ROSANA CALLEJAS - [X]PRESS A man walks past graffiti art in the upper Haight. Graffiti art is considered legal by the city of San Francisco if the artist has permission from the owner.

In this neighborhood and in other parts of San Francisco, artists have to make the decision whether or not to graffiti legally.

Legal and illegal art can both be good, depending on how you look at it, according to Corey Mathhues, owner of Lower Hater, a retail store on Haight Street. The difference between the two is how the artist wants to prove a point.

“There’s a lot of taggers these days who don’t really know what they are doing as far as why they are doing it, why they are tagging, why they are putting up graffiti,” Mathhues said.

“Legal (graffiti) comes out better because you have more time and you are getting paid and not getting in trouble,” said “Enuf,” a former illegal graffiti artist who is afraid to reveal his real identity for fear of legal repercussions. “Illegal is really fun because of the rush you get.”

Enuf, 18, said as a young boy he saw graffiti and always wanted to do it.

“I used to tag because I was bored and I had nothing to do,” said Enuf. But he realized that his job was more important to him, so he didn’t want to waste time tagging.

Mathhues’ storefront is decorated with legal art. He also sells art supplies to graffiti artists.

According to Janice Myint, one of the partners at Lower Hater, everyone has their own reason to do graffiti. They do it because it’s a little bit of private culture. Part of it is to get your name out there and some people do it for the thrill of it.

“It’s more about respect,” Myint said.

In the San Francisco graffiti scene, many people want to become legends in the community. A legend is someone who is frequently talked about by other artists and admirers.

To become a legendary graffiti artist you need to do something in your own way that makes you get respect from people out there, said Myint.

You can become a legend by making up a new style, tagging in a lot of places, or putting stuff up in crazy places that have difficult access, said Myint. An artist’s tag is recognized for its distinct style or color.

“If you’re a graffiti artist and you’re doing all this legal stuff, then that’s not gonna make you a legend,” Myint said.

Becoming a graffiti legend may be a dream many artists try to accomplish, but it is also a problem for the city. Every year the violations for illegal graffiti results in the city spending more money on cleanup.

According to the Department of Public Works (DPW), the department is planning to spend $3.4 million on graffiti removal in 2007. DPW reported that vandalism violations increased from 1,664 to 3,792 between 2005 and 2006.

Mathhues thinks an anti-graffiti approach is wrong because all the money spent on cleaning should be spent on something else.

“Our money should be spent on other places, you know what I mean? Plus, it’s the Homeland Security Act now and all that crap they’re enforcing on graffiti artists,” said Mathhues. “I just think they are taking it too far.”

Myint points out that graffiti artists can turn their illegal works into legal artwork. Some continue on to fine arts, or they move from the streets to canvas. Others go into design or graphic arts, said Myint.

If you have permission for doing graffiti on a wall, then it’s not considered illegal to the DPW, said Suzanne Mendoza, who does graffiti abatement work for the DPW. But the owner of the wall could be fined if the art is considered unattractive.

“Some people consider it art, some of it that I’ve seen is beautiful and some of it that I’ve seen is garbage,” said Mendoza. “It depends on how you look at it.”

Graffiti Glossary:

Piece
Shortened from masterpiece. A large, painting which, outside the graffiti world, would be called a mural. Writers may try to achieve fame through either high quality pieces, fast tags and throw-ups, or both.

Tag
The simplest, quickest piece of graffiti, typically no more than writer’s name written using marker or spray paint.

Throw-up
Graffiti that is done quickly, but is more elaborate than a tag. Throw-ups typically consist of a writer’s name in white, bubbly letters outlined in a second color.

Bomb
To paint a large number of tags. A building that has been bombed is covered in graffiti.