By Tracy Gaudreau

Oaxaca is a beautiful colonial gem with charming brightly coloured buildings in the historic centre set in a valley of mountains. Unfortunately, the lasting impression that stays with a lot of travelers is: "that city with all the graffiti." Its true Oaxaca has become overrun with graffiti.

They are everywhere, buildings, businesses, walls, fences, phones, any free space spray paint finds a way of getting there. Some of them advertise the next Banda concert, some declarations of love, a lot of graffiti especially in Oaxaca are politically driven but that is a whole other article that would span many pages. There are some that are elaborate works of art. The wall you will find on Jesus Carrenza is an ever changing canvas of mater pieces. Previously you would have been greeted by a monstrous naked woman with a manly face as you entered the street from Porfirio Diaz. Beside her was a face painted figure, jaw wide open with the city's name Oaxaca blazed beneath him. Next my personal favourites, a mysterious woman without a face wearing a multi-coloured dress and a girl with a solemn face, eyes closed, in black and white holding an umbrella in the rain with a whimsy dress that curls upwards. Most graffiti however are just tags (a graffiti artist's signature) messy and scribbled, an eye sore on a historic building.

Are Graffiti works of art or ugly acts of vandalism? This is an ongoing debate. Most people including myself are on the fence about this topic. In my unprofessional opinion, I believe graffiti on a building are like tattoos on the skin - they can either take away or add to the natural beauty of the canvas.

With so many artist and creative minds in and flocking to Oaxaca, its no wonder there are so many graffiti. Everyone is vying for a spot to showcase their work. Alma Rosa Mendoza Rojas, a local art student at Centro de Educacion Artistica Miguel, says that graffiti art is, "a form of modern expression, very urban. For me it signifies something like a manifestation of ideas and a little anarchist because the meaning to do it is to do it hidden from the police." She doesn't like graffiti because it is a form of pollution because of the aerosol cans that they use which are harmful to the environment. She does accept however that there are graffiti that are very chidos (cool). Alma finds other creative ways to express her artistic ability, as I was once a model in an art exhibit put on by her school in the Zocalo where she painted my back to look like a traditional Guelaguetza blouse.

Art or teens tagging their names, either way these buildings do belong to someone and as a business owner Edmondo Amaya owner of Don Pimento (a restaurant on Tinoco y Palacios) states that it affects his business having to spend time and money repainting again and again and for bad graffiti. He believes that the majority of graffiti is not an art expression but a hobby of people who have nothing else to do.

Can there be such a thing as responsible graffiti? Could it be allowed in certain places but only if it’s a decent work of art? The gallery called Tinoco y Palacios (on the street of the same name) showcases graffiti and encourages taggers to put their best work to the test to be criticized or praised by the experts, but so far it has only attracted measly scribbles. Should graffiti just be in galleries? Wouldn't that take away from the purpose of it? Its like displaying tattoo designs but never touching a needle to skin.

Graffiti has existed since ancient times with examples going back to ancient Greece, the Roman Empire and even the Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala. Back then it was curses, magic spells, alphabets, political slogans and famous literary quotes mischievously scrolled on walls, not too different from today.

Like a tattoo you can cover it up, try to remove it but graffiti will always be here especially in Oaxaca, a city of artists and revolutionaries. Love it or hate it, believe it is art or an eyesore, in the end you will have to do what my mother did when she was in her teens and discovered her name tattooed on my dad's wrist, just learn to live with it. Eventually, it becomes a part of the fabric and history of a place and its people to be later dissected by future anthropologists.