Graffiti
Graffiti has existed since ancient times
Egyptian, Ancient Graffiti on
Monuments
Roman, Caricature of a
Politician
Graffiti can be anything from simple scratch
marks to elaborate wall paintings
What is Graffiti?
• Graffiti is a type of deliberate marking on
property, both private and public.
•Graffiti artists would tag on public
property without permission. This is called
vandalism.
•In the past graffiti was used as a tool to
mark the artist or gangs territory.
•Graffiti art has developed over the years
into a respectable art form. Graffiti art has
moved away from vandalizing buildings
and subways to a form of public
expression.
Is it a Legal form of Art?
 In most countries, defacing property with graffiti without
the property owner's consent is considered vandalism.
 Controversies that surround graffiti continue to create
disagreement amongst city officials, law enforcement and
graffiti artists looking to display their work in public
locations.
 The best thing to do is practice graffiti in a sketchbook or
blackbook.
 Some artists even buy their own walls to practice on.
 Nowadays, graffiti artists can be employed by companies
to advertise or create artwork to cover up boring walls.
Graffiti and Culture
 Graffiti is often seen as having become intertwined
with hip hop
 Grew in popularity in the 70s; more protest
 80s gave rise to stencil graffiti; more art
By the 1990s, Hip-Hop culture had become known worldwide
and accepted as part of mainstream U.S. culture. Graffiti art
became commercialized, appearing in the advertisements of
Nike and Sprite.
Marketing strategies targeted youth culture
Today graffiti art has
become a common
element in modern
culture.
Marc Ecko, urban
clothing designer, and
advocate of graffiti as
an art form, states
“graffiti is without
question the most
powerful art movement
in recent history and
has been a driving
inspiration throughout
my career.”
Graffiti Vocab
 A "tag" is the most basic
writing of an artist's
name.
 A graffiti writer's tag is
his or her personalized
signature.
Graffiti Vocab
 “One” or “Oner” means
the artist works alone.
 “Cru” or “Krew” or a
crown with multiple stars
can mean there are
multiple people who do
the same tag.
 Tagging is dangerous
due to where people tag
and because of rivalries.
More Graffiti Vocab
 The "throw-up," also known as a "bombing"
which is normally painted very quickly with two
or three colors, sacrificing aesthetics for speed.
 Throw-ups can also be outlined on a surface
with one color.
 A "piece" is a more elaborate representation of
the artist's name, incorporating more stylized
letters, usually incorporating a much larger
range of colors.
A more complex
style is "wildstyle",
a form of graffiti
usually involving
interlocking letters
and connecting
points.
Can you read it??
What does graffiti art
say?
Graffiti can take the form of pictures, and words.
What do you see?
This graffiti art was done by the artist called OVIE.
What makes up Graffiti?
 Graffiti is composed of:
 Text
 Symbols
 Images
 Color
 Ovie was born in
Brooklyn, New
York
 Ovie started
tagging as a
teenager in 1991.
 The artist personal
tag was Ovieone
 Ovie tags can be
found on trains. He
calls himself a train
bomber.
Ovie’s
graffiti
Graffiti Artist: Banksy
 Banksy is one of the world’s most notorious
and popular street artist who continues to
remain faceless in today’s society.
 Known for political, anti-war stencil art in
England but his work can be seen anywhere
from Los Angeles to Palestine.
 In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable
icon for this cultural artistic movement and
keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest.
… A little about Banksy
 Much of Banksy's artwork can be seen around the
streets of London and surrounding suburbs.
 Banksy’s art is a prime example of the classic
controversy: vandalism vs. art.
 Art supporters endorse his work distributed in
urban areas as pieces of art while city officials and
law enforcement have deemed all work by Banksy
to be vandalism and property destruction.
 Many members of Bristol’s communities feel that
Banksy’s graffiti reduces property value and
encourages rogue behavior.
MODERN ISSUES:
1. Graffiti has become an expensive social problem in
many cities in the world. U.S. cities spent an estimated
four billion dollars cleaning graffiti in 1994.
2. School vandalism is an increasing problem that
depletes educational budgets and delays upgrading
plans. Cleaning graffiti in schools is also a struggle for
many teachers, principals, and school staff.
3. Graffiti can spark “risk-taking” tendency amongst
adolescents who do not think about the consequences of
their actions before climbing on bridges or overpasses
and hanging in dangerous positions to leave their marks.
Your Graffiti Project
 Check out the rubric to see what’s up…
 Here is a Graffiti creator which is a
useful tool to help you with lettering and
creating your own style.
Now, practice some
lettering in your
sketchbooks.