Graffiti History

I. Thesis: Graffiti has been around since the beginning of our recorded history. However, since about 1960, graffiti has continued to evolve. Graffiti & street art are used by writers and street artists to make statements & to gain recognition from people as well as earn respect of fellow writers.

II. Background: Original artists & Development of Graffiti

Origins of the new wave

Beginnings

Beginning of Hip Hop Graffiti

“Hip hop graffiti began in New York City during the late 1960 's when a small number of teenagers from Washington Heights, the South Bronx, and other impoverished neighborhoods began blanketing the city with their "tags"-stylized signatures of names they had invented for themselves” (Richard S. Christen).

Started becoming famous

Attraction of Graffiti

Graffiti has started appearing in both public & professional art galleries around the world. Pieces have been removed from buildings, walls, doors, etc.

Teenagers have always been the main artists & writers of graffiti throughout the last few decades, and with graffiti pieces starting to be showcased, it is drawing in, as stated by Richard S. Christen, “a new generation of adolescents from all races, social classes, and nations.” (Richard S. Christen).

“The general public perceives writers as "just a bunch of little bastards who want to deface property." (Richard S. Christen). The public is correct that graffiti is used to destroy & deface. However, graffiti writers use their art to fulfil a better purpose than most realize. Adolescent writers write as a way to escape the isolation they feel. Others are creating excitement in their everyday lives. Then there are those who use graffiti as their voice to feel they not as powerless as society and the world around them makes them feel.

Artists like “Pioneering writer Flint 707 and his peer Vulcan saw graffiti as a challenge.” (Richard S. Christen). However, Vulcan did it more for the thrill of being able to say “I can do this and you can 't catch me." (Richard S.

Graffiti bestoys anyone and everyone the opportunity to proclaim to the world they once lived here or there and that they were apart of society. Graffiti for most in the early beginnings was someone announcing or creating a new identity. “a kind of personal testimonial to one 's existence . . . scratched, carved, or painted onto some surface seemingly for the purpose of leaving one 's mark." (Richard S. Christen).

“A graffiti declaration often brings respect and fame as well as a sense of identity. In the end, however it is approval of other writers that most matters to the writers. Phase 2 insists that they put their name up in the most visible, public sites, not out of a desire to vandalize, but "to please each other, with the ultimate gratification being the accolades from those other writers who, more than anyone else, knew what was appreciated and considered the ultimate." (Richard S.