there is a fine line between graffiti art and vandalism but these examples of graffiti are pretty cool painted on the walls of some inner city buildings [ melb]
when i opened these they were the right way up as soon as downloaded they fell over, mmm
IMO the first one is simply vandalism and has no artistic merit or social value...
The second one shows some artistic ability and cleverness and is OK... (Again - IMO only).
Please don't use graffiti and art in same context. There is no way graffiti has any slight resemblance to art no matter how its viewed. Labeling it art, is just a crutch to justify some fools nasty tenancy to scrawl crap on anything he/she feels fit to do so. 
ang about, flame suit on[}:)]
A local bike shop in Kalgoorlie got targeted by a christian tagger who almost finished a huge piece about jesus saving us all .
I think maybe jesus dobbed him in cos he never quite finished the wall., which is a pity as it was a really beautiful job
watch "exit through the gift shop" IMO it was the best movie/documentary or maybe mockumentry of 2010
www.banksyfilm.com
Firstly, I am not necessarily justifying graffiti art to the extent seen on trains etc there are some very bad situations and bad examples, but on the other hand there are some amazing tags, Melbourne has some that is now protected and some lane have become major tourist attractions, and there are many Councils increasing their annual anti graffiti budgets. there was a well known Melb photograher, Rennie Ellis [dec] who captured graffiti through the decades that have become a historical record of social issues.
Banksy has some work in Melb that are valued at excess of $400,000, ironically one piece was painted over by council workers, creating an uproar and was then restored back to original condition, artform takes on many directions that are not necessarily only on a canvas.
whatever or however the artform is, or seen, opinions are provoked and that in itself is what art may be about, just don't shoot me for writing this 
All this talk of art vs graffiti and nobody even mentions the art of giraffiti !
Giraffiti is similar to graffiti, except it is really high up!
There are 2 different things.
1. Graffiti is it a painting on the wall looking like an image, can be nice and clever but not always wanted by the owner of the wall, most of the time it has some artistic value.
2. Tags: some ugly scribbling on the wall made by some ice injected, glue or petrol sniffing little bastards wearing their pants below their arse and their caps the wrong way around. Has no artistic value at all and it works like for male dogs pissing everywhere to mark a territory. I say catch the little mongrels and give them a good flogging, maybe get their parents to pay for the cleaning if the little c###s have no money.
I like graffitti.
Tagging is a bit lame then there are tags
and then there are tags
I'm all for it.
Its urban adds colour to an otherwise unintersting wall of grey.
Banksy is fn awesome. Check out his book, the guy has a great idiology.
Graffiti is definitely art, and just like "normal art" there are some bad examples, but as you know, art is art.
Tagging is just fkn dumb.
I don't like the way things have gone with famous graffiti works becoming pop culture though, and feel they have sold out... but who wouldn't be tempted.
Look at the clothing line for Obey... they all got offered large cash and have taken it....
Name a famous artist (graffiti) who hasn't? I am not doubting, but wouldn't mind knowing if there was.
And has anyone tagged here? What rewards are there? I saw a guy at St Kilda tagging a tram in daylight, then walking up the street and tagging the street lights. Is it a territorial thing? So other subversive subculture intellectual animals know its your area?
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There is a bit of tagging happening where I live and a while ago they were tagging a wall that is part of our property. I hated it as it was ugly and seemed to attract more tags. Always in black texta or crappy spraypaint. No artistic merit what soever.
So I bought some paint and started painting over it and kept doing it. Something to do on those windless Saturdays. It seems to have worked as its been a couple of years since we've had a tag.
incedently, that first image shown of the "raw milk graffiti' I noticed today, has now been painted over,probably lasted two months, I met a chap at the weekend who professed to being a graffiti "installer" on trains, hated the idea of putting it on canvas as he said its not meant to last, he liked to see it go fast, shrugged his shoulders when asked about the removal costs and delays incurred.
Having artistic ability, doesnt constitute the work you complete is art. the two are completely different
Ah I knew exactly the reaction this thread would get before I even opened it.
"THAT'S NOT ART!!"
Well tell me exactly, who the **** are you to decide what art is?
No I don't advocate vandalism and tagging but I sure can appreciate Banksy's work as modern day art.
Tagging = vandalism! Our town is currently undertaking a foreshore development to 'beautify' our foreshore, including updating amenity blocks, new stairs to the beach etc. The basins in the amenities were smashed on the 2nd day of reopening and the walls all tagged, and the timber stairs & stone wall have been tagged before completion.
I don't see graffiti as art, but there are definitely artists amongst them, unfortunately there are more taggers than artists and those guys/girls are just wannabes that don't have the same skills, therefore they vandalise property because they think they have the right to.
