Graffiti
When you hear about graffiti you usually just think of vandalism or gangs but that
is not what it is all about anymore. It now is becoming more of a modern art form, a
illegal art form. Next time your driving into a bigger city or watching a train go by,
maybe look for some of this art, you might be surprised with what some of these people
can do with a spray paint can. In this paper I want take a look into the history of graffiti,
the way it is done, and who does it.
Graffiti began as a form of communication on cave walls of early man.(Historyof
Graffiti). It used pictures and a form of letters to tell a story. The Egyptians used it a way
with hieroglyphics. But what graffiti artists do today is traced back to the Roman Empire,
where graffiti was applied as the writing on the wall. Modern graffiti started during the
late 50's and early 60's, and was used by political activists and street gangs to mark
territory. But in the late 60's it took a whole new identity. It is now the underground art
movement, artist like TAKI 183 where making big noise in NYC. He was gaining fame
by just writing his nickname on cities walls and on the subway trains. In 1971 New York
Times published an article on him. He was wasn't the only one gaining fame through
graffiti, many people from all over the world where starting to do it. In New York the
subway systems proved to be a line of communication and unifying element for all these
separate movements (@149st). People from all five broughs became aware of each
others efforts. This established interbrough competition. At this point it was a battle to
have the most tags as possible. This created the style of bombing. Bombing then led to
pieces and wild style.
Graffiti is done in many different ways. It has developed to script and calligraphic
styles. Writers, which is graffiti artist, enhanced their tags with flourishes, stars and other
designs. Some designs where strictly for design while others had meaning. For instance,
crowns were used by writers who proclaimed themselves king (@149st). Writers can also
use different size nozzles for thin detail lines or fat size for bigger tags. Which now they
could fill in the letters with color and paint more of a bubble letter style, and inside the
letter they can add even more detail like polka dots or crosshatches. Soon arrows, curls,
connections and twist of letters would be added.
Inside the yard now stands a freshly painted mural, sixty feet wide and twelve feet high. The work is the result of weeks of designing and planning, and with luck it might last as long on the train as it already has on paper. What the boys have done, what has taken place inside that trainyard, is a work of art. [Let us begin with a basic assumption. One may object to graffiti on social or moral grounds, but only in the most conservatist terms can it not be considered “art.” Any idea of art which does not go out of its way to disinclude vandalism will, in fact, contain graffiti. We will, then, put aside social and moral considerations for the duration, and consider graffiti as art.]
Graffiti or street art is considered an art form because it includes aesthetic criteria, incoherence and nonstandard presentation. Graffiti has been developing since the late 1960’s. The origins of graffiti go back to the beginnings of human social interaction. Graffiti has been found in uncovered, ancient Egyptian monuments and graffiti was preserved on walls in Pompeii. Also, graffiti art is colorful and complex. Graffiti artists need a considerable amount of skills to complete their artwork, they need to have creativity for using spray paint. The concerns of modern graffiti art originated in New York and it was known first as New York Style Graffiti. The novel Let the Great World Spin written by Colum McCann discusses graffiti art in New
The most predominant attribute of a graffiti artist is their mindset, for a graffitist is constantly surveying the streets in search for a new spot to “bomb” as well as examining the work of fellow writers. For instance, when a graffiti artist looks at an empty wall or a distant water tower they envision a canvas suitable for displaying their graffiti. A graffiti artist uses specific terminology when speaking to fellow writers as well as average people interested in this illegal art form. The use of terms, such as “tag,” “throw-up,” and “burner” are used to describe different styles of graffiti letters. In addition, the term “bomb” is used when a graffitist paints on numerous surfaces in a given area. When analyzing the desires of a graffitist, they explain the desire to go “all-city.” The term “all-city” describes a writers’ aspiration to display his graffiti throughout the entire city. The lifestyle of a graffiti artist tends to be more active than that of an average person, for graffitist go “bombing” during late hours of the night. The reason for these late-night paint excursions is to avoid cont...
Webster defines graffiti as an inscription or drawing made on some public surface. Graffiti is often thought of as gang-related, because gangs have traditionally painted their identifying symbols in places to mark their turf.
The history of the underground art movement known by many names, most commonly graffiti begins in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the mid to late 60's, and started with bombing. The writers who are credited with the first effort are CORNBREAD and COOL EARL. They wrote their names all over the city gaining attention from the community and the local press. Then the movement made way to New York City where the teenagers would write graffiti on the subways. It is unclear whether this concept made way to New York City on purpose or if it was an accident.
Graffiti is an art form that was bred from the rebellion of youths. The first sighting of graffiti was seen on subways, and other impoverished areas around New York. This form involved what is called tagging , where the artist signs his or her name, nickname, or group name, on the side of a building or other surface. It is well known for its bold, colorful presence and intricate script. It is still prominent and visible in those areas of the Bronx today.
