Art the word in graffiti

Street art is a powerful contemporary art platform. It’s difficult to find a city that has not been touched by it. Its presence changes with time and external influences, as does the power and visibility of art in any city.

Text is often an integral part of the art that appears on walls.Sometimes the imagery is big and beautiful, the result of organized festivals and paint jams. In its humbler form it’s small and often easy to overlook, but it celebrates free speech and allows anonymous protest at the same time. It can be playful or profound. It can express beliefs and fears and pleasures. It can be gentle and touching, small and unpretentious, or openly assertive, subversive or downright aggressive. Whether it’s been sprayed, stenciled or pasted onto a surface or simply scrawled onto the footpath, it can share a heartfelt message or be boldly poetic. It can inspire, amaze and offend. It will always be more abrasive where and when life is more difficult, such as during times of political or social unrest.

The images in this article have been captured in cities large and small, from locations where street art is valued and thus has the power to speak to the passer-by. They haven’t been selected for their beauty, but rather because of what they say. They can all be found in Urban Scrawl, a book that looks at words on walls, footpaths and street signs.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a prime location for street art. Its walls are home to large murals that celebrate life and beauty, and to small, scrawled words that speak of humor, wisdom and dissent. Artists visit from around the globe to add to the complex mix of urban art.

‘You’re rad’, painted by George Rose in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, is a dramatic expression of approval. The eye-catching waves of spectrum color with the superimposed white text and black slashes and splashes are a welcome burst of love. It’s a perfect example of the way in which painted walls can draw attention to themselves and their message in an otherwise grey urban environment.

Melbourne has embraced street art as one aspect of its rich cultural environment. It is appearing in suburbs across the broad expanse of Melbourne’s geography, but the most fertile areas are Fitzroy and Collingwood, Richmond and Brunswick as well as the laneways of the CBD.

New York City, USA

Love is a major source of inspiration in all art forms, reflecting and commenting on issues of affection and romance to passion, and from compassion to an appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. Expressions of love have a place on walls everywhere, especially in ordinary places, amidst the grime of everyday life.

A perfect example of this is the work of Jason Naylor, a prolific creator of walls that contain colorful text. His work can be found across New York City, where it interacts with street art in many styles by an enormous range of talented individuals.

The New York scene is a world leader. It’s an urban canvas with a fine pedigree. It became the center of the graffiti scene in the 1970s. In the 1980s Keith Haring was bombing subways with his iconic figures, and the vibrant street work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, with its system of personal symbols, was being recognized by galleries and collectors. It has only grown in strength since then, with the Lower East Side, Bushwick and Williamsburg being prime locations for painted walls.

Stavanger, Norway

Returning to the theme of love, sadly we all know that love and hate can co-exist, and dying love can become active dislike and even hatred. This has been cleverly suggested by Dolk’s grenade-headed figures, below. Dolk is a widely respected Norwegian stencil artist who has left his work in cities around the world as well as in his home country.

Stavanger is Norway’s fourth-largest city but it’s a titan in street art terms. It hosts an annual Nuart Festival which brings both local and international artists to paint on its walls, creating an energetic visual environment.

London, United Kingdom

Humour has always been an important element in art, and this is definitely true of street art. It often brings a smile to the face. Sometimes it even encourages us to laugh out loud. What could be more refreshing than the look of absolute delight on the faces of Zabou’s characters? That Yeah Bitches on the cap says it all.

This delightful work by Zabou, a French artist who has been living in London since 2012, was painted in Shoreditch, the epicenter of street art in that great city. London has a long tradition of graffiti and street art. The works have a real immediacy as they are potentially so ephemeral. As is often the case, though, in today’s world the same areas are being opened to gentrification, so old walls are disappearing, together with the art that has been a virtual rotating canvas. Hackney, Camden and more recently Penge, are other areas where street art hunters would enjoy a rewarding foray with a camera.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon has been growing in street art stature for a number of years. Lisbon City Council has been taking an active role in allowing street artists to use abandoned buildings as part of a process of urban renewal. Not only is there powerful work in the center of the city, but a number of outer suburbs are benefitting from the regenerative power of enormous murals to create a sense of pride in their local community.

Street artists often share ‘words of wisdom’. They can often be found in unexpected places – on rooftops and footpaths, even scrawled on fire hydrants and bridge stanchions. The message can be gentle and heartfelt, flippant or profound. It might give hope and encouragement or advice and caution.

