The grafitti resource page - graffitti grafiti

Graffiti is the application of media by humans on publicly viewable surfaces. One definition is graffitti that it is "a drawing or grafiti writing scratched on a wall or other surface; a scribbling on an ancient wall, as those garfitti at Pompeii and Rome." ( "Graffito". Oxford English Dictionary 2. (2006). graftti Oxford University Press.). When done without the property owner's consent it is vandalism. Some countries require the grafitt owner's consent before public organisations can prosecute such vandalism.

Graffiti has existed at grafitti least since the days of ancient civilizations such as classical grafitti art Greece and the Roman Empire.

History of graffiti

Etymology

The word "graffiti" expresses the plural of "graffito", although the singular form has become relatively obscure bathroom grafitti and is largely used in art history free grafitti fonts to refer to works of art made by scratching the design grafitti art for sale on a surface. Another related term is sgraffito, a way of creating a design by grafitti artist scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another one beneath. All of these grafitti maker English words come from Italian, most likely descending from "graffiato" (scratched); ancient grafitti on a brick wall graffitists scratched their work into walls grafitti stencil before the advent of spray-paint, as in murals or frescoes. These words derive stencil grafitti in their turn from the Greek γραφειν (graphein), meaning "to write". Historians asylum grafitti portland continue to speculate over the vexing question as to where the term "graffiti" first referred to this form of remove grafitti from a wood fence marking.

Ancient graffiti

Historically, the term graffiti originally referred grafitti clothes to the inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, grafitti gen as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Usage of the word has evolved to include grafitti generator any decorations grafitti myspace layouts (inscribed on any surface) that one can regard as vandalism; or to cover pictures teenage bedroom decoration grafitti or writing placed on surfaces, usually external walls and sidewalks, without the permission of an owner. basketball grafitti Thus, inscriptions made by the authors of a monument are not create grafitti tag name classed as graffiti.

The first known example of "modern style" graffiti survives in the ancient Greek city of grafitti pictures in atlanta ga Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) grafitti text and appears to advertise prostitution, according to the tour guides how to draw grafitti of the city. It stands near the long mosaic and stone walkway and consists of a learn grafitti portland handprint, a vaguely heart-like shape, a footprint and a number. led zeppelin physical grafitti This purportedly indicates how many steps one would have to take to find a lover, maximo park - grafitti with the handprint indicating payment.

The Romans carved reminiance grafitti graffiti into their own walls and monuments, and examples of slim shady grafitti their work also exist in Egypt. The eruption create your own grafitti for a website of Vesuvius preserved graffiti carved on the walls of Pompeii, and they offer us a direct insight grafitti girl into street life: everyday Latin, insults, magic, love declarations, political consigns. In grafitti in new mexico contrast to typical modern graffiti, grafitti photos alphabets and quotations from famous literature (especially the first line of grafitti removal pa Virgil's Aeneid) have been found scribbled on the walls of Pompeii, either grafitti wallpaper for the pleasure of the writer or to impress, albeit anonymously, the passer-by with one's familiarity with letters and literature. grafittis In an ancient variant on the "for a good time..." theme, an inscription gives myspace grafitti layouts the address of one Novellia Primigenia of Nuceria, apparently a great anti grafitti coating beauty chicago grafitti and subject of constant enquiry; an illustration of a phallus was accompanied by the text, culver city boys grafitti mansueta tene: "Handle with care." Love was also the object of grafitti art lettering scorn:

Errors in spelling and grammar make your own grafitti in graffiti not only inform us of the degree of literacy of many of mini grafitti the graffiti scrawlers, but they also american grafitti car give clues as to the pronunciation of spoken Latin. Such is the case with CIL IV, 7838: american grafitti trivia Vettium Firmum / aed[ilem] quactiliar[ii] [sic] b-boy grafitti rog[ant]. Here "qu" reflects the common pronunciation of "co". Conversely, ancient graffiti also provide us with evidence of the ability cartoon grafitti to read and write cleveland grafitti among classes of people for whom literacy was not requisite and might not otherwise be assumed. For example, the 83 graffiti crown grafitti found at gang grafitti prince william county va CIL IV, 4706-85 (a peristyle which had been undergoing remodeling at the time of gang grafitti va the eruption of Vesuvius) were executed not only by the architect Crescens, but grafitti and brighton ma also by most of the members of the work crew for whom he grafitti artist letters subways burners pictures served as foreman. The brothel at CIL VII, 12, 18-20 contains over 120 graffiti, the authors of grafitti backgrounds which included the prostitutes grafitti butterfly as well as their clients. And finally, the gladiatorial academy at grafitti casper CIL IV, 4397 contained graffiti left by the gladiator Celadus Crescens (Suspirium puellarum grafitti games Celadus thraex: "Celadus the Thracier makes the girls sigh.")

