It’s three A.M. downtown, and an art­ist is on the search for his next canvas. It could be a bridge under a highway, a blank wall on an abandoned building, or a railroad car at a pit stop.

There are many styles of art and some of them are uncommon. Graffiti has become a modern idea of art, though it has been around for thousands of years and seen from thePompeii streetwalls to Roman monuments littered with Latin curses: it has even found its way to the Mayan temples.

Graffiti has become an art form that is increasingly popular amongst modern artists. There have been graffiti art shows around the world, even as close to home as Austin (such as one ofAustin’s annual shows, “EMERGE” shown last August). However, there seems to be a fine line between vandalism and art.

There are three types of graffiti; a “tag” is a graffiti artist’s nickname ap­plied on a surface repetitively, a “throw-up” is a more elaborate tag, usually done in two or more colors, and “pieces” are larger, detailed drawings. Some pieces take up entire walls in the form of a mu­ral, and take hours to complete. Accord­ing to the National Council to Prevent Delinquency, about 80 percent of graffiti is “tagger” graffiti.

While some, like freshman Elisa Hob­son, view graffiti as “vandalism when its on something its not supposed to be on, like someone’s private property” many people do see graffiti as art no matter where it’s placed. The state ofTexastreats graffiti as a crime – any “work of art” that has caused five hundred dollars or less in damages is a class B misde­meanor with a fine up to two thousand dollars.

Art or vandalism, many fear that the bright spray is a symbol of the inner decay of a generation of young people that can only find fulfillment through destruction on the run. Graffiti seems to be an addictive habit, and it seems to be here to stay. College artists inAustincan be found bragging about their stenciled tags, and condemning pointless splashes of spray paint that obstruct the murals and images that liven the streets.

“I think it’s the way people express themselves” sophomore Bayli Lewis said. Graffiti as art has seemingly captured a wide enough audience to become more than just pointless ‘tags’.