By Shannon Walker

Art or vandalism? Glasgow's graffiti has long since been debated by the public, with South Lanarkshire Council deeming it “unsightly”. But is it?

There are many distinct types of graffiti, like “tagging”, which is a quick stylized signature of an artist's alias. These often seem messy and low effort.

Then there is Mural graffiti. This type of graffiti is more accepted by the public as it is often done legally with permission from building owners.

Text graffiti is more well-known. This is the type of graffiti you would see scattered over bridges or buildings and is what most people picture when they think of graffiti.

Graffiti is seen as anti-social behaviour, and the Scottish government believes that it encourages other anti-social behaviours such as fly-tipping and more graffiti.

South Lanarkshire Council states: “It is illegal, graffiti is an act of vandalism and as such those offenders undertaking such acts can be charged with a criminal offence.”

You can also receive a £40 fine for anything the government deems as low-level vandalism.

Yet, pieces by artists like Banksy are coveted and protected so where do we draw the line? What is art and what is vandalism?

Erin White, an art student from Hamilton, conducted a survey in early 2024 where she asked a number of people from diverse backgrounds whether they think graffiti is art.

The consensus was that graffiti is only art in some cases. While tags are ugly, murals are beautiful.

Sophie Waller, from South Lanarkshire, said: “I think it depends on what the piece is. If it’s names, it’s vandalism, but if its objects, scenes, or subject matter, it’s art.”

James Braylon, from North Lanarkshire, said: “They can be both. When a building is tagged with just the name of an individual, a group or a gang to mark their territory, then it’s vandalism, but when it's done to represent an area, or say, a football club, I think done in the right way, and with everyone on board, then it can be seen as art.”

From the survey and some interviews conducted on the streets of Glasgow, the overall conclusion that was made is that younger people are more open to the idea of all graffiti types, while older people believe that murals are the only acceptable form of graffiti.

Is the public consensus on graffiti changing?