However, not only Greeks and Romans produced graffiti: the grafitti in albuquerque new mexico Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala, grafitti lounge also contains ancient examples. Viking graffiti survive in Rome grafitti remover and at Newgrange Mound in Ireland, and Varangians carved their grafitti tattoo runes in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The ancient Irish inscribed stones with an alphabet called internet grafitti games Ogham -- this standard mode of writing may not fall joker grafitti into the category of graffiti. There are also examples in led zeppelin grafitti American history, like Signature Rock (a national landmark), along the Oregon Trail.

Later, French soldiers carved their legalizing grafitti names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s.^[1] There physical grafitti night flight is Chinese graffiti on the great wall rolling 60s crips grafitti of China.

Art forms like frescoes and murals involve leaving images and writing on wall 1993 in grafitti surfaces. Like the prehistoric wall paintings created by cave dwellers, they do not comprise graffiti, as the artists american grafitti soundtrack generally produce them with the explicit permission (and art and grafitti usually support) of the owner or occupier of the walls.

Modern graffiti

Modern graffiti has become intertwined with Hip-Hop as one gangsta grafitti of the 4 main elements of the culture (along with the MC, the grafitti 1 DJ, and break dancing), through Hollywood and movies such as WildStyle and is often viewed grafitti bridge as a misunderstood art form. In fact, grafitti gallery modern graffiti (twentieth century) pre-dates hip hop by almost a decade and is its own culture. Many grafitti layouts for myspace Graffiti writers don't listen to hip-hop or have any affiliation to it grafitti matt whatsoever. The roots of modern graffiti have little to do grafitti mic with the hip hop culture except in the fact that a handful of participants also enjoyed the three legal grafitti paintings aspects of hip hop and also that it was mainly practiced in grafitti removal truck the same areas where the other three elements of Hip-Hop were grafitti screensaver evolving as art forms. Many graffiti writers/artists dispute the alliance with grafitti sketch hip hop. In addition, grafitti washington tacoma graffiti has been made synonymous with the anti-establishment punk rock movement of the 1970s, with such bands as Black Flag and Crass stenciling to grafitti zero gain notoriety, thus bringing it into punk culture. Graffiti culture itself how to make a grafitti name is the images of 1970's grafitti creator of its own fairly extensive slang primarily used by graffiti artists and not by the unaffiliated wider hiphop culture, making it linkin park grafitti unique to style. The most news grafitti dallas prominent years in graffiti’s history were the years from 1966 – 1989. pink spiders teenage grafitti During this period graffiti was evolving through activity sacrificial anti grafitti coating in subway stations and on the subway cars themselves.

Graffiti artists or "writers" sometimes select their nicknames ("tags"), like screennames, to reflect sian grafitti some personal qualities, but often a tag is chosen for smack in grafitti how the word sounds when street grafitti spoken aloud or how the letters sit with each other when written; treo grafitti usually referred to as how the tag "flows". The letters in a west side grafitti word can make doing pieces very difficult if the shapes of the letters don't sit wonderful grafitti next to each other in a visually pleasing way. Also some tags are humorous zionist grafitti occupied territories plays on common expressions, such as: Page3, 2Shae, 2Cold, In1 and many others. Tags also can represent a 'weed grafitti word, but spelled differently for example; Train could be Trane 1993 grafitti or Trayne and Envy could 2pac grafitti be Envie or Envee. Tags can also contain subtle and often cryptic messages or alex grafitti in some cases the writers initials or other american grafitti die cast collectables letters become a part of the tag. The current year is often put up next to anarchist grafitti tags as well; the bomber Tox, from London, never writes just Tox; it is artistic grafitti always Tox03, Tox04, etc. In some cases, writers dedicate or create tags boise grafitti hotline or graffiti in memory of a deceased friend, for example, "DIVA cartton grafitti Peekrevs R.I.P. JTL '99". Tags are usually between 3 to 5 letters long to make the process of doing college grafitti them illegally faster, but can be any length at all.

