Graffiti

When does art stop being expressionism and become graffiti? The word graffiti simply means words or drawings scratched or scribbled on a wall, so why do so many people think of it as vandalism? True that a lot of what people think of ‘graffiti’ consists of swearing and some idiot’s opinion spray-painted onto a wall, but we must also keep in mind that this is more likely vandalism, graffiti refers to a much wider term. Usually two completely different things, the expressionism of some people can get out-of-hand.
Take the Human rights activists in Cuba that has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for writing anti-government graffiti on the walls of a public building in the capital Havana. So what is this? Graffiti? Expressionism? Or vandalism?

Here’s an interesting site looking at this whole argument, it also documents graffiti related convictions and crimes- http://www.graffiti.org/
A site on some of the more famous works of graffiti found across England, recognize any?- http://www.ukgraffiti.com/
Interested in a Graffiti related field trip? - http://www.graffiti.org/index/current.html