Graffiti is a different form of art, not a crime. Graffiti is a way for people to show their unique creativity. Graffiti is a widely growing activity that is taking notice to many people. Today some people believe that graffiti is cool and wonderful, while others think it is useless and makes cities appear dirty. “Graffiti is the name for lettering scratched or images, scrawl, painted or noticeable in any manner on property. The term graffiti referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii.” Use of the word has evolved to include any graphics applied to surfaces in a manner that may include vandalism. Graffiti has existed for many years dating back since ancient times, such as Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The Romans carved graffiti on walls. Also, French soldiers carved their names into monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. “Graffiti was popular during World War II and American soldiers would draw wherever they want.”
There are many different types of graffiti. One type is tag. “Tag is a name written in signature lettering using permanent marker or spray paint.” Using a writer's signature with marker or spray paint is the most basic form of graffiti. “It is the writer's logo, his/her stylized personal signature.” If a tag is long, it can sometimes be shortened to the first two letters or the first and last letter of the tag. Also, they may be ended with the suffixes “one”, "ski, "rock", "em", and "er". “Tags were scratched onto the windows of tubes, and buses with carving implements”. One of the ways tagging started was by putting names on street signs. Another type of Graffiti is throw-up or...
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Another invaluable resource is the ArtCrimes web site, at http://graffiti.org/. The definitions above are taken from that site’s glossary, and I found my way to all the pictures from that site as well.
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.
"Tracing the Roots of Modern Street-Art and Graffiti." Tracing the Roots of Modern Street-Art and Graffiti | WebUrbanist. WebUrbanist | From Urban Art & 3D Graffiti to Abandoned Cities. Webist Media Publishing, 22 Apr. 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .
As stated above, graffiti can be viewed in museums, but they can also be seen in public galleries and peoples homes. From the article by Robin Newton, ...
Art is defined by Oxford’s Dictionary as works produced by human creative skill and imagination. The argument of whether or not graffiti is art has been around for an indeterminable amount of time. Because of many different and valid reasons, graffiti should be considered as art.
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, but the style of the art is. They can be identified by the way they express themselves. It can be broad and can be shown in many different forms. The forms can range from a simple tag of identity, an expression of protest and politics, to an alluring scene of art work. Although the graffiti writers work is their expression; they are trying to convey a message about the issues in the world around them.
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
Looking from the taggers' point of view, one can understand why taggers and graffiti artists draw and do graffiti, but this does not justify the fact that often times this form of self-expression is not acceptable when it is done on other peoples property. Having the opportunity to listen (film, class, talk show) to why taggers and graf...
Graffiti started in the 1920s when gangs would tag train cars and walls to mark territory mainly in New York City. Graffiti took a different turn in the 1970s when young adults decided to use street art as an outlet to express their political and social outrage. This movement had soon gained the attention of the “adult” world. Graffiti was known as “creation through destruction” and to this day is still considered illegal in most parts of the world. In modern street art the mediums used have evolved past spray paint and now artists are using different methods with spray paint to progress their works past crude tags.
‘“Graffiti (sgraffiti), meaning drawings or scribblings on a flat surface and deriving from the Italian sgraffio (‘scratch’), with a nod to the Greek graphein (‘to write’), originally referred to those marks found on ancient Roman architecture”’(Weisburg). Though, it is unknown when or where graffiti first made an appearance; modern graffiti did not come around till the late 1960’s to early 1970’s in New York. The term “tagging” is the modern form of scratching (Weisburg). It also is considered the origin of all modern graffiti, including street art.