Initial groundwork cool grafitti text for graffiti begin around the late 1960s. Around this crip grafitti time, graffiti was mainly a form of expression by political activists. It was delta anti grafitti considered a cheap and easy way to make a statement, with dusk grafitti minimal risk to the writer, often at the time eric haze bio grafitti a hippie. As the foundations of graffiti began, gang graffiti also famous grafitti legends began to arise, used largely by gangs to mark territory. Some gangs to make use of graffiti goodbuy grafitti during this era include the Savage Skulls, gothic grafitti La Familia, and Savage Nomads. Towards the end of the 1960s grafitti art layouts the modern culture began to form in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two writers considered to be responsible for the first grafitti caps true bombing are Cool Earl grafitti cartoons and Cornbread.^[2] They gained much attention from the Philadelphia press and the community itself by grafitti chic writing their names everywhere. Around 1970-71, grafitti drawings the centre of graffiti innovation moved from Philadelphia to New York City. Once the grafitti gear initial foundation was laid (occurred around 1966 - 1971), graffiti "pioneers" began grafitti hollywood sign inventing newer and more creative ways to write.^[2]

Pioneering Era

The time between 1971-1974 is referred grafitti lesson plans to as the "pioneering era" where graffiti grafitti music underwent a surge in styles and popularity. Soon after the migration to grafitti online NYC, the city produced one of the first graffiti artists to gain media attention in New York, TAKI grafitti pics 183. TAKI 183 was a kid from Washington Heights grafitti rat who worked as a foot messenger, his tag is a mixture of his name grafitti removal Panayiotakis, TAKI, and his street number, 183rd. Being a foot messenger, grafitti stecils he was constantly on the subway and began grafitti styles to put up his tags along his grafitti tongue travels. Due to the strange name and number people began to take notice grafitti van of him. This spawned a 1971 article in the New York Times titled, "'Taki 183' Spawns Pen grafitti west coast Pals."^[2]^[1] ^[3] TAKI 183 grafitti words wasn’t the first writer, but he was the first to be recognized by society outside hearts grafitti of the graffiti subculture. Fab Five Freddy (Fred Brathwaite) is another popular graffiti figure of this time, history of gang grafitti often credited with helping to spread the influence of how do you grafitti graffiti and rap music beyond its early foundations in the how to grafitti Bronx. Barbara 61 and Eya 61 were important early writers of graffiti in New York, inner city grafitti and are also the first known females is grafitti art or vandalism to write graffiti.

As the influence of graffiti grew, Brooklyn began a graffiti movement as lauren in grafitti well with such prominent artists as Friendly Freddie. Also taking place during this era was the learn grafitti movement from outside on the city streets to the subways. lucky grafitti Graffiti also saw its first seeds make my own grafitti of competition around this time. The goal of most writers at this mental grafitti chicago point was to have as many tags and bombs as possible, in as many places as possible which was called 'getting micro grafitti up'. mr wiggles grafitti alphebet Writers began to break into subway yards in order to hit as many trains as they could political grafitti with a lower risk, often creating larger elaborate pieces of art along the san antonio gang grafitti problems subway car sides. This is when the act of skateboard grafitti bombing was said to officially be established. Around this time, tags began to take on their signature calligraphic slang grafitti appearance, this was due to the huge number of writers- they needed a vintage grafitti tattoos way to distinguish 2 pac grafitti themselves. Aside from the growing complexity and creativity, tags also began to aerosol grafitti grow in size and scale. Spray paint use increased dramatically around this time all city grafitti writers as writers began to expand their work. For example, many writers had begun to increase letter size and line thickness, as well american grafitti coupe as outlining them in colour. Eventually the use of designs american grafitti images such as american grafitti wav polka dots, crosshatches, and checkers became popular. "Top-to-bottoms," works which span the entire height of a subway car, made their first anarchist billboard grafitti appearance around this time as andrea in grafitti well. The overall creativity and artistic maturation of this time art- grafitti period did not go unnoticed by the mainstream. Hugo Martine founded the United Graffiti Artists (UGA) in 1972. UGA consisted of many banksy grafitti top writers of the time, and aimed to present graffiti blue grafitti in an art gallery setting. By 1974, writers brooklyn grafitti had begun to incorporate the use of scenery and cartoon characters into their brooklyn tag grafitti work. The many new styles and innovations that emerged during this era eventually broke caster grafitti into what some refer to as create grafitti the climax of the culture.

