We compiled the best of graffiti quotes from different artists in order to provide a wide range of perspectives on art, creativity, and everything in between.
In the world of art, there are many different forms that artists can use to express themselves. One of the most popular forms is graffiti. Graffiti is a type of art that is created by using spray paint or markers to write or draw on a wall or other surface.
In the past, people would see graffiti and think of it as vandalism. But now, people are starting to see graffiti in a different light. Many people see graffiti as a form of art. And some of the best graffiti is in the form of quotes. These quotes can be inspirational, funny, or even thought-provoking.
Many graffiti quotes have been written about love, positive message, social criticism, and life in general. Here are some of the best graffiti quotes to see the world in a different light.
Inspirational graffiti quotes
In a world where people are quick to judge and often too shy to speak their minds, graffiti can be both thought-provoking and empowering. Whether it’s a simple statement or an elaborate mural, graffiti has the ability to stop people in their tracks and make them think. Here are some thought-provoking graffiti quotes on art:
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.”
Twyla Tharp
“If graffiti is art and art is a crime then how come Picasso never done time?”
Melvin Glover
“Graffiti has been used to start revolutions, stop wars, and generally is the voice of people who aren’t listened to.”
Banksy
“The way I make art, the way a lot of people make art, is as an extension of language and communication, where references are incredibly important.”
Shepard Fairey
“Is graffiti art or vandalism? That word has a lot of negative connotations and it alienates people, so no, I don’t like to use the word ’art’ at all.”
Banksy
“The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenements halls and whispered in the sounds of silence.”
Paul Simon
“Obviously murder and graffiti are two vastly different crimes. But they are part of the same continuum, and a climate that tolerates one is more likely to tolerate the other.”
Rudy Giuliani
“Graffiti is one of those few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make somebody smile while they’re having a piss.”
Banksy
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Aesop
“I didn’t have much of a life in crime as a graffiti writer.”
Ryan McGinley
Meaningful graffiti quotes
In our fast-paced, constantly-connected world, it’s easy to get caught up in the negative. But one artist is using her talents to spread positive messages through graffiti art. Check out our collection of graffiti quotes to inspire positive change in any aspect of life from the artist:
“I wanted to do something that would make people stop and think about what’s really important.”
Nadia Lopez
“One piece of graffiti doesn’t mean much. Forty pieces of graffiti might mean something. It’s all about connecting the dots.”
Kim Rossmo
“Should graffiti be judged on the same level as modern art? Of course not: It’s way more important than that.”
Banksy
“Now everybody’s bloggin. I heard somebody say: Blogging is just graffiti with punctuation. Everyone’s an authority so there’s nobody in power, ’cause everyone thinks they’re in power.”
Ice T
“All graffiti is low-level dissent, but stencils have an extra history. They’ve been used to start revolutions and to stop wars.”
Banksy
“Traditional graffiti writers have a bunch of rules they like to stick to, and good luck to them, but I didn’t become a graffiti artist so I could have somebody else tell me what to do. If you’re the type who gets sentimental about people scribbling over your stuff, I suggest graffiti is probably not the right hobby for you.”
Banksy
“His achievements read like the graffiti on the walls of a hangman’s changing room.”
Jonathan Larson
“I used to tell everyone I met to be an artist. I don’t do that any more.”
Banksy
“A digital sound sample in angry rap doesn’t correspond to the graffiti but the wall.”
Jaron Lanier
“Bursts of gold on lavender melting into saffron. It’s the time of day when the sky looks like it has been spray-painted by a graffiti artist.”
Mia Kirshner
Deep graffiti quotes
When it comes to art, there are a variety of different mediums that people can choose from. Some people prefer traditional forms like painting and drawing, while others prefer more unconventional methods like graffiti. If you’re inspired by the latter, here are some graffiti quotes to get you started on your artistic journey.
“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make somebody smile while they’re having a piss.”
Banksy
“I think graffiti is part of Berlin culture. You think about what the Berlin wall meant and how visible that was in everyone’s life. How it was a part of their very identity.”
Ian Bremmer
“Graffiti is like building a career. And there is a dialogue with the other artists out there mostly fellow writers because a lot of people who don’t paint just see a blur when they look at it.”
KAWS
“It’s meant to be seen rolling so it should be big and readable. Wild styles on trains didn’t make much sense to me when I first started and they still don’t today.”
