Graffiti is an illicit activity that involves painting or spray painting a message or image on a wall of a public building. It costs businesses $1.5 billion in damages and repairs every year. Some people consider graffiti art, but in reality it is simply vandalism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay If you are a small business owner and cannot afford to repair the facade of your building, you may lose customers. If the first thing a person sees when they approach your building is a rebellious drawing, then it may lead them to believe that you don't take your job seriously or that the crime rate in the area is higher than it could be. Lack of customers often leads to the failure of a business, sometimes permanent. Losing a business is a big problem for the local economy, as it also causes a loss for the supporters of that institution. However, if a company can afford to repair their walls, they still lose a few hundred dollars unexpectedly. This may be a minor inconvenience for some, but a major one for others. However, complete and utter failure is not the only outcome of the situation. Graffiti can be really beautiful, if done correctly by talented artists. The problem with most graffiti is that it is installed without the consent of the owners or business owners. This leads to the problems discussed above. There are many cases in which entrepreneurs ask artists to do so under contract and give them financial compensation in exchange. These are common in urban business markets, such as Seattle and Bremerton because they can be very attractive and can be made in an abundance of styles. Artists like Banksy, who is a street artist based in England, and Blu, who lives in Italy, appear to be an exception to the law. The typical reaction when you find out you have been “vandalized” by one of these incredibly talented artists is very different from the reaction when you find any other artist. Both artists remain completely anonymous and act as vigilante artists. Banksy likes to highlight important political issues such as immigration. His work is highly regarded, and although he doesn't like to sell, Sotheby's (one of the largest international fine art auction houses in the world), managed to auction off a Banksy piece titled "A Girl with the Red ". balloon". The work was sold for $1.4 million and promptly self-destructed by a paper shredder that Banksy had embedded in the frame. Experts say this may have increased the value of the piece by almost double. Blue has a similar allure and is an artist best known for his political murals in Bologna, Italy. Throughout the street art community one wonders why these two aren't held to the same standard as the rest of the vandals. It's because they have an amount of skill and style that others don't have? Is it because of favoritism? Corruption? While Graffiti style art can still be illegal class B, up to a first degree felony, if three or more people are found to have "tagged" a building, they could be charged with being a gang and punished with a possible sentence of up to 99 years. this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Graffiti is a serious problem in urban societies and costs many business owners ridiculous amounts of money