After the original pioneering efforts, which culminated in 1974, the art form peaked around 1975 – 1977. By this darren brass's grafitti time, most standards had been don't stick your tongue on the north pole read the grafitti set in graffiti writing and culture. This was the time of the heaviest "bombing" dub grafitti in U.S. history, partly because of the economic free grafitti restraints on New York City, limiting its ability to combat this artform with graffiti removal programs or transit maintenance. Also gash grafitti during this time, top-to-bottoms evolved grafitti artist cope2 into whole cars. Pieces the size of entire subway cars became pretty commonplace. Most note-worthy of this era proved grafitti artists to be grafitti asian the forming of the throw-up, which are more complex than simple "tagging," but not as intricate as a grafitti board for myspace "piece". Not long after its introduction, throw-ups lead to races to see who could grafitti clothing do the most the fastest. grafitti contact tables myspace Writing was becoming very competitive. Writers strove to go "all-city," or to have their names seen in all 5 boroughs of NYC. grafitti creater Eventually, the standards grafitti crosses which had been set in the early 70s began to become stagnant. These changes grafitti desktop picture in attitude lead many writers into the 1980s with a desire to expand and change.

The late 1970s grafitti gem and early 1980s brought a new wave of creativity to the scene. It was also, grafitti generator for myspace however, the last wave of true grafitti graphics bombing before the Transit Authority made graffiti eradication a priority. The MTA (Metro Transit grafitti greator Authority) began to repair yard fences, and remove graffiti consistently, battling the surge grafitti history of graffiti artists. With the MTA combatting the writers grafitti jacket by removing their work it often lead many writers to grafitti kingdom walkthrough quit in frustration, as their work was constantly being removed. It was also around this time that the established grafitti letters i love you art world started becoming receptive to the grafitti makers graffiti culture for the first time since Hugo Martinez’s Razor Gallery in the early 1970s. In 1979, writer Lee Quinones, grafitti mp3 and Fab Five Freddy were grafitti mural given a gallery opening in Rome by art dealer Claudio Bruni. Slowly, European art dealers became grafitti names more interested in the new art form. grafitti pictures For many outside of New York, it was grafitti proof paint the first time ever being exposed to the art form.

During the 1980s the cultural aspect of graffiti was said to be deteriorating almost grafitti removal business santa clarita to the point of extinction. grafitti removal incorporated The rapid decline in writing was due to several factors. The streets became more grafitti removal service, clean city website dangerous due to the burgeoning crack epidemic. Also, legislation was underway grafitti secret with kilz to make penalties for writers more severe, and restrictions on paint sale and display grafitti shirts made racking materials difficult. Above all else though, the grafitti style writing MTA greatly increased their anti-graffiti budget. Many favored painting sites became heavily guarded, yards were patrolled, newer grafitti supplies and better fences were erected, and buffing of grafitti t-shirt pieces was strong, heavy, and consistent. As the popular saying goes: ‘where there grafitti tatoo is a will, there’s a way’. Many writers took grafitti tips this to heart and chose to see the new problems as grafitti trains a challenge rather than a reason to quit. A downside to these challenges was that writers became very grafitti type territorial of good writing spots, and strength grafitti videos and unity in numbers became increasingly important. This was probably the most violent era in grafitti wallpapers graffiti history. Writers who chose to go grafitti watches out alone were often beaten and robbed of their supplies. Some of the mentionable writers from this era were Skeme, Spade, BG 183, grafitti weed and Flight. This was stated to be graphic design grafitti the end for the casual NYC subway graffiti writers, and the years to follow handheld grafitti would be populated by only what some consider the most "die hard" home boy spraying grafitti writers.

Die Hard Era

The years between 1985 and 1989 became known as the how do you grafitti using wheat paste "die hard" era. A last shot for the writers of this how to do wild style grafitti time was in the form of subway cars destined for the scrap yard. With the how to draw grafitti letters increased security, the culture had taken a how to make your own grafitti marker step back. The previous elaborate "burners" on the outside of cars were now marred with simplistic marker tags which how to spray paint grafitti often soaked through the paint. By mid-1986 the MTA kathleen grafitti was winning their "war on graffiti," and the population of active writers diminished. As kathleen quinlan grafitti the population of writers lowered so did the violence learn how to draw grafitti associated with graffiti crews and "bombing." Some notable writers of this era were Ghost, Cavs, TC5, and Reas.

