Art or vandalism?
There exists a fine line between street art and destruction of property. However, when I walk around Albuquerque and spot the sporadically placed works of local artists on virtually any visible surface, I can’t help but smile at the beauty of personal expression. Perhaps my favorite of works are the various color splashes throughout the city. A local artist, whose identity is unknown to me, pours paint from the roof of a building and allows it to drip down, just as a waterfall flows from the edge of a steep cliff. The rainbow waterfall is at first easy to miss, but after you’ve spotted one, the others become more evident. In fact, I’ve seen a total of three since my first discovery. Although the original intent of the artist in showcasing these rainbow waterfalls remains a mystery, it’s the beauty of interpretation that allows the general public to form their own opinion of the meaning. And it’s for this reason that I say by law, these works may be considered vandalism, but by nature, these works are a testament to the importance of developing an independent viewpoint of reality. By choosing to display their art publicly, artists sacrifice the longevity of their works in order to allow everyday people to challenge their own thinking and to be increasingly aware of their surroundings. Now, if vandalism is strictly defined to be the destruction of private property, the placement of art on public streets and buildings can be deemed as nothing more than simply art. It would be hypocritical to place shame on those wanting to make a statement to not only people of today but to people of the future. Were the petroglyphs of ancient civilizations considered vandalistic in their time? If so, I’m awfully glad that people were rebellious against the law, because if not for the markings or “art” of the people, their ancient ways would have been lost along with the passing of their spirits into the great beyond. So, all things considering, just as we are free to interpret the meaning of street art, we must also decide which side to defend in the debate of art for the sake of expression vs. vandalism for the sake of preservation.
