Art as response : The dialogical relationship between graffiti writing and graffiti removal

While graffiti can be understood as an artistic response to a variety of issues (encompassing norms related to the use of public space, inclusive of the perceived need to remove graffiti), removal (also known as buffing) can be seen both as an act of erasure in response to graffiti writing and as a creative, if often unintentionally so, endeavour with its own styles and aesthetic qualities. In recent years, this has led a growing number of theorists and graffiti enthusiasts to suggest that buffing, much like graffiti, should be considered a form of art. At the same time, the practice of graffiti removal remains a manifestation of political and normative values and ideas about who can legitimately make their mark on surfaces in public space. With a point of departure in several empirical cases, this chapter considers aspects of the visual dialogues between graffiti writers and graffiti cleaners.