Clean Train Movement Era

The current era in graffiti light grafitti do it yourself is characterized by a majority of graffiti make grafitti artists moving subway cars to "street galleries." The Clean Train Movement melissa grafitti started in May, 1989, when New York attempted to remove all of the subway cars found with graffiti on them out of the transit monte pringle 32 grafitti system. Because of this, many writers mr wiggles grafitti alphabet had to resort to new ways to express themselves. A lot of controversy arose mr.wiggles grafitti among the streets debating whether graffiti should be mypsace graphics grafitti considered an actual form of art. [1]

During this period many graffiti myspace grafitti artists have taken to displaying their works in galleries myspace grafitti backgrounds and owning their own studios. This phenomenon had started in the early 1980s for artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, who started out tagging mystery grafitti locations with his signature SAMO (Same Old Shit), names in grafitti font and Keith Haring, who was also able to nike, classic edition, grafitti artist take his art into studio spaces.

In some cases, writers have achieved such elaborate graffiti (especially those online grafitti signs done in memory of a deceased person) on storefront gates that shopkeepers have hesitated to cover physical grafitti in linden them up. In the Bronx after the death of rapper physical grafitti tour Big Pun, [2] several murals dedicated to his life appeared virtually pictures of grafitti overnight; similar outpourings occurred after the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.[3][4] pleon grafitti Princess Di and Mother Teresa powerpoint presentations on grafitti art were also memorialised this way in New York City. Other works covering otherwise unadorned premade grafitti eiffel tower myspace layout fences or walls may likewise become so highly elaborate that property-owners or the government pure grafitti may choose to keep them rather than roil grafitti cleaning them off. "Free walls" or commissioned walls are now a common part of the culture.

With the san antonio gang grafitti popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM santa is real grafitti launched an advertising campaign which involved simple plan grafitti people in various states spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to spraying grafitti represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." However due to illegalities some of tagging crew grafitti the "street artists" were arrested and charged with vandalism.[5]

Along with the commercial growth tagging grafitti has come the rise the grafitti artist banksy paris of video games also depicting graffiti, usually in a positive aspect. Titles such throw ups grafitti as Jet Grind Radio tell the story of a group urban grafitti of teens fighting the oppression of a totalitarian police force wiggles grafitti alphabet that attempts to limit the graffiti artists free speech. Following the original roots of modern graffiti as a political force came another world cup trophy boston grafitti game title Marc Ecko's Getting Up: write your own grafitti Contents Under Pressure which features a similar story line zionist grafitti of fighting against a corrupt city and its oppression of free speech. Mark Ecko, an urban clothing designer, has been advocate of graffiti as an art form during this period, stating "Graffiti is without question the most powerful art movement in recent history and has been a driving inspiration throughout my career." [6]

Styles

Some of the most common styles of graffiti have their own names, a "tag" being the most basic writing of an artists name in either spray paint or marker. "Tagging" is often the example given when opponents of graffiti refer to vandalism, as the artistic form is lacking and style of penmanship is highlited more. Another form is "throw-ups" which are normally quickly done pieces featuring very simple pieces using few colours, sacrificing aesthetics for speed. Throw-ups are usually only a few letters and often incorporate exclamation marks. A throw up can also be done using a marker and not just sparay paint. A "fill-in" or "piece" is a more elaborate throw-up incorporating more stylized "block" or "bubble" letters, and using three or more colors. This of course is done at the expense of timeliness and increases the likelihood of getting "pinched" or caught. A more complex style is "wildstyle" or "wickedstyle", a form of graffiti involving interlocking letters, arrows, and connecting points. These pieces are often harder to read by non graffiti artists as the letters merge into one another in often undecipherable manner. A "blockbuster" is a "fill-in" that intentionally takes up an entire wall, sometimes with the whole purpose of blocking other "taggers" from painting on the same wall. Some artists also use stickers as a quick way to "get-up". While some consider this as lazy and a form of cheating, others find that 5 to 10 minutes spent on a detailed sticker is in no way lazy, especially when used with other methods. Sticker tags are commonly done on blank postage stickers, or really anything with an adhesive side to it.

Each graffiti piece can show different styles; the culture of the country in which the artist resides or originates from can play a major role in the development of their personal style. For instance, in Asia countries' graffiti pieces often reflect cultural elements such as characters unique to that region. Japanese graffiti pieces contain Japanese terms, and lettering as well as traditional colors for the region. American and New Zealand graffiti is widely influenced by hip-hop music and so contains characters representive of that. From some graffiti pieces you can also learn something about the artist or writer, and find out what meaning they are trying to convey.

