In the capital, Santiago de Chile, wherever there is street-art it adds to the beauty of the city, and distracts from the otherwise often grey and dull apartment blocks.
Ellie Jeffrey
Street art in the UK is mostly referred to as graffiti, which does not exactly have positive connotations and tends to evoke images of “youths in hoods” (yes I am aware that I sound like a disgruntled grandmother) with spray cans defacing buildings, trains and walls. Graffiti is illegal in the UK, along with the selling of spray-cans to under-16s and is punishable by fines and even imprisonment depending on the scale of the damage caused. Typical UK Graffiti However, graffiti can also be considered a form of art: the name Banksy automatically brings to mind the anonymous artist known for his UK-based paintings, and his works are considered far from offensive or antisocial. Known for his contempt of the word vandalism, used by the government to describe graffiti, his works are satirical and bold, intended to capture the public’s attention. I am currently living in Chile (yes, I’m sorry, I know it’s exam term and the words Year Abroad – synonymous with sunshine and slacking – are far from welcome) and it has led me to wonder if our UK laws are too strict: the only possibility for legal graffiti is on designated free-walls, and our attitudes seem extremely traditional – surprise surprise, it is the UK after all! Here in Chile graffiti is legal as long as the artist has the permission of the owner of any given property, and it has led to one of the most colourful and interesting cities in the country: Valparaíso. The city is famous for its brightly coloured houses and beautiful street art, and whilst there is the occasional scribble in spray-paint, the presence of so much beautiful art seems to deter people from mindless defacement, and encourages creativity. What is more, after meeting some locals on a free walking tour it was apparent that they are proud of their colourful walls. In the capital, Santiago de Chile, wherever there is street-art it adds to the beauty of the city, and distracts from the otherwise often grey and dull apartment blocks. So let’s stop all of this negativity towards graffiti, and start treating it as street-art! After all, when it is employed creatively, shouldn't it be considered as part of our democratic freedom of expression?
Ellie Jeffrey
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1/23/2024 10:36:27 am
Buenos días señor / señora,
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Author.The Blake Society is THE Downing College society for all arts and humanities students and anyone interested in arts-type things. Archives
February 2016
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