Graffiti is a controversial topic. To some, it is the clearest form of vandalism, to others, it is the purest form of art. In many ways, both are right depending on their perspective and moral stance. One thing is for certain, graffiti has been seen by everyone in the world. It is a movement that has become so pervasive that whether you are from a big city in America or a small village in Africa you have likely seen some form of graffiti. Something so powerful deserves to be understood. Let’s take a closer look at graffiti and see what we can learn.
Graffiti in its modern form started in the 1960s in Philadelphia. The first known graffiti artist was ‘Cornbread’. He and his friends would cover the city with their work and the movement grew from there. Of course, if we are a little looser with our definition of graffiti we can go all the way back to Roman times and see some examples of street art. Today there is a clear difference between graffiti and street art. Street art is meant to be understood and appreciated by the masses. From the perspective of the artist, it is completed with the entire public in mind. Graffiti, on the other hand, is something that is completed for other graffiti artists. Originally it was used to signal territory for gangs, then it became a market for graffiti artists themselves. Today it is a way of communicating and showing respect within the graffiti community.
There are many different styles of graffiti and street art. One of the most daring is called a heaven spot. This is where graffiti artists try to place graffiti in hard-to-reach places usually very high up. The term heaven spot is used to refer to the higher places these prints are made but also the risk that the artist is taking by completing their work. If you have ever looked up and seen graffiti in a strange place and thought “how did they manage to get that there”, you are likely looking at a heaven spot.
The term tagging or tag is used to describe when a graffiti artist places their signature as a piece of work. Tagging is the most commonly seen type of graffiti as most artists try to put their signature as often as they can. Graffiti can be done in many ways. The most common type is with a spray can and markers. This can be done freehand or using stencils. Artists like Banksy have redefined the graffiti or street art space by using stencils. They create elaborate stencils in their home or studio and then quickly take it to the street, spray over the stencil, and can disappear incredibly quickly. If you have ever seen small forms of graffiti on the street you are likely witnessing paper bag stenciling. This is where some create a stencil at the bottom of a brown paper bag. All they have to do is place one spray can inside the paper bag, bend down as if they are tying their shoe, spray while the bag is down, and then stand up and walk away. This is the easiest form of graffiti as it can be done in front of many people without them realizing and with little chance of being caught.
Graffiti has moved from the extremes of society to become more respected in recent years. Today many cities allocate large buildings over to street artists as they appreciate how they are decorating the city. While graffiti is still illegal in most locations and if caught you can face a large fine or time in prison, street art is becoming more and more favored with the artists now able to earn large sums of money for their work.
