“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place.” ― Banksy, Wall and Piece

Students who live in the large urban areas of the United States come in contact with urban street art on a daily basis. Seemingly in our urban areas, wherever there is an expanse of space that will accommodate the application of a can of spray paint, there will be street artists who are eager to express themselves. These artists usually have an identifier of some kind for their art, although largely they do not identify themselves openly. Those who encounter the work of these artists may be impressed by the intricacy and creativity of the art, as well as the talent of the artists, which at times is extraordinary. Students from urban culture backgrounds (see Turley, 2004), encountering the urban street art on a daily basis, are very familiar with the process of graffiti tagging—may even know some street artists on a personal basis. Seldom, however, have the students paused to realize that there is a definite mathematical basis for the production of the art, just as there is with any other expression of the visual arts (Barta et al., 2014). This lesson investigates the underlying geometry of urban street art (graffiti) and how its analysis can lead to greater understanding of the principles of geometry.