Graffiti Art: Doing It For The Love Or For The Thrill?

Street art is associated with creativity, and allows individuals to express their feelings, thoughts and beliefs. This type of art captures the attention of many and is often unique. But it’s worth thinking about whether artists do it for the love or the thrill of it.

Graffiti art may be risky, but many artists believe the risks are worth it

It’s widely believed that graffiti artists are motivated by the excitement to do something dangerous, and also the love they have for their talent. There are many risks involved, with artists often scaling large buildings to create art, and putting themselves in harm’s way.

Another observation is that street artists crave the social rewards that come with being part of this subculture. Rising to notoriety in 1971, modern street art is often associated with spreading a message and being noticed, and this is what artists often aim to achieve through their work.

Train stations are also popular locations for graffiti artists to display their work, as they provide great opportunities for their designs and tags to be seen. Of course, with these locations, an element of risk is involved – but the riskier the location, the more likely the street art will be deemed as authentic, in keeping with the movement’s style and ethos.

The modern age provides more opportunities for work to be seen

When it comes to social media, there’s an obvious advantage for graffiti artists to get their work out there. By using social networks and websites that specialise in this form of art, artists are more likely to be highly visible, allowing their work to spread globally.

However, part of the problem here is that this provides a safe, clean environment for art, and the whole ethos behind street art is that it’s linked to the underground and risk-taking, which has become commonplace across the movement. This is why so many artists still choose to travel to locations that are seen to be dangerous to create their art. Ultimately, there’s an expectation on artists to produce their work in an authentic way that resembles the early days of the movement.