The question of what is libel is very interesting. When I think of the definition of libel, I usually associate it with politics and the law. I think about political ad campaigns that defame opponents and the legal aftermath of these statements. In a case of libel, the defendant is accused of breaking the law by publishing a false statement. However, in Gordon’s essay, “The Act of Libel,” Gordon focuses on the question of libel and graffiti. Can graffiti be considered libel? Gordon mentions the anonymity of graffiti. Does the anonymity create a better platform for libel? Although Gordon does not discuss legality much in his essay, I associate the term libel with law. This makes me think about 5 pointz and the legal battle that I plan on discussing in my final paper. While law dealing with libel is an established law form, art law is rather new to the field. However, the lawsuit at 5 pointz put graffiti art into a legal context. Was the graffiti at 5 pointz vandalism?
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