Graffiti Spotlight: Graffiti in Art Museums

After interest in graffiti spread, the early 80s saw the introduction of graffiti into museums and art galleries (Melker, 2011). Curators are always looking for exciting new things to draw crowds in and graffiti was one of the most popular art forms at the time. The idea appeared first in New York, and since then museums and art galleries have been showing graffiti art to a small extent.

Although some writers have embraced a transition from the streets to art studios, others resist the idea. The controversy lies in an issue with exposure. Pro-gallery advocates will cite the fact that the graffiti in museums aren't illegal and don't get taken down by the city. Advocates will also state that the artists get paid for their work, but others aren't buying into it (Melker, 2011). Most people realize that art galleries have a hard time getting people in the doors. The few people to that do go to art galleries vary greatly from the type of audience graffiti writers are used to presenting to. The whole purpose of writing graffiti in public places is for the work to be seen and to gain notoriety. Graffiti artists know that their work will get a lot less exposure if they place it inside and wait for people to come to it, instead of placing it in the public's face (Melker, 2011). They also realize that they won't get the respect from other writers who can admire their work and understand the technique and preparation that went into it. In addition, since the museums and art galleries are trying to draw crowds only the best artists have spots open to them. With this in mind, most writers consider it less trouble and more rewarding to just keep their work in the streets.