One artist who excels in this area is Miguel Januário, the Portuguese artist behind the name ±MaisMenos±. Translating to ±MoreLess±, ±MaisMenos± is an ongoing project of visual intervention in the urban environment. The artist offers direct, incisive statements that use clever word-play to encourage the observer to think about the dominant social and economic systems. Other pithy stenciled images by this artist in this economically troubled time include ‘There Is No Place Like Hope’, ‘In Goods We Trust’ and ‘Private Poverty’.

Paris, France

As with most cities, street art in Paris is concentrated in certain areas. The cultural melange of the 13^th arrondissement is a residential and commercial mix with many tall buildings which act as urban canvases. Some streets of the more bohemian neighborhood of Belleville are virtual open-air galleries. In suburban Vitry-sur-Seine, to the southeast of Paris, the walls are covered in paintings and stencils, largely because the artist C215 is a local resident and has been responsible for inviting dozens of artists from around the world to visit.

One of the pleasures of street art hunting in Paris is finding examples of the prolific work of artists such as Clet Abraham. He takes advantage of the universal, and wordless, language spoken by street signs to insert humor into urban streets by using removable vinyl stickers, such as this Atlantean figure on a Do Not Enter sign in Paris. Not strictly legal, these additions can be attached quickly, under cover of darkness. They may be in situ for a week or five years, depending on the response of the local authorities.

This discussion of cities is by no means complete. There are many more that could be added to this list: Valparaíso in Chile, for example; Barcelona; Los Angeles and Miami in the USA; and Christchurch in New Zealand.

I’ll close with a final image that will probably make you smile (unless it’s a little too close for comfort).

Footpaths are generally not the most visually stimulating feature of our urban environment, but sometimes looking down rather than at our smartphones can have its delights. We were walking through Greenwich Village a number of years ago and laughed out loud when we saw the ‘Rats crossing’ sign. It was quite fitting as a couple of healthy-looking specimens had just crossed the ‘road’. There is something quintessentially NYC here– it’s pragmatic and humorous in equal measure.

This article has been excerpted from the book Urban Scrawl: The Written Word in Street Art. Lou Chamberlin is a street art documenter with a home base in Melbourne. She has published five books about street art: in Melbourne, across Australia, and on the international stage.

How To Draw The Word Art — Simple Graffiti + Challenge Time — Art For Kids Hub —

Introduction – What is Graffiti?

Graffiti is a word used to describe any writing or images that have been painted, sketched, marked, scrawled or scratched in any form on any type of property. It can be a design, figure, inscription or even a mark or word that has been written or drawn on either privately held or government owned properties. While graffiti refers to an entire scribbling or drawing, graffito describes a single scribble. Graffiti can be any form of public marking which appears as a distinguishing symbol and most of the time it comes out as a rude decoration having the form of simply written words, elaborate and complicated wall paintings or etchings on walls and rocks.

Graffiti can also be described as an unauthorized drawing or inscription on any surface situated in a public area. Apart from this graffiti also includes hideous scribbles which we often find scrawled and painted on the fences of a house, in subways, bridges, along the sides of houses and other buildings and even on trains, buses and cars. Although some look like elaborate paintings most of them are garbage which appears to have been done by small children.

Graffiti vandalism has a number of forms. The most harmful and destructive of all are the gang graffiti and tags. The former are generally used by gang members to outline their turf or threat opposite gangs. These often lead to acts of violence. Tags represent the writer’s signature and can also be complicated street art. Conventional graffiti is often hurtful and malicious and generally the act of impulsive or isolated youths. Ideological graffiti is hateful graffiti which expresses ethnic, racial or religious messages through slurs and can cause a lot of tension among the people. Sometimes the graffitists also use acid etching where they use paints mixed with acids and additional chemicals which can rankle the surface making the etchings permanent. (Wilson, 52-66)

Graffiti – Art or Vandalism

Graffiti cannot be considered as a form of art since its basic difference from art is consent or permission. Although a number of people consider graffiti to be one of the numerous art forms, most of the times graffiti is considered as unwanted and unpleasant damage to both public and government properties. In modern times almost all of the countries in the world consider the defacing of public or government owned property with any type of graffiti without taking the owner’s permission or authorization to be an act of vandalism.

