Graffiti – A Bridge Too Far?
A BRIDGE TOO FAR?
Many of us walked over the Port Road pedestrian bridge in the last few weeks only to be distinctly unimpressed by the graffiti which appeared on it. It would be a shame though if this experience caused us to develop a general dislike for all street art.
Art is of course about opinions and the line between art and graffiti can be blurred. Work 
about the coronavirus by Banksy (left) was removed from a London tube carriage by cleaners who had no idea of its worth. There does though seem to be general agreement about what constitutes acceptable street art. The term ‘street artist’ has evolved because the work of skilled illustrators is far more detailed and artistic than your average graffiti scribble.
Most street artists use their work to make social or political commentary. Communicating directly with the public allows them to present socially relevant content while at the same time beautifying the local area or improving a building in urban decay. Where it is considered an act of vandalism, this is usually because the graffiti is less skilled and the ‘artist’ does not have the authorisation or seek permission from owners of property before scrawling their work onto walls. Graffiti is often disliked when it is associated with a spray-painted tag or moniker. Genuine street art is a different thing altogether. Renowned Cardiff street artist Bryce Davies (who works under the name Peaceful Process) puts it this way, ‘There’s a big divide between graffiti and street art. A lot of what people see on the walls which puts it in a more positive light is street art – graffiti is letter-based
Authorities in Cardiff are working with artists actively commissioning their work and providing tolerated ‘free walls’ where complete freedom is allowed. Artists like Bryce Davies, Shep Fairey and others are pushing boundaries, often not just painting walls but entire building blocks over several floors. These murals are extremely complicated pieces and require planning, imagination and funding all of which often mean involving local councils. Maybe Cardiff will be able to exploit the new trend of ‘graffiti tourism’ in which artists travel and paint across the world and tourists visit notable street art sites in cities like Bristol (home of Banksy), Liverpool and Melbourne.
Bryce Davies argues that social media has helped to change attitudes to street art by helping people to understand and explain it. Dan Pearce a mixed media artist who has created work for the likes of Anthony Joshua and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, argues ‘graffiti is a ‘fantastic new form of creativity.’ But he says, there is a moral line which should not be crossed. ‘Graffiti is simply vandalism when it is a random tag on any old wall.’ The graffiti which appeared on the Port Road bridge recently has now been cleared. So, what conclusions can we draw from the incident. One Wenvoe resident seems to have summed up the general view. ‘Graffiti artists are talented, so I enjoy looking at their work when it’s in a place where people can appreciate it and it looks good rather than someone just spraying the bus stop or a bridge as they go by.’