The Art of Graffiti

Graffiti.

It can be a simple as tagging one's name on a building to elaborate murals.

But such displays draw mixed reactions.

For some, they're nothing but ugly defacement of public and private property.

For others, they symbolize a type of art that may not get the credit or respect given other creative art forms.

For the average U.S. taxpayer, clean-up of graffiti costs about $1 to $3 a year.

Here in Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed last year resurrected the anti-graffiti task force to clean up some of the eyesores. It's no wonder; graffiti is one the top three nuisance crimes in East Atlanta Patch.

True enough, some of it is ugly and vulgar. But some murals are beautiful.

And one could argue some of them add something to the neighborhood's character.

Take the Krog Street underpass for instance. It connects Inman Park and Cabbagetown under the MARTA and CSX rail lines and is wall-to-wall gallery of art, which draw residents and tourists alike to snap up pictures.

Now, imagine Little Five Points pristine and Disneyfied. Would it be the same? Would it have the same feel?

What kind of balance — if any — is there for graffiti art and the needs and wants of a community?