Had graffiti been created without destroying someone’s belongings then even it would have appeared artistic, due to their bright use of colors, and not as an act of vandalism. Graffiti scribblers often claim that in order to improve the look of the walls and fences of one’s property they make colorful paintings on them. But this is highly questionable since they almost never take the permission of the owner of the property before making their art, turning the entire thing into vandalism. They do not have the right to destroy or change the look of one’s property without taking their permission or authority. (Smollar, 47-58)

All throughout history people have considered graffiti to be an act of vandalism since it incorporates an illegal use of public and government property. Such an act is not only mutilation of property and an ugly thing but is also very expensive to remove. Although graffiti artists use their talents to share and express their feelings, until and unless graffiti is done on an area designated for it and by somebody authorized to do so, graffiti in any form will remain to be an act of vandalism and not art.

Graffiti done without proper authority cannot be considered as art since immature vandals simply use graffiti as a means to seek infamy. Graffiti is noting more than an irresponsible and dangerous form of art promoting gang activities and truancy. Thus, we can see that there is nothing artistic about graffiti vandalism. (Austin, 450-451)

The Problem of Graffiti

Background

The problem both the government and the people of the world face due to graffiti is not at all a new one as it has existed for centuries, and sometimes it is even dated back to the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece. Some people even consider graffiti as an act of terrorism which is in its larval stage. The main problem with graffiti is that it is fundamentally unauthorized and is created by destroying someone’s possessions.

Today graffiti vandals use markers and spray paints as their most common medium for creating graffiti which makes it a much bigger problem. Painting over the graffiti is a costly affair which the owners of the property vandalized have to bear. Graffiti makers tend to remain unknown and thus, never even make an offer to pay for the repairs for vandalizing someone’s property which at times could even be thousands of dollars.

Sometimes due to graffiti a property’s value gets lowered by a huge rate due to some inane scribbling across the wall or fence of the property. Not only do these graffiti vandals scribble on the fences and walls of the property they sometimes even destroy them by breaking a window, door or fence just for the mere sake of art. They slash the seats of the cars, buses and trains for which the government has to pay. (Ley, 491-505)

Recent History

In the last few decades the problem of graffiti has become far reaching and has spread from the largest of cities to small localities. Graffiti should not be viewed as an isolated problem since it leads to other public disorders, like loitering, littering and even public urination, and crimes, since most of the time the graffiti scribblers unable to pay for the markers and paints shoplift the required materials. Since graffiti is considered to be a public disorder it is sometimes even perceived as a means of lowered quality of living in certain communities.

As graffiti is almost always associated with crimes, it tremendously increases the fear of various criminal activities among the families of a community. Sometimes graffiti vandals even arouse questions in the hearts of the citizens by making them feel that the government authorities are incapable of protecting them from graffiti scribblers, thus making them further insecure.

Graffiti vandals have no concern for public or government property near public areas and deface anything they can lay their hand on including blank walls, trees, alley gates, monuments, statues, utility boxes, schools, furniture in parks and streets, buses and bus shelters, pavements, railway areas, utility poles, telephone boxes, street lights, traffic signs and signals, inside and outside of trains, vending machines, vacant buildings, freeway, subways, bridges, billboards, parking garages, sheds and road signs.

In a nutshell, graffiti is present almost in any area that is open to the view of the general public. Since graffiti vandals even mess with street signs and traffic signals that help the drivers navigate through busy towns, graffiti poses a threat to the safety of those drivers. Sometimes due to depreciation in land value or excessive nuisance created by these graffiti vandals, families and businesses alike have to avoid certain areas and may even have to move out of it completely. People facing graffiti vandalism and living in areas with graffiti have to face reduced business activities since common people generally associate criminal activities with graffiti and are thus, afraid to set up businesses in those areas. (D’Angelo, 102-109)

Cost of cleaning

Prevention and cleaning up of graffiti is associated with high costs. The government and the public have to bear heavy costs in order to protect themselves from the graffiti vandals. Currently, it had been estimated that almost $22 billion is spent in the US each year for cleaning up and preventing various acts of graffiti. It was also found that England almost has to spend £26 million every year to remove graffiti which is present in almost 90% of the places in the nation.

