Is graffiti risky? Insights from the internet and newspapers

Abstract

The act of creating graffiti is often perceived as being tied to risks, such as arrest or becoming a target for rival gangs. While graffiti writers seem aware of these risks, some use graffiti to send messages about issues such as race relations, governmental oppression, and war, while others see graffiti as an art form similar to painting on a traditional canvas. Using Lash’s work on aesthetic reflexivity within a risk model framework, we investigate internet images and newspaper accounts of graffiti to highlight the gap between the aesthetics of graffiti writing and the accounts of those who hold positions of power within structures such as city offices and police departments. This gap makes it difficult to distinguish between graffiti that is meant to enliven an area and graffiti that is used to promote violence.