Mention the word graffiti and what typically comes to mind is something unpleasant and distasteful like indecent language scribbled on a wall of a store or crude pictures. Most graffiti is characterized as vandalism on property that does not belong to the culprit. Graffiti also displays negative graphics that promote some type of vulgar message such as violence, sex, drugs, gangs, and racism. On the other hand, when the terms “street” and “art” come together, a blast of colorful creations upon blank slates on the street comes to mind. Although street art is technically considered graffiti, it is a type of graffiti with positive qualities, but certain figures in society find street art to be, in some way, disruptive. If used properly, street art can be appreciated artistically and socially. Despite the negative stigma attached to graffiti, street art has emerged as a progressive valuable art form whose vast history, surge in popularity, and urge for social change warrant its classification as a fine art.
Although many people believe that graffiti is vandalism, it is in fact art because many museums display graffiti, people are interested in it, and it displays beauty and emotional power. Many people have learned to appreciate graffiti as an art form and have opened their eyes to the beauty and emotional power it holds. From the video on CBS News, “Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism,” Laura Fanning (museum visitor) explains at 1:42 “. now I see it as more of a commentary and a statement of ‘I’m leaving my mark’.” This quote exhibits a museum visitor whose perception of graffiti changed when she went to a museum that displayed graffiti.
Graffiti forms from Graffito, an ancient inscription. Graffito was found in the form of drawings and writings on walls of Pompeii in the ancient city of Rome. During the 1960’s and 1970’s the phenomenon of this writing was created into Graffiti and opinions began to emerge.
The identity of a graffiti artist is hardly ever known unless they want to tag their art with their name or a nickname. Graffiti writers as a subculture are trying to express their political views through civil disobedience by painting pictures that speak out against the government. This subculture developed because they were tired of being oppressed by the government. Graffiti is one of the most enduring acts of protest. It is an important tool for the resistance movement as a way to publicize their protest. It is a visible and powerful form of protest that is going to promote change in the social justice by allowing oppressed groups of people express their viewpoints without being penalized by the
Within the last few years, graffiti has been deemed an acceptable and tasteful genre of art. Long gone are the days where the spray can belonged exclusively to the local delinquent. From the past to present, there has been a shift in how street art is recognized by the general public and the government. Laws and policies are being put into place that both defend and threaten the promulgation of this creative medium. By both protecting and prohibiting, the government displays an inconsistent and confusing relationship with street art. When art is so subjective, it can become challenging to delineate the fine line between vandalism and creativity. This essay will discuss the changing public perception of graffiti, the trademark and copyright battles between graffiti artists and property owners, the categorization of street art as an artform, and the beneficial aspects of commissioned street murals.
Graffiti is a lettering, a painting, and marks anywhere on any property (Wikepedia). Simply forms of graffiti are simply decoration some are symbols on walls or on the ground. It is a way of communicating and expressing once feeling to the world. Often it is seen as unwanted, because it damages property and is usually considered insightful. There are two types of graffiti, one is popular graffiti. It is the kind of graffiti that we see in bathroom, billboards, school desk, sidewalks, or anywhere. Where as the community based graffiti is usually based on the hip hop culture, to mark a territory for the Gang in that area.
No matter what people say about it, Graffiti is a form of self-expression. It is important to realize the amount of talent and work required to create a piece of graffiti. The scale of such a piece can be small found on a corner to massive one taking up an entire wall. However, there are varying
Graffiti is a form of art that people use to express themselves and to convey various messages to people in a particular community. In the movie "Graffiti Verite':. One of the graffiti artist explained that his purpose in doing graffiti is that it allows him to "express his anger' on the wall. Another kid by the name of "Jipsie" said that graffiti is a "form of growth". There were several different explanations that artists shared as well as several different reasons why they like graffiti. The common theme among the graffiti artist and taggers was that graffiti is simply a form of self-expression (Bryan). At the end of the film one tagger made a comment and said, "graffiti is not vandalism, but it is a beautiful crime". This comment did not make sense to me. Committing a crime, a hideous act, is not a beautiful thing to do by any means. Graffiti does not mean people can go around and draw and spray paint on other peoples property. Regardless of what types of graffiti are being expressed by the tagger, this type of self expression is considered vandalism when people decide to draw, destroy, or violate any persons property without consent. As a result of taggers committing the crime of vandalism, property owners, concerned citizens, and law enforcement officers spend too much time, money, and energy trying to put an end to the unlawful act of vandalism.
Street art is understood to be a subculture of graffiti, but cannot be simply defined as one form (Hughs). “Street art, originally coined by Allan Schwartzman in 1985 (Lewisohn, 2008),