It becomes the headache of the local authorities to clean up the graffiti and fix whatever has been destroyed as soon as possible. Councils and government officials have to maintain quick responsive units who can rapidly and effectively clean out graffiti and fix damages the instant such an act is reported. Government authorities and councils even have to take up a combination of protective, preventive and removal strategies to fight back graffiti vandalism, making the whole process extremely costly. But since protecting or deterring property will not completely eliminate graffiti, it is better to remove graffiti as soon as it is reported. (Ley, 491-505)

Negatives of Graffiti

Graffiti not only causes danger to the citizens of a neighborhood but it also creates a huge mess which government officials have to clean up by paying from the city funds. Since the government has to bear the cost for cleaning up graffiti, it has a direct impact on the budget of a city too. Government officials have to use a significant amount from the available city budget for fixing damages to public buildings, streets and other properties. A huge amount of money also goes in the eradication and prevention of graffiti vandalism since this requires special equipment, materials and trained labors, making the entire matter highly expensive and time consuming.

Graffiti also adversely affects the taxpayers who have to pay extra for fixing damages to public properties, circuitously, during their yearly property taxes. Sometimes businesses pass on the cost for cleaning graffiti off their property on to their customers, who have to make larger payments for their goods purchased, for no fault of theirs. (Rafferty, 77-84)

Further, graffiti also causes losses in revenues related to reductions in retail sales and the transit systems. Thus, the money that needs to be spent for cleaning up and preventing graffiti can also be used for improving an area and may also have other valuable uses. Since graffiti contributes to a reduction in retails sales, businesses plagued by graffiti is least likely to be sponsored by others. Also the general public will be afraid and will feel unsafe when entering a retail store scrawled all over with graffiti. Graffiti vandalism is not always simply limited to spray painting and destruction of property since the graffiti vandals often commit severe crimes like rape and robbery. Given that they are not caught or reported most of the times, graffiti vandals think that they can do anything and get away with it. (Austin, 450-451)

Graffiti is frequently associated with gangs, although graffiti vandals are not limited only to these gangs. It creates an environment of blight and intensifies the fear of gang related activities and violence in the heart of the general public. It has been seen that gangs often use graffiti as a signal for marking their own territory and graffiti also functions as a tag or indicator for the various activities of a gang. In those areas, where graffiti is extremely common, tag and gang graffiti is extremely widespread and also causes a lot of trouble.

Gangs commonly make tags using acid spray paints or markers on apartments and buildings and they serve as a motto or statement or an insult. Such graffiti also include symbols and slogans that are exclusive for a particular gang and may also be made as a challenge or threat for a rival gang. Not only are graffiti made to disrespect other gangs but sometimes racist graffiti is also scribbled on walls which creates a lot of racist tension among the people of certain communities.

Such activities shock the residents who are indirectly forced to move out of the areas for the safety of their families. Graffiti scribblers who are also members of a gang or part of its crew sometimes get involved in fighting, and every now and then a number of them end up dead due to these gang wars. The messages relayed through graffiti are taken very seriously by gang members and the threats are almost always acted upon. (Smollar, 47-58)

Another problem with graffiti is that although sometimes a single act of graffiti may not be a serious offence, graffiti itself has a cumulative outcome which makes it even more serious. Its original emergence in a particular neighborhood almost always attracts even more graffiti vandals. At certain areas graffiti tend to occur over and over. Graffiti offenders are inclined to attack those areas that are painted over to clean the graffiti. Such areas act as a magnet attracting graffiti offenders to commit re-vandalism repeatedly.

Some graffitists commit acts of vandalism since they are extremely stubborn and do so in order to fight an emotional and psychological battle with the city council and government officials. They deliberately commit graffiti vandalisms in order to establish their authority and claim over a specific area. Graffiti offenders do so with the intention to defy the government authorities. (Wilson, 52-66)

Sometimes graffiti is extremely repulsive and thus, gets people, especially teenagers into extremely bad habits. They stop caring about other people or the government and develop a tendency to scribble anywhere they find a blank space. They stop respecting people and their property and the kids even start to make graffiti on the desks and tables of their schools. Graffiti vandals have no concern for the people around them and thus, increase the pessimistic attitude of the neighborhoods around them.

Not only does graffiti lead to crimes but the scribblers also harbor disruptive anti-social feelings and behavior inside them. Sometimes teenagers and kids place graffiti on other people’s property without their authority or consent as a mischievous act, not realizing that they are committing a crime which is equivalent to vandalism and punishable by law. These juvenile scribblers are accountable for almost all of the graffiti we find on the buildings and streets and they do not even realize that their graffiti sometimes even becomes offensive and racist in nature. (Rafferty, 77-84)

Juvenile crime

City officials are also concerned about the fact that when juveniles take part in graffiti vandalism it may be their initial offence leading them into much more harmful and sometimes even sophisticated crimes. Not only does graffiti create a gateway for these juveniles into a world of crime, it can sometimes also be associated with truancy due to which the juveniles may remain uneducated their whole lives.