Theories of Graffiti Use

Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Scandinavian Institute of Comparative Vandalism of 1961. Most of those who practice graffiti art wish to distance themselves from gang graffiti. Differences in both form and intent exist: graffiti art aims at self-expression and creativity, and may involve highly stylized letterforms drawn with markers, or cryptic and colorful spray paint murals on walls, buildings, and even freight trains. Graffiti artists strive to improve their art, which constantly changes and progresses. Gang graffiti, on the other hand, functions to mark territorial boundaries, and therefore does not transcend a gang's neighborhood; in the eyes of lovers of graffiti-art, it does not presuppose artistic intent.

Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or in the achievement of a political goal. (.doc file)

The murals of Belfast and of Los Angeles offer another example of official recognition.^[4] In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically and/or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by Graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.

Many artists involved with Graffiti also are concerned with the similar activity of Stencilling. Essentially, this entails stencilling a print of one or more colours using spray-paint. John Fekner[7] (b. NYC) called, "caption writer to the urban environment, adman for the opposition" by writer Lucy Lippard, was involved in direct art interventions within New York City’s decaying urban environment in the mid-seventies through the eighties. Fekner is known for his word installations targeting social and political issues, stenciled on buildings throughout New York. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognisable icon for this cultural artistic movement and therefore keeps his identity secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork can be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs. A number of exhibitions have also taken place since 2000.

Radical and Political Graffiti

Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the political punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stencilling anti-war, anarchist, feminist and anti-consumerist messages around the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s [8].

The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since graffiti art remains illegal in many forms, in most countries.

Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicise other art forms, and have used the prison sentences forced onto them as a means of further protest. [9]

The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each others' practices. Anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers, for example, in 2004 did a piece about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery. As an added complication to this picture, some artists receive a combination of government funding as well as commercial or private means, like irrational.org who recently coined the term Advert Expressionism, replacing the word Abstract for Advert, in Clement Greenberg's essay on Abstract Expressionism.

On top of the political aspect of graffiti as a movement, political groups and individuals may also use graffiti as a tool to spread their point of view. One can label this as "propaganda graffiti". This practice, due to its illegality, has generally become favored by groups excluded from the political mainstream (e.g. far-left or far-right groups) who justify their activity by pointing out that they do not have the money -- or sometimes the desire -- to buy advertising to get their message across, and that a 'ruling class' or 'establishment' control the mainstream press, systematically excluding the radical/alternative point of view. This type of graffiti can seem crude, for example fascist supporters often scrawl swastikas and other Nazi images. Because of the strong associations between Nazi images and racial violence, many see this type of graffiti as tantamount to a threat of violence, and thus some would classify it as a form of terrorism.

Both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland produce political graffiti. As well as slogans, Northern Irish political graffiti include large naïve wall paintings, referred to as murals. Along with the flying of flags and the painting of kerb stones, the murals serve a territorial purpose. Artists paint them mostly on house gables or on the Peace Lines, high walls that separate different communities. The murals often develop over an extended period and tend to stylization, with a strong symbolic or iconographic content. Loyalist murals often refer to historical events dating from the war between James II and William III in the late 17th century, whereas Republican murals usually refer to the more recent troubles.

Following the recuperation of 'Post-Graffiti', illegal fly-posting provides another popular visual method by which political groups seek to spread their message and advertise their events. In the UK, posters advertising the February 15, 2003 anti-war protest stayed visible months after the event and may remain for years.

Graffiti as Decorative and High Art

Graffiti art is now on exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum as a “modern art” form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early '80s with the work of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat.

It displays 22 works by New York graffiti writers, including Crash, Daze and Lady Pink. In an article in Time Out Magazine [10], Curator Charlotta Kotik says that she hopes the current exhibition will cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti. Terrance Lindall, noted surrealist artist whose works for Heavy Metal Magazine and Creepy and Eerie have inspired many of these artists, goes further: "Graffiti is revolutionary like the surrealist art I represented in my show Brave Destiny," he says, "and any revolution might be considered a crime. People who are oppressed or suppressed need an outlet, so they write on walls—it’s free. In the 1920's bomb throwing anarchist surrealists were a terror, so painting on walls is not so bad. However, people also have a right to protect their property. It is a human dilemma."

