Post on 09-May-2015
History
• Graffiti has really been around forever• American graffiti started in the 1960’s in
Philadelphiaand New York City
Basic History
• New York City is the real birthplace of graffiti• Gang art was the beginning but it soon
transformed into something more individual• Artists began “tagging” subway cars as a way of
gaining notoriety• Started off with simple names, but soon grew
into big, fancy designs• The goal was to show your dominance in the art
• At first, artists just wanted their name out there
• Soon they began developing masterpieces, or pieces, to further distinguish themselves
• Led to the development of different styles
Top to Bottom
• Artists tagged the subway car from the top to the bottom with there masterpieces
Throw Up
• No not puke• One of the original styles of tagging• Characterized by one color outline and one color filler
Softie Letters
• Bubble letters
Wild Style
• Incorporated arrows, curls, and connections• Made the letters look very mechanical
Metropolitan Transit Authority
• They did not appreciate the graffiti on their cars
• The government allotted more money to the anti graffiti division
• Led to the train yards being better monitored and harder to sneak into
• Cut down on the amount of graffiti and started cleaning cars off
• By 1986 most lines were running clean cars• Artists began returning to the streets• Today most artists paint on the streets but the
few who believe the only true graffiti art is on subway cars continue their fight against the MTA