Deprived of a proper education these young minds get involved with alcoholism and drug abuse, thus leading to even severe problems. Adolescents and juveniles become astray sending a message to all that graffiti give rise to various criminal activities. In those communities where people gather in groups at street corners during late hours, it is easier for the drug peddlers to promote their products among the juveniles without being interrupted either by the authorities or residents. (Smollar, 47-58)

Graffiti as a Social menace

Graffiti is a huge problem since it contaminates the environment of a locality. It is undeniably a plague for our modern cities since it leads to visual pollution. City officials and councils have to spend huge sums in order to clean the ever present graffiti on the walls and fences. But even an expensive cleaning strategy is not but a useless and ineffective way to deal with these graffiti vandals since they almost always find a way to reproduce graffiti.

Graffiti vandalism is an extremely complex and multifaceted public disorder which does not have any easy solution. Not only is the cleaning of graffiti an expensive affair, it is also an extremely difficult one since it involves a lot of hard work. Sometimes graffiti damages certain surfaces to such an extent that they remain permanently impaired as the graffiti vandals change the entire nature of the surfaces they paint on, thus changing the nature and environment of the whole neighborhood. If an act of graffiti vandalism is left unchecked, then it may even lead to urban decay by causing further decline in property value and increasing fear in communities.

Most of the times when graffiti is cleaned or painted over a part of the damage always remains. For example, the paint does not match entirely or sometimes the area becomes darker than before, making the cover up completely visible. Graffiti has a significant impact on the overall appearance of a neighborhood and almost always lowers the quality of life of the entire community. When these graffiti scribblers destroy train terminal and subways they immediately create a harmful first impression on others, of that city, all over the country.

Graffiti simply does not give rise to maintenance issues but it gives rise to a complicated social problem, one that makes people feel extremely unsafe in their own neighborhoods. Communities become unlivable due to reduction in the beauty and pride of their neighborhood. Graffiti completely destroys the design and scenic beauty of the entire community and the hate messages conveyed through graffiti hurts the people of the community.

Sometimes graffiti becomes so offensive that it disturbs the local residents making it a concern for the entire community. The residents not only feel unsafe themselves but also fear for their children who have to grow up in such a disturbing and troublesome locality. Though graffiti may appear to be a radical form of art, to the people whose belongings have been disfigured by graffiti it is nothing more than an unwanted form of vandalism, which is not only distressing but also extremely difficult to remove. (Rafferty, 77-84)

Consequences of Graffiti

Since defacing of public or government property without the owners authority is considered to be vandalism, offenders are even punishable by the law of many countries. Graffiti is like a crime since its creators steal the rights of the owners of the property to have their possessions look well and clean. Police authorities all over the world refer to graffiti vandalism as criminal damage. Graffiti vandals should be made to face strict penalties which should not only include jail time but also large fines, so that they do not repeat their actions again. The offenders not only have to pay huge penalties but can even be prosecuted for their crimes.

The graffiti vandals should not only have to pay fines for destroying properties but should also be made to clean the graffiti themselves, as a punishment. Juvenile scribblers have to carry out community services as a punishment for their crime. Graffiti vandals who have committed serious crimes, like rape or murder can even be imprisoned for life. Not only do these graffiti vandals damage other people and government properties, they also risk their own lives in making the graffiti. They often display their stupidity by gambling with their lives while trying to create graffiti on trains and bridges. It has often been seen that these graffiti scribblers suffer from dreadful injuries and some even end up dead. (D’Angelo, 102-109)

Conclusion

Some countries do not view graffiti as a major problem since they may not have encountered widespread incidences of graffiti vandalism, which may have been focused on only a few relatively hot spot areas. But the areas facing the problem of graffiti vandalism realize its intensity. Since graffiti is a highly visible form of vandalism, it greatly affects the people living in that area since it completely changes their existing perception of the entire neighborhood.

Graffiti scribblers carefully choose those locations frequented by passersby so that they can be affected by the drawings and scribbling even more. Graffiti becomes a form of vandalism due to the medium the graffitists use to display their art which is almost anything other than a piece of canvas. Graffiti vandals somewhat force the viewers to view their work, even if they do not want to do so.

