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The question has already drawn quite a few responses, with many agreeing that if the artist didn't get permission to create the work of art on someone else's property, then it's vandalism, no matter how good it is.

However, one commenter named Brian, thinks it's more complicated than that:

Certainly our view of graffiti changes depending on the context and time. Ancient graffiti in Rome (carved into buildings - imagine trying to clean that up) included curses, magic spells and declarations of love as well as political rhetoric. Now those markings leave important clues for historians and anthropologists.

In the case of HOTTEA, he switched from spraypaint to yarn to create a work that doesn't last much more than a couple of weeks before breaking down.

HOTTEA - a.k.a. Eric Rieger - says he got tasered four or five times as a graffiti artist before he switched from spray paint to yarn.

, a graffiti artist in England, has become so wildly popular that many building owners choose to leave his stenciled works up as an attraction.

Photo Adrian Pingstone, Wikimedia Commons

One of Banksy's pieces reads "If graffiti changed anything it would be illegal."

 is generally considered to be home to one of the richest graffiti scenes in the world.

In an article for Time Out New York, Terrance Lindall, executive director of the Williamsburg Art and Historic Center said graffiti is a necessary means of expression for the poor and oppressed.

So what do you think? How do you differentiate between art and vandalism? And, how do you tell the difference between graffiti that's art, and graffiti that's simply writing on a wall?

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

Author

Some say no matter how good the art is, if it's done on someone's property without permission, it's vandalism.

Graffiti: is it art or is it vandalism?

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