Ichabod
“Graffiti is like a declaration of your existence. Like saying ’I was here.’”
Cornbread
“Environmental damage such as graffiti, fly-posting and general littering is a menace that is becoming all too prevalent, not just in inner cities but in many communities – urban and rural.”
Margaret Beckett
“Graffiti is the most honest art form there is. It’s raw emotion.”
Tupac Shakur
“Poetry is eternal graffiti written in the heart of everyone.”
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
“Some people are enraged, and some people are applauding. If there were a mission statement for graffiti, that would be it.”
Barry McGee
Inspiring graffiti quotes
When it comes to being creative, sometimes all you need is a little inspiration. Check out these graffiti quotes that are sure to spark your creativity.
“All the work I did was to challenge politics, culture, and women’s rights. I felt like I really wanted to break out. That’s why I wanted to use graffiti. It’s more open. I don’t need people to come to an exhibition. Graffiti gives a voice to the walls.”
Malina Suliman
“Graffiti ultimately wins out over proper art because it becomes part of your city, it’ s a tool; I’ll meet you in that pub, you know, the one opposite that wall with a picture of a monkey holding a chainsaw. I mean, how much more useful can a painting be than that?”
Banksy
“I don’t think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it.”
Banksy
“Aristotelian logic is massive and marmoreal, but every monument accumulates graffiti.”
David Berlinski
“I have a company that does design and animation, so obviously graffiti is definitely an intricate part of what we admire and respect in the art world.”
Mick Ebeling
“Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.”
Calvin Coolidge
“Writing graffiti is about the most honest way you can be an artist. It takes no money to do it, you don’t need an education to understand it, and there’s no admission fee.”
Banksy
“Graffiti has more chance of meaning something or changing stuff than anything indoors.”
Banksy
“Street culture is punk, hip-hop, skateboarding, surfing, graffiti. It’s like a massive global culture that is all tied together. But for so many years it was very geographic.”
Jeffrey Deitch
“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing.”
Banksy
Graffiti quotes
Graffiti can be controversial, but it can also be incredibly powerful. These graffiti quotes will change the way you see the world:
“After pop art, graffiti is probably the biggest art movement in recent history to have such an impact on culture.”
Jeffrey Deitch
“Graffiti doesn’t exist unless someone got a photo, because it’s gone immediately.”
Jeffrey Deitch
“What harm cause not those huge draughts or pictures which wanton youth with chalk or coals draw in each passage, wall or stairs of our great houses, whence a cruel contempt of our natural store is bred in them?”
Michel de Montaigne
“Graffiti is something written on a wall, and, of course, art can be exhibited or produced anywhere: a wall is just another venue.”
Matthew Slotover
“It’s strange with graffiti. You put a lot out, but you don’t get that much back because not many people know who’s doing it. You have your peers of about guys who know you are the one painting.”
KAWS
“Graffiti is beautiful; like a brick in the face of a cop.”
Hunter S. Thompson
“Art is not like other culture because its success is not made by its audience. The public fill concert halls and cinemas every day, we read novels by the millions, and buy records by the billions. ’We the people’ affect the making and quality of most of our culture, but not our art.”
Banksy
“Graffiti writers will never stop. They’ll just evolve. It’s interesting what ideas people come up with and how it all extends forward.”
Ben Eine
“I’ve never really considered myself just a street artist. I consider myself a populist.”
Shepard Fairey
“Graffiti is a pathetic attempt at anonymous recognition.”
Randall Dale Adams
Final thought
The graffiti can be more than just words or art on a wall. It can be a form of self-expression, a way to communicate, and even a form of protest. Whether you love it or hate it, graffiti is here to stay.
These graffiti quotes provide a unique perspective on the world. They can be funny, thought-provoking, or simply entertaining. Whether you’re looking for a laugh or some food for thought, you’re sure to find it in a graffiti quote. So next time you’re out and about, take a moment to enjoy the artwork on your city’s walls.
We hope you enjoyed reading our collection of graffiti quotes. We think they’re pretty inspiring, and we hope you do too. If you liked this article, be sure to check out our other articles for more quotes, inspiration, and advice. Thanks for reading!
Read more: art quotes | sketch quotes | drawing quotes | painting quotes | portrait quotes.