They have no consideration as to where they place their work or that it may become a problem for the general public or that the medium which they are using either belongs to the government or to an individual. All these add up to people’s perception which views graffiti as vandalism leading to urban decay and crime and causing depreciation of business and property value and in the growth of industries.

Works Cited

Austin, J. “Wallbangin’: Graffiti and Gangs in L.A.” American Ethnologist 29.2 (2004): 450-451.

D’Angelo, Frank J. “Fools’ Names and Fools’ Faces are Always Seen in Public Places: A Study of Graffiti.” Journal of Popular Culture 10.1 (2006): 102-109.

Ley, D. “Urban Graffiti as Territorial Markers.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 64.4 (2001): 491-505.

Rafferty, P. Discourse on Difference: Street Art/ Graffiti Youth.” Visual Anthropology Review 7.2 (2005): 77-84.

Smollar, J. “Homeless Youth in the United States: Description and Developmental Issues.” New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development 39.5 (2006): 47-58.

Wilson, J. “Racist and Political Extremist Graffiti in Australian Prisons, 1970s to 1990s.” The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 47.1 (2008): 52-66.

Graffiti is a form of visual communication created in public places. Graffiti is differentiated from street art or graffiti art in that it is usually illegally produced and often involves the unauthorized marking of public or private spaces by individuals or groups. 

What Does Graffiti Mean?

The term Graffiti was originally a reference to ancient inscriptions. These could be words or figure drawings found on the walls of ancient sepulchers, public buildings, or ruins. Ancient Graffiti can be observed in the Catacombs of Rome or at the ruins of Pompeii.

The use of the word “Graffiti” has evolved over the centuries to refer to text or graphics applied to surfaces. For a long time, the term Graffiti was synonymous with vandalism.

Is Graffiti Art?

Graffiti, while once considered vandalism, is becoming more widely recognized as a type of artwork. However, it is still not always positively received or universally accepted as art by the general public.

Graffiti Art takes the techniques and methodologies behind street Graffiti and applies them to other mediums. At the same time, all Graffiti can be considered art. The distinction between Graffiti and Graffiti Art is usually used when Graffiti leaves city surfaces and moves to another more traditional art surface, such as a canvas. Graffiti Art takes Graffiti off the streets and allows it to be sold, exhibited, and displayed in other environments. 

Graffiti is still a predominantly public and urban art form. However, recently, Graffiti artists and street artists such as Banksy and the artist Alec Monopoly, who is behind the infamous Richie Rich artworks, – have exhibited their graffiti-style paintings commercially in gallery and museum spaces.

How Graffiti Started

Forms of Graffiti can be found throughout history, dating back to the cavemen. The first drawings on walls could be called Graffiti; Lascaux cave paintings in France date back to thousands of years ago. The Ancient Greeks and Romans also graffitied their names and protest poems on public buildings, similar to modern taggers. 

American soldiers adopted a form of Graffiti throughout World War II by writing the phrase “Kilroy was here.” This message was accompanied by a simple sketch of a man peeking over a ledge. 

Soldiers would draw on surfaces along their route as a form of camaraderie with the soldiers who would follow. British and Australian soldiers used similar practices. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, this was a war error meme and a precursor to modern Graffiti and meme culture.

While Graffiti has existed in many forms throughout history, it didn’t become a widely visible and well-known phenomenon until the 1960s. The modern and commonly recognized form of Graffiti started in the mid-sixties. This contemporary form of Graffiti is often referred to as hip-hop Graffiti. 

This form of hip-hop Graffiti started in urban America in the mid 20th century and was centered in Philadelphia and New York. The invention of aerosol spray paint in 1949 made spray cans the affordable, transportable medium of choice for modern Graffiti. 

Historical Graffiti was usually carved or painted, but contemporary Graffiti still typically uses spray paint. Graffiti Art also predominantly uses spray paints to recreate a Graffiti aesthetic into fine art forms.

Graffiti has always been about making the artist’s name or message visible, which is why it is created in public spaces. Graffiti artists of the late 20th-century were often individuals who didn’t have access to more traditional means or platforms of expression to get their name or message out. The culture of Graffiti and tagging revolves around leaving a mark so other artists and taggers can see your tag in the community.

Who Started Graffiti Art?

It isn’t easy to pinpoint precisely which artist started the trend for Graffiti Art. Graffiti often doesn’t last long, so its origins can be hard to track. Graffiti artists are usually anonymous, other artists often tag over artworks, or artworks are removed or painted over by the city or building owners. 

