Graffiti is defined as images or lettering usually found on walls but also on other surfaces, such as train and metro cars. The nature of these images or words may be:

social

political

hate

advertising

decorative

One thing is certain, however: graffiti is vandalism if it is not authorized by the owner of the structure or building it is on.

Most graffiti artists have the same goal: to draw attention to an idea, drawing or signature. There are several different types of graffiti, including piece, mural, scraffiti or scratchiti, tag, throw-up or fill-in.

Impact of graffiti

Graffiti lead to other delinquent activities such as theft, vandalism and encourage gang gatherings. Graffiti also represent disorder and a lack of public-spiritedness. Graffiti have a snowball effect on urban decay.

Graffiti undermine the public's sense of security. Some people avoid going to certain places because they feel insecure, business owners get less business, and private and public property deteriorates.

The result is that it is always the public that pays the price (parents, neighbours, friends, business owners)...

In 2008, the Ville de Montréal spent $3.3 million cleaning graffiti from 150,000 square metres of walls, street furniture and equipment.

Finding other means of self expression

Montréal decided to invest in the creation of artistic murals, in cooperation with several different partners. 11 murals have been created by Montréal artists thanks to Opération Montréal.net, the service mandated to beautify Montréal, in collaboration with "Mu".

Check them out:

 Photos : Torganiel