For my final project, I am going to focus on street art. Street art is a upcoming form of art that has provided much controversy based on the question: Is it legal? In order to explore this new art form, I plan to mainly follow the biggest street artist, Banksy, while also touching upon other artists such as Basquiat, Jef Aerosol, Mat Benote, Tod Hanson, Invador and Mr. Brainwash. I also plan to discuss the artist Richard Hambleton, who began his art career with street art, and then moved on to a contemporary art career in galleries and museums. My overall question will be, is it vandalism or art? I plan to explore this by asking other questions such as, how can you compare it to famous artists that work in other mediums such as Picasso or Warhol? What is it's social agenda? Is it wrong for publications and art houses (such as Sotheby's) to condone his law-breaking by promoting and selling his artwork? Should action be taken against his pieces, should they be covered up because they are illegal? What precedent  and example are these artists, namely Banksy, giving to other street artists, or even street vandalizers who follow in his footsteps? When does graffiti become art? What place does it take in the art market if it cannot be sold? 

An outline would be as follows:

I. Introduction
II. A short history of Street Art
a) how/when started
b) progression of street art
c) contemporary street artists/major contributors
III. Reception of street art
a) First reception
b) contemporary reception in the art market
IV. Street Art and Gallerys/Auctions
a) How sold
b) Moral obligations of the galleries/auctions
V. Illegality of Street Art
a) contemporary police action against street artists
b) difference between art and vandalism
c) Example it sets for younger artists/vandalizers
VI. Big Picture
a) How does street art compare with other forms of art?
b) What is it's place in the art market?
c) Should street art be considered art?
Some potential sources:
"Banksy Film." Exit Through The Gift Shop. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.banksyfilm.com/synopsis.html?reload>.

Banksy. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.banksy.co.uk/QA/qaa.html>.

"Dept. of Popular Culture: Banksy Was Here." The New Yorker. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/14/070514fa_fact_collins?currentPage=all>.

Droney, Damien. "The Business of "Getting Up": Street Art and Marketing in Los Angeles." Visual Anthropology 23.2 (2010): 98-114. Print.

Edwards, Ian. "Banksy's Graffiti: A Not-so-simple Case of Criminal Damage?" Journal of Criminal Law 73.4 (2009): 345-61. Print.

MacFarlane, Jo, and Sharon Feinstein. "Banksy or No Banksy, We're Painting This Wall." Mail on Sunday (2008): 10. Print.

Riggle, Nicholas A. "Street Art: The Transfiguration of the Commonplaces." Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism 68.3 (2010): 243-57. Print.

Visconti, Luca M., John F. Sherry Jr., Stefania Borghini, and Laurel Anderson. "Street Art, Sweet Art? Reclaiming the Public in Public Place." Journal of Consumer Research 37.3 (2010): 511-29. Print.

Ward, Ossian. "Banksy Interview - Art - Time Out London." Time Out Worldwide - Your Guide to the Best Things to Do in the World's Greatest Cities including London and New York. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.timeout.com/london/art/article/863/banksy-interview>.

"The World According to Banksy - Photo Essays - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1678584,00.html>.

Young, Alison. "Negotiated Consent or Zero Tolerance? Responding to Graffiti and Street Art in Melbourne." City 14.1/2 (2010): 99-114. Print.