However, one candidate is frequently referenced as the originator of Graffiti, and that is the artist Cornbread. The artist known as “Cornbread” – whose real name is Darryl McCray – is widely considered to be the first artist of the modern Graffiti scene. In 1965 Cornbread was just a 12-year-old teen in Philadelphia with a penchant for writing his nickname on every possible surface. 

But Cornbread started a movement that soon spread and grew in popularity. Cornbread’s most famous work was the infamous tagging of an Elephant in the Philadelphia Zoo. In response to false claims he had died, Cornbread painted “Cornbread Lives” on both sides of a live elephant. Modern Graffiti Artists like Alec Monopoly follow Cornbread’s example and tag a greater variety of other objects. 

Alec Monopoly and Banksy are two of the first artists to take Graffiti off the streets and put it in one different artistic medium or setting. Sometimes these settings are traditional, like a canvas, but other times shocking and innovative, like helicopters, cars, handbags, escalators, and many other places. 

Where Graffiti Started

Graffiti flourished in major American cities, particularly in Black and Latino neighborhoods, and grew in popularity alongside hip-hop street subcultures. 

Most historians pinpoint either Philadelphia or New York as the birthplace of modern Graffiti. However, New York quickly became the undisputed epicenter of Graffiti culture. At its peak in the 1970s, the Graffiti tags found on New York subway trains were so prevalent that you could barely see through the subway car windows. 

Graffiti is now widespread, with bustling Graffiti scenes in Berlin, Mexico City, Lisbon, Melbourne, New Delhi, London, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Madrid, and many other urban destinations. 

What Is a Graffiti Tag?

A Graffiti tag is the original, most common, and most basic of the Graffiti styles you see every day. A tag is essentially the Graffiti artist’s “signature” – although artists usually use a pseudonym. 

A tag is usually created using spray paint cans in a single color and uses the artist’s tag name or identifying symbol. More advanced forms of Graffiti, such as Throw Ups or Blockbusters, take tags to varying levels of artistic sophistication, but the artist’s moniker or tag is almost always included in the design. The repeated use of variations of the same tag or design differentiates Graffiti from other forms of street art. 

What Type of Art Is Graffiti?

Graffiti art is a radical contemporary art movement. Coming after the Pop Art movement, Graffiti artists show some of the influence from the Modern art movements that preceded it, such as Pop Art, Abstract Expressionist, or Surrealism. While Graffiti Art started in the modern art period, most Graffiti Art is being created by living contemporary artists. 

What Is the Purpose of Graffiti?

Graffiti aims to be seen without being caught or to spread an important message. The end purpose of Graffiti, like other art is to tell a story or express oneself. 

Graffiti allows artists to express themselves, even if it is not in a publicly acceptable manner. Graffiti can also be used to mark territories and is well established in gang culture. 

Graffiti can be criminal, political, humorous, or even beautiful. Graffiti challenges societal norms and laws, and it does not aim to be legal. The thrill and risk of creating Graffiti are part of the culture. 

What Does Graffiti Represent?

Graffiti often represents rebellion, so it is often the visual language of the unheard or disenfranchised. Graffiti can tell you a lot about the people, politics, subcultures, counter-cultures, and socio-economics of an area. 

Is Graffiti Good or Bad?

Once firmly regarded as vandalism, the public perception of Graffiti continues to move closer to appreciation. However, art is always subjective, and some people may never accept Graffiti as art.

Graffiti can be technically good artwork. Creating Graffiti takes a high level of skill, and some artists are exceptionally talented. There are many Graffiti and street artists whose artwork clearly shows an immense level of technical painting or artistic ability.

Not everyone thinks Graffiti art is good, but acceptance and appreciation are not the purposes of these artworks. Graffiti is a rebellious counter-culture statement that is created for self-expression, often by disenfranchised individuals. It is usually made primarily for other Graffiti artists in the community and does not usually seek public acceptance. 

What Is Light Graffiti?

Light Graffiti is a form of performative art. Light Graffiti is created by exposure and uses a light source to draw Graffiti in the air. You can make light Graffiti with a torch, a sparkler, a fire, or another light source. The light Graffiti can be viewed for a fleeting moment or captured in a photograph. 

Where Is Graffiti Most Popular?

The popularity of street art and Graffiti grows worldwide. There is now an increasing number of destinations where Graffiti is not actively removed by authorities so you can visit and view street art.

