Graffiti

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A quiet street, a blank wall, a can of spray paint—and a young person goes to work writing graffiti. The term Graffiti means words or drawings scratched or painted on a wall. The word comes from the Greek term graphein, which means “to write.” People have been writing Graffiti on walls for thousands of years, but today some people believe that certain types of Graffiti have evolved into a genuine art form.

Many of the oldest existing examples of Graffiti are from the ancient city of Pompeii on the western coast of Italy. In the year 79, Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Ash from the volcano buried the city, preserving much of it for us to see today. Carved on the walls of Pompeii are many examples of graffiti. Some of the Graffiti are declarations of love, while others are insults. Some of the Graffiti are complaints about store owners who were cheating people, while others are political statements or rough drawings of people.

Although the messages differ, the Graffiti have one important thing in common; they were all written without the permission of the owner of the wall. For historians, however, these Graffiti are some of the few available sources of information about the lives of the common people of Pompeii and their everyday concerns.

While people have been writing Graffiti on walls for thousands of years, in the 1960s a new type of Graffiti started appearing on city walls in the United States. Some people called this type of Graffiti “gang graffiti” because it was made by gang members to identify their territory. Gang Graffiti consisted simply of the gang’s name, or “tag”; its purpose was to warn other gangs to stay away. A gang’s tag had to be distinctive and easy to make quickly, but it was not meant to be artistic.

By the end of the 1970s, the practice of “tagging” was no longer mainly a gang activity. People who had no connection to a gang were writing their names on flat surfaces all around the city. Their goal was to become famous by getting their name on as many prefaces as possible. However, as more and more people got involved in tagging, it became increasingly difficult for writers to get attention. This led some writers to begin experimenting with ways to make their tags stand out. Some started making their tags bigger and bolder, while others combined letters with pictures. As tags became increasingly elaborate, individual styles could be identified.

From tagging, Graffiti developed into something called Graffiti art, or aerosol art. Graffiti artists combined their unique letter styles with pictures to create large paintings that covered an entire wall or the entire side of a subway car. During the 1970s and 1980s, the subway cars of New York became a moving museum of art for Graffiti artists. The purpose of Graffiti art unlike that of gang graffiti, is self-expression and creativity. According to one Graffiti artist, “Creating Graffiti is an art, and just like any other art, it requires tons of practice and work.” Today, most Graffiti art is made with spray paint, although some artists also use brushes and markers. For Graffiti artists, just about anything can serve as a surface for their artwork, even rocks, roads, and billboards.

Of course not everyone likes or approves of the Graffiti on city walls. In fact, most people think of creating Graffiti as vandalism rather than art. For the majority of people, doing Graffiti without someone’s permission is not freedom of expression; it’s arrogance. And the presence of Graffiti in their neighborhoods makes many people feel less safe. Seeing Graffiti all around them makes many people feel that danger is just around the corner.

In the 1980s, many cities started taking action against graffiti. The city of New York, for example, started a campaign to get rid of Graffiti on subway cars. By painting over the Graffiti soon after they were made, the city was able to discourage Graffiti artists from decorating the subway cars. Then, in 1987, a new type of paint-resistant subway car became available, making it impossible for Graffiti artists to paint on the cars. The city of Los Angeles bought several “paint stores on wheels” to combat graffiti. These vans traveled around the city looking for Graffiti and painting over them immediately. The city’s goal was to discourage Graffiti artists by painting over their Graffiti within 24 hours. Other cities have used protective coatings and special building materials to prevent people from writing graffiti. Although these solutions have been effective, they are very expensive.

Does this mean the end of graffiti? Not quite. In some countries, such as Japan, England, and the United States, Graffiti artists are allowed to do their work on specially designated walls in a city. Graffiti art is shown in museums, and in Australia, well-known companies sponsor Graffiti competitions. There are also hundreds of web sites dealing with Graffiti art, as well as many books and instructional videos. And, of course, there are still people who will try to leave their mark on someone else’s wall.