Crime Stoppers and the Brisbane City Council are taking to the streets in the fight against graffiti.

They’ve launched a pop-up campaign to make the public aware of the huge clean up costs.

Gabrielle Lyons reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Graffiti, art to some, a public nuisance to others.

Out on public streets, this is illegal and the city council has had enough.

The clean-up is currently costing them $3.1 million per year.

Trevor O’Hara, CEO Crime Stoppers:”Whilst we appreciate the public wanting a place to express themselves, doing it on public assets is a crime and something we’re alerting the public about.”

He says the stigma attached to this style of art promotes an ‘unsafe’ Brisbane.

Trevor O’Hara, CEO Crime Stoppers: “It could have a grungy, dark feeling around the graffiti.”

But random tagging and public graffiti is on the decline.

Councillor Krista Adams: “We’ve had a task force against graffiti since 2008, and we’ve removed over 780,000 square metres of graffiti in that time.”

Or perhaps graffiti artists are transforming and targeting a niche market.

Travis Vinson, Owner Graffiti Murals: “The only place to actually do legal graffiti are pretty much hidden. hidden away from public view. But we are doing this sort of stuff in cafes, restaurants, gyms, bedrooms.”

After Travis had been told to stay off the streets this was his only outlet and now his passion is his career.

This piece has taken him just two days.

Street artists are being caught and locked away for up to five years due to government legislation.

There is a call for public art spaces.

But the argument remains, who is in the right and what is defined as art?

Travis says what he does isn’t vandalism.

Travis Vinson, Owner Graffiti Murals: “I’m an artist.”

The pop up campaign will continue for the rest of the year.

Gabrielle Lyons, QUT News.