The top ten destinations where Graffiti is most popular and tourists can see world-famous Graffiti are:

1. New York, USA: New York is the home of the Graffiti movement, and there are many pockets across the city where you can view exceptional artworks, including Brooklyn’s Bushwick, Hunts Point in the Bronx, Manhattan’s Chelsea, and the Graffiti Hall of Fame in Harlem.
2. Bristol, UK: This English town is home to Banksy, one of the most famous street and Graffiti artists of the present day. The city has embraced its Graffiti scene and now hosts the See No Evil Festival, one of the biggest street art festivals in the world.
3. Stockholm, Sweden: The Stockholm Metro Station has so much Graffiti is has been nicknamed the world’s longest art gallery. Most of this artwork was commissioned, not produced illegally.
4. Berlin, Germany: Berlin has a long and well-established history of public artworks. Some, like the Berlin Wall, are public legal works that speak to the history of the city. But there is also a strong illegal Graffiti scene that speaks to the new Berlin.
5. São Paulo, Brazil: São Paulo,has embraced public artworks and Graffiti. Many of the world’s most famous Graffiti and street artists, such as Eduardo Kobra, come from São Paulo.
6. London, UK: London’s Brick Lane, The Village Underground, and the surrounding neighborhood of Shoreditch are home to many of the world’s famous Graffiti works. Look out for the works by Banksy, ROA, Reka, and MadC.
7. Paris, France: Paris is home to a vivid urban scene with strong political roots. You can find some sharp political criticism and a sense of rebellion within the Graffiti found on the streets of Paris. Look out for the works by Invader, Kraken, Miss.Tic and the mysterious John Hamon.
8. Los Angeles, USA: Los Angeles has a strong hip-hop culture, so it should come as no surprise that Graffiti culture is also prominent around the city. La Brea Boulevard, Culver City, Melrose Avenue, The Arts District, and Venice Beach are just a few of the places you can see exceptional street art around LA.
9. Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne is the Graffiti capital of Australia and Hosier Lane in particular has been attracting worldwide attention for its Graffiti and street art.
10. Mexico City, Mexico: Modern Mexican art is traditionally well known for the prominence of murals, so it’s no surprise that the Mexican capital offers diverse street art styles and religious and political Graffiti. Must see neighborhoods include Avenida Reforma, The Museo del Juguete Antiguo México and Plaza Luis Cabrera.

Buying Graffiti Art

The line between Graffiti, Graffiti Art, and fine art continues to blur. Many well-known street artists have begun exhibiting in museums and galleries. Fine artists like F&G, Alec Monopoly, Clems, Noah Lubin, and Marco Battaglini now incorporate Graffiti styles and techniques into fine artworks to create something altogether new. You can now buy and display artwork that uses Graffiti styles and enjoy it in your own space.

We created this free graffiti generator web app to help you easily to create and draw your graffiti name or your first graffiti.

Type your name or a word in the text box above and click the Create Graffiti button.

If the layers (fill-in, highlight, outline, shadow, backgrounds etc.) of the graffiti are not in the correct order, just click the Repair Graffiti Layers button. Most likely, an issue with loading occurred.

To move single letters or the whole graffiti, select the required part in the Select box below the drawing area.

Click the colors of the different parts of the graffiti below the drawing area to change them with the color picker.

I hope you enjoy using our graffiti generator!

Are there any features missing for you or is there something you did not quite understand?

I am always happy to receive feedback.

Just drop a comment below.

To learn more about how to draw graffiti and how to get started, be sure to check out this post about the concept of how to draw a graffiti.

You can also visit our step-by-step tutorial section or download our app for step-by-step tutorials of specific graffiti words and letters.

Which supplies do I use for digital graffiti sketching?

• Apple iPad 32GB space gray
• Apple Pencil 1
• Procreate: drawing app

Which supplies do I use for sketching on paper?

• Stylefile brush markers for fill-ins
• Posca markers PC 1MR 0.7mm for highlights and outlines
• A black Stylefile marker for handstyles
• Standard multipurpose copy printer paper or a blackbook (e.g. Montana)

License

All rights reserved. You may not use the graffiti generator for commercial purposes.

Graffiti Alphabet Procreate Brushsets

Do you want to use the graffiti letters from the graffiti generator in your Procreate drawings?

We published 4 graffiti alphabets as brushsets for the iPad drawing app Procreate.

Check them out in our shop ».