A Colorful Crime

The colorful world of street art is misinterpreted as graffiti

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photo by Ianne Salvosa

In the streets of Spain, a detailed mural of a woman is on the side of a building.

Ianne Salvosa, Reporter

You’ve seen it before. On the sides of buildings, downtown, on private property, it’s ubiquitous. Graffiti is everywhere. On the contrary, graffiti can go under a different name as a sanctioned, respected mural; street art. Wide, expansive paintings to small, strong statements create an often misunderstood form of art. Street art can create powerful political messages for the whole world to see. But what creates the boundary between obscure gang symbols on a wall to a moving, controversial picture?