Authorship

• It is difficult to determine the authorship and intention of washroom graffiti as a collective work because each graffiti contributor could be doing it for various reasons. Graffiti artist may not expect any response from their audience and is simply doing the act for their own pleasure.
  
  
• However, once a graffiti comment provokes thoughts and comments from others, those who have access to a writing instrument can reply and comment as well.
  
  
• Overtime, this act can happen and soon, a narrative is created in the stalls of a washroom. This narrative tells a story as to what people are thinking of and what provokes thoughts. It can reveal a lot about what people are thinking at a particular moment in time. The number of contributors can also determine the popularity of the topic and what generates conversation.
  
  
• Thus, even though each individual who commits the act of washroom graffiti, may not be "authors," unless the graffiti act invites others to join in.
  
  
• On the other hand, if a graffiti comment generates conversation from those who view it, an author is "created" by the contributors, even though the authorship is a collaborative work.
  
  
• An important factor to remember is that without the proper writing tools, one cannot contribute to the graffiti work. Thus, there is an marginalized author in this physical form of graffiti as the the writing instrument is crucial to the creation of the graffiti.
  
  
  
  
• Often, the types of graffiti written on washroom stalls varies according to whether the washroom is intended for males, females, or both.