1987: GRAFFITI - Is It ART, CRIME... or Both? | Daytime Live | Classic TV Debate | BBC Archive 

Future drum and bass legend and Bond movie actor Goldie.

Life Changing moment on TV for millions of kids in the UK, I'm 46 year old Artist now, Thank you Goldie 🙏

Advertising is imposed on people.

As somebody who just sprayed 'bottom' on his neighbour's front door, this really is a conundrum for me

No body asks for huge billboard adverts for McDonald’s to be put in their neighbourhood. So as far as I’m concerned people have a right to decorate their neighbourhood as they see fit. If McDonald’s can deface a wall then why shouldn’t anyone else.

Big up 👍🏿 yourself Goldie.

the fact Goldie has an MBE after his name and being so “in your face “ in the 80s is bad ass !!! and being able to het away carrying balls so big is deff bad ass !!!

Young Goldie!

It's a tricky one because to get started you need a big expensive canvas and to get local council permission is impossible if you are an unknown. I bet certain local councils would be queuing up to get Banksy to spray their property with his 'graffiti'.

In many places, I'm particularly reminded of many Spanish cities, it makes for beautiful art. There's a distinct difference between a talented graffiti artist & a dumb kid tagging.

Funny how its vandalism, unless your banksy then you remove the entire wall and sell it

What about Banksy then? Expensive art or vandalism?

That "Love" piece was dope. I wonder where it is now? Would the BBC have kept it & just stored it away? I think it should be in a museum.

As an art student, I am really divided on this argument. For one thing, it can be beautiful and be used as self-expression. There are different types of graffiti, such as: tagging (the one most commonly seen on busses and objects), splash (like what this person is doing) and murals (big, large pieces, usually commissioned by a company or shop, and can be political in nature). Personally, I think graffiti can be really creative and pretty cool to research into, I like seeming it out and about in my town. But, there is also an argument about it being a nuisance and being a crime. Which I can also see. True, it makes the surroundings look dirty and disused but the big, bright murals always put a smile on my face and I can appreciate their skill and quick thinking. I am only young, so I’ve never had experienced the bad side of graffiti, just the aftermath, so I can’t make a very good comparison. Yes it is a crime and can be defacing another persons property, so I completely understand why people would not like it at all. I suppose it depends on the person. But I would love to hear more arguments, so please feel free to add your opinions in the replies :)

It's been around thousands of years in one form or another. We are not as modern as we think we are.

Interesting discussion. Permission is the missing element in the young man's argument.

I appreciate graffiti that's made with effort. It's the random, meaningless scribbles (sometimes with profanity) which I hate.

Great stuff. If only we had more art graffiti nowadays. That Police guy was really cool about it. Great blast from the past seeing those buses as I used to be from the Birmingham area.

Goldie is a super chill dude

Pamela Armstrong tho. ❤

The problem I can see here is that the more property becomes in the hands of private individuals, the more there is social engineering & control over what art & self expression is seen in public; more alienation & disillusionment in the very spaces that should welcome & reflect who WE are

Drugs really changed Goldie's mannerisms! He was a lot less annoying back then!

You never get anywhere with a punitive approach. The man is quite right that people need opportunities to express themselves.

Any talentless person with spray paint who decides they're an artist shouldn't be able use property that isn't theirs as a canvas. There's not even an argument.

There is no singular "right" or "wrong" argument here; it is always a process of negotiation where culture and private or public property rights intersect. The covert nature of even accomplished street art is often part of the artistic statement, which many might object to yet, as individual guerrilla artists profiles are elevated through exposure, you will get a "legitimising" effect as a result (as amply demonstrated by 'Banksy').

Graffiti is art, tagging is a crime. There’s a huge difference

Wow..! Goldie bk in the day

The irony when the officer says it's 'imposed' on people and that people can choose to go into a gallery to see art. How that argument could be used against authority today and the dismissal of the origin of the word 'graffito' is mind-blowing. I bet/hope Goldie is laughing all the way to the bank now!

Goldie a mf legend !! F authority, graff em all ☝️😎

Goldie a bit outnumbered

Goldie argues his case well here.

does anybody bother with it anymore ?

The police officer reminds me of Doctor Who- Peter Davison.😁

Ok goldie you seen this today

Jeremy Shields, looks like he could be the father of Goldie there are similarities.

I really appreciate 50p, but not impressed by the deinterlacer. Look at them diagonals in the first 10 seconds of the video, the stair-stepping is quite appalling if you ask me.

There are lots of positive ways you can ‘leave your mark’ on the area you grew up, but defacing someone else’s property is not one of them!

they actually double-teamed him

The police superintendent and the cleaner had some fair points, but I think the presenter was rather nasty and narrow-minded by discrediting Goldie's work and similar artistic work as being "threatening" towards her. I'm Team Goldie

This is just bizarre.

Worldomination.

Wow really?, the irony of people from countries with a Christian background referring to art based on the word LOVE as menacing is divinely hilarious

OMG Goldie was a graph???

Graffiti is just the human equivalent of dogs urinating on a lamp post. It is a blight.

Basically as an approach I would suggest putting spray cans, markers, computers/illustration software, instruments/music/broadcasting equipment into the youths hands instead of guns, knives, crack pipes/booze etc! & admit that the system & modern living is toxic to people & especially their mental health or when you get attacked by someone who's lost control don't come crying to us for sympathy, if you believe in every man for themselves cynicism & are blinkered & bigoted to such a degree that you can't understand 'no man is a island' then you're looking for trouble, just don't bring that on the rest of us & drag us down with your folly!, it's not rocket science "Bro". Btw I'm not even a criminologist or in crime prevention! What's their excuse?

Crime, was then and is now

It's a crime and an eyesore.

Goldie is actually not the artist he is an actor a pawn we are living in the Truman show everything you think you know you actually don’t if that makes any sense 😂 your whole life has been a lie

Crime.

I like to be naked in public as part of my ‘art’. If I think it’s art then it must be allowed!

_"It corsts them seven hundred and fifteh thowzeand pinds a yaaaaaer!...."_