What's the difference between Street Art and Graffiti Tagging?

What's the difference between Graffiti Tagging
and Street Art?

1. Street Art is constructive, Graffiti Tagging is destructive.

2. Street Art adorns the urban landscape, Graffiti Tagging scars it and accelerates urban decay.

3. Street Art stretches your mind, Graffiti Tagging is a slap in your face.

4. Street Art is about the audience, Graffiti Tagging is about the tagger.

5. Street Art says "Have you thought about this?", Graffiti Tagging says "I must exist because I see my name".

6. Street Art was done with a smile, Graffiti Tagging was done with a scowl.

7. Street Art was done with an outstretched hand, Graffiti Tagging was done with an outstretched finger.

8. Street Art takes skill, Graffiti Tagging takes balls.

9. We mourn losing Street Art and celebrate losing Graffiti Tagging.

Good Street Art is great, good Graffiti Tagging is gone!

Street Art vs.Graffiti Tagging List above.
Street Art Photo Gallery below.

Wild Flowers are not weeds: Protect Street Art

"Street Art are urban wildflowers. In a formal Rose Garden, wildflowers are weeds just like the buckthorn, crabgrass, and dandelions. But in a vibrant, dynamic native garden, wildflowers are different. They bloom in colorful bursts, attract bees and butterflies. They require no watering and they don't choke out other native plants. But the weeds that grow around the wildflowers need to be cleared so that the wildflowers can prosper."

Do your part to allow Street Art to Thrive

Do your part to keep the streets clean of graffiti tagging so that Street Art can thrive! The only way to change the perception that all graffiti is bad, is to raise the bar and get rid of the bad graffiti. A single Street Art sticker on a sign can make a strong visual statement. Graffiti stickers covering a sign drown out Street Art and turns the sign to blight.

Who is to judge? You! Step UP!

You might ask, who is to judge street art vs. graffiti tagging? The answer: Those who care and value street art need to judge and take responsibility.

Not all art is created equal. In our museums, we have canvases worth millions of dollars and then there are Aunt Edna's paintings that you can't get $2 at a garage sale.

If we consider everything written on the wall as art, then the City crew comes through and blasts it all away, the street art and the graffiti tagging all vanish in a thick coat of brown paint.

But if those who value street art keep the graffiti tagging away, the street art can thrive. The blight, the mess, the complaints and the graffiti removal crews all fade away leaving a street art gallery to celebrate and adorn our streetscape.

Protect your Street Art or mural against graffiti tagging.

Graffiti on Banksy Street Art

Graffiti Tag on Chicago Street Art Mural

What does Street Art SOLVE?

SOLVE Street Art

The perspective from one extraordinary Chicago Street Artist...

"Well, each kind of image or piece I do tends to have a different message, I guess. A lot of the messages aren’t very direct, I try to be sort of esoteric and leave it open to interpretation. The messages are usually taken from stuff I see around, like in the news or my perceptions of the world, some problem that I perceive, and I usually make a thing about that. I don’t have any answers, I don’t think any of my pieces give an answer, they just present a problem, I guess.

I also was doing those polka dot box things for awhile, which I should do more of, but haven’t done in awhile, they’re just so ridiculous. I love the idea of this completely ridiculous thing in the middle of the city. Because the city is so serious, people are going and doing their business, and you have to rush from here to there… I think it’s kind of a stop and smell the flowers thing, like hopefully people will stop and get a smile out of it."