Graffiti: Art, Vandalism or Commerce?

Interesting article in the Times Online about Banksy, an (in)famous graffiti artist whose street art has appeared on walls around the world. The debate is a familiar one: is graffiti art or vandalism?

When I was at RISD, Sheppard Fairey was already famous for his ubiquitous stickers, Andre the Giant has a posse that were on plastered on every public surface you can imagine. Nowadays, Sheppard is a highly successful commercial artist, his most recent work includes Barack Obamas Hope campaign poster. Here in Providence, three graffiti artists, Seaz, Juner and Lead, were commissioned to paint a mural for Temple, a restaurant inside of one our four-diamond hotels.

So, is graffiti art (an expression of the human soul, socio-political commentary), vandalism (littering on someone elses property) or commerce (payment for services rendered)?

Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? ( surveys)