate people, not disgust them. Also, I never paint over or remove reflectors. That can cause a safety hazard for night drivers. My art is safe, wholesome fun.”

Graffiti can be beautiful if done properly. Street artists can create something beautiful and eye-catching. Street art is a talent that not many people possess and by criticizing it, people will view it in a bad light. 

All creations that require time and skill are art, but instead of using a talent to create something offensive, use it to create something beautiful that more people would enjoy seeing.