Government Responses

United States

While some perceive graffiti as a method of reclaiming public space, many others regard it as an unwanted nuisance, or as expensive vandalism requiring repair of the vandalized property. One can view graffiti as a 'quality of life' issue, and many people suggest that the presence of graffiti contributes to a general sense of squalor and a heightened fear of crime.

In 1984, the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network (PAGN) was created to combat the city's growing concerns about gang-related graffiti. PAGN led to the creation of the Mural Arts Program, which replaced often hit spots with elaborate, commissioned murals that were protected by a city ordinance, increasing fines and penalties for anyone caught defacing a mural.

Advocates of the "broken window theory" believe that this sense of decay encourages further vandalism and promotes an environment leading to offenses that are more serious. Former New York City mayor Ed Koch's vigorous subscription to the broken window theory promoted an aggressive anti-graffiti campaign in New York in the early eighties, resulting in 'the buff', a chemical wash for trains that dissolved the paint off. New York City has adopted a strenuous zero tolerance policy ever since. However, throughout the world, authorities often, though not always, treat graffiti as a minor nuisance crime, though with widely varying penalties.

In 1995 Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York set up the Anti-Graffiti Task Force, a multi-agency initiative to combat the perceived problem of graffiti vandals in New York City. This began a crackdown in "quality of life crimes" throughout the city, and one of the largest anti-graffiti campaigns in U.S. history. That same year Title 10-117 of the New York Administrative Code banned the sale of aerosol spray-paint cans to children under 18. The law also requires that merchants who sell spray-paint must lock it in a case or display cans behind a counter, out of reach of potential shoplifters. Violations of the city's anti-graffiti law carry fines of $350 per count.^[5] Famous NYC graffiti artist Zephyr wrote an opposing viewpoint to this law.^[6]

On January 1, 2006, in New York City, legislation created by Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr. attempted to make it illegal for a person under the age of 21 to possess spray-paint or permanent markers. The law prompted outrage by fashion and media mogul Marc Ecko who sued Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Councilmember Vallone on behalf of art students and legitimate graffiti artists. On May 1, 2006, Judge George B. Daniels granted the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the recent amendments to the anti-graffiti legislation, effectively prohibiting (on May 4) the New York City Police Department from enforcing the restrictions.^[7] A similar measure was proposed in New Castle County, Delaware in April 2006^[8] and was passed into law as a county ordinance in May 2006.^[9]

Chicago's mayor, Richard M. Daley created the 'Graffiti Blasters' to eliminate graffiti and gang-related vandalism. The bureau promises absolutely free cleanup within 24 hours of a phone call. The bureau uses paints (common to the city's 'color scheme') and baking-soda based solvents to erase all varieties of graffiti.^[10]

In 1992, an ordinance was passed in Chicago that bans the sale and possession of spray paint, and certains types of etching equipment and markers. The law falls under Chapter 8-4: Public Peace & Welfare, Section 100: Vagrancy. The specific law (8-4-130) makes graffiti an offense that surpasses public drunkeness, peddling, or disruption of a religious service punitively with a fine of no less than $500 per incident.

Europe

Community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti. In France, the Protestant youth group Éclaireurs de France took their graffiti-scrubbing into the Meyrieres Cave near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, where they carefully erased the ancient paintings from the walls, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archaeology.^[11]

In September 2006, the European Parliament issued the European Commission to create urban environment policies in order to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animals' excrement and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.^[12]

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to teenagers.^[13] The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed 'cool' or 'edgy' image. To back the campaign, 123 MPs (including Prime Minister Tony Blair) signed a charter which stated: Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem.^[14]

In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property isn't damaged.

Australia

In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffiti artists. Some have suggested that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.^[15]^[16] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere.^[17]

The New South Wales government invested in graffiti research with findings here ^[18].

Asia

Graffiti made the news in 1993, over an incident in Singapore involving several expensive cars found spray-painted. The police arrested a student from Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty for vandalizing the car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Singapore Vandalism Act, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of 3,500 Singaporean dollars (US $2,233 or GB £1,450), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on May 5, 1994. Fay originally received a sentence of six lashes of the cane, but the then President of Singapore Ong Teng Cheong finally agreed to reduce his caning-sentence to four lashes.^[19]

Documentaries and films on graffiti

grafitti in the news

graffitti

- grafitti art

Contents