In Lisbon and throughout Portugal no public place is safe from Spray Paint Vandals…
I don’t dislike this…
But I don’t like this…
Where do you stand on the issue of Urban Art or Criminal Graffiti?
Have Bag, Will Travel
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Have Bag, Will Travel 
It depends on the “art”. If it is well done it can look great, but some just looks messy.
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The trouble is that most so called ‘graffiti artists’ have no real talent!
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Totally agree.
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Depends . . . if it’s gang names or people’s names or writing, generally not partial to it. Drawings of objects or scenes or people, generally more acceptable.
It highly depends on the location. If it’s s building that already looks nice, then no. If it’s a bridge and it makes it look better, probably yes. If it’s private property and without permission, always no.
I’ve seen some excellent work, but often knowing the motive behind it (gangs) detracts from any value it may have.
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I don’t dislike controlled street art but hate indiscriminate vandalism.
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I agree with disperser in a previous comment, artistic or tat is an issue as is the ownership of the building. One man’s meat etc. I believe some cities now (LA, Miami?) have areas where you can spray to your hearts content at weekends before removal. Personally….. I’d ban the lot and make the punishment that the criminals own home is plastered with it.
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I remember that we tried this when I worked in Local Government. It didn’t work for the simple reason that vandals cannot control themselves
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Let their mothers control them after their own houses have been daubed!
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Manchester has the right answer in my opinion. The Northern Quarter is a designated street art zone where there are some great creations. The rest of the city is then left (mainly) graffiti free.
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This works sometimes. It satisfies the genuine street artists nut encourages the vandals!
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Is anywhere in the world sacred? I love and hate it, depending on style and situation. Most often I abhor- when it’s no better than scribble. We take marker pens off the kids so they don’t mar the furniture, don’t we? I was hoping to see one by the steps to the Carmo on here and I was going to yell Snap! Next time 🙂 🙂
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I completely agree, Jo
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I thought you might Sue x
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Great minds, eh Jo!!😊
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I have probably got the same picture as you somewhere in my collection Jo!
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Bound to have! Just stopped for my first coffee fix of the day. Not in Spain! X
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I wish I was in Spain, it is freezing here!
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My friends at home keep talking bright and crispy, beautiful days. Somehow I know I’m going to be disappointed when I get back. 🙂
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Bright, crispy and COLD!
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Tagging is the problem. The proper art is fine but most graffiti is just cries for help from the talentless.
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An excellent assessment John!
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Like the stuff in London’s East End, it is either brilliant art or vandalism. And it’s not just in the eye of the beholder either.
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Interesting views on this subject, some like it but a lot don’t!
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There is some true urban art but most is just vandalism. Melbourne is full of it.
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Most big cities suffer, Lisbon was bad, I remember Ljubljana was just the same. I have never been to Berlin but I understand that it is quite awful there!
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I was told by a social responsibility teacher that the best way to control graffiti is to remove it as soon as possible. Apparently the presence of any street art encourages other would be artists to contribute to the collection.
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Seems sensible. Crime encourages Crime!
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Vandalism – pictures 1, 2 and 4 to me emphasise that. I don’t mind the face picture in the other photo but I hate all the writing.
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We have quite a lot of commissioned street art in Glasgow, it really took off in advance of the commonwealth games in 2014, to the extent that the council produces a trail map. Amazingly, I can only think of one piece that has been vandalised. I’ve also been following the creation of a giant tribute to Leonard Cohen on a tower block in Montreal. I really want to see that! Like everyone else, I hate the gang tags and scribbles.
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I’d shoot the bastards!
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Quality makes the difference for me. We have some rather nice ‘murals’ around here. They seem to brighten up some otherwise bare and bland walls.
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Controlled urban art is fine if it is does properly and serves a purpose!
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Depends on the work, Andrew. I’ve see some pretty nasty graffiti sprayed across historical objects. And I’ve seen street art that really adds to a community. –Curt
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Controlled urban art is good Curt if it serves good purpose!
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Everything Jo says!
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We take in quite a destiny of commissioned street artwork in Glasgow, it really took off in progression of the res publica games in 2014, to the extent that the council produces a track map. And I’ve seen street artwork that really adds to a community.
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Agreed. Socially and community controlled urban art can be good but vandalism never is!
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Some of it could be considered art if it were in the proper place, here it’s just vandalism.
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That is the debate in most European cities – Art or Vandalism, mostly I come down on the side of vandalism. It just isn’t nice!
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In my opinion art is original and much more interesting to look at than a bunch of plain walls.
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Interesting point of view. I agree if it is genuinely art but not ugly graffiti!
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Yes, I totally agree. Like how I found the professional graffiti artist at the fashion event which is in my latest blog post so commendable. Because it’s not the usual illicit graffiti murals on our city’s wall streets, but on canvas and that also, with granted permission & recognized. I get where you’re coming from.
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Permission is the important distinction. Thanks for stopping by.
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Urban art, were coloring the dull city that’s been built over the natural colorful world. It’s expression. Sometimes people spray things that aren’t that, and that doesn’t belong. But lots of it is real art.
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Should art be controlled?
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Except by the artist themselves, they should be aware when it’s the right time or place and audience to express to
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The graffiti art there is pretty good but does look bad in some places…
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I agree, there is good and bad, but too much bad!
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