Graffiti

Graffiti What is it? What are the issues?

City-Region Studies Centre

What is graffiti? A definition:

Words or drawings, especially humorous, rude or political, on walls, doors, etc. in public places.


What is graffiti? A modern timeline There are many histories of “modern” graffiti

But many people see the immediate precursors in the various dynamic social changes of 1960s US urban life. In particular:

Political activism and protest (e.g. hippies)

(Re-)emergence of gangs (i.e. their territorial markers)


What is graffiti? A modern timeline

In the late 1960s, “tagging” began to emerge in the streets of Philadelphia.


What is graffiti? Modern

Tag the writer's logo,

his/her stylized personal signature.



1970s-1980s:

Graffiti as both a form and a culture blossomed in New York.

Graffiti writers began by tagging subways.



Graffiti became a key element in the expression of emerging sub-cultural music scenes, including rap/hip hop and punk.



At the same time, the ‘legitimate’ art world started taking notice of this street art and the skills involved.

Art galleries began showing graffiti exhibits. Famously, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith

Haring



Since 1980s

Graffiti artists moved out of subways onto ‘street canvases’

There has been increasing appreciation of graffiti as an art-form

Graffiti has an increasing presence in commercial media


What is graffiti? Modern: Types of graffiti

Applying marks directly onto a surface

Commonly used material: spray paint, paint, marker, chalk, etc.

Can be done freehand or using pre-made stencils.


What is graffiti?Is this an early example?


Discuss similarities and differences of modern graffiti and Lascaux cave paintings in Discussion 4.


Image CreditsAll images listed in order of appearance on slide (first to last or clockwise from top left). Images

from Flickr and wikimedia are attributed to contributor's username. Images may have been edited for presentation purposes. Where they exist, copyrights remain with

original holders.

Slide 2. (1) Ondine Park; (2) raptortheangel http://www.flickr.com/photos/raptortheangel/35500986/; (3) contessak http://flickr.com/photos/tree-tangled/3760617425/; (4) peterjohnchen http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterjohnchen/2616726869/; (5) MTO http://www.fatcap.com/artist/mto.html; (6) Andre http://www.fatcap.com/artist/andre.html; (7) Edina Tokodi http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/23/eco-art-mosstika-gathers-more-moss/; (8) Invader http://www.fatcap.com/artist/space-invaders.html ;(9) Orticanoodles http://www.fatcap.com/artist/orticanoodles.html; (10) OH http://www.fatcap.com/article/oh-interview.html; (11) Jef Aerosol http://www.fatcap.com/artist/jef-aerosol.html; (12) Os Gemeos http://www.fatcap.com/artist/os-gemeos.html

Slide 3. Definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online Slide 4. Adapted from Online Etymology Dictionary © 2001 Douglas Harper; see also other histories

listed in References. (1) http://arthistorymadness.blogspot.com/2007/10/graffiti-from-pompeii.html; (2) Vincent Ramos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Graffiti_politique_de_Pompei.jpg

Slide 5. (1) MatthiasKabel http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reproduction_cave_of_Altamira_01.jpg; (2) HTO http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lascaux,_replica_05.JPG


Image credits (cont’d) Slide 6. (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hagia-sofia-viking.jpg; (2) Barbara McKenzie

http://mayaruins.com/tikal/graffiti.html; (3) Centre for the Study of Ancient Documents, University of Oxford http://www.csad.ox.ac.uk/csad/Newsletters/Newsletter6/Newsletter6b.html

Slide 7. (both) Royal Alberta Museum http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/human/archaeo/faq/rockart.htm

Slide 8. Adapted from Online Etymology Dictionary © 2001 Douglas Harper Slide 10. (1) http://freshlyeducatedmen.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/hip-hop-graffiti-part-1-of-2/ Slide 11. Adapted from The Words: A Graffiti Glossary www.graffiti.org. (1) Martha Cooper

http://www.studionemo.com/2008/12/martha-coopers-tag-town/ Slide 12. (both) Subway Outlaws http://www.subwayoutlaws.com/history/history.htm Slide 16. Midnite Run http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/graffiti/midniterun/flix/ny/ Slide 19. Keith Haring http://ahappyplace.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/keith-haring-guaranteed-to-send-

you-to-a-happy-place/ Slide 21. (1) Fat Cap http://www.fatcap.com/article/43.html; (2)

http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/business/guerilla-marketing-with-graffiti-style-ads/2006/09/08/; (3) http://sarahleey.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/stephen-sprouse-triubte-collection/

Slide 24. (1-3, 5) Ondine Park; (4) peterjohnchen http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterjohnchen/2578100116/in/photostream/; (6) Banksy http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90538; (7) http://www.graffiti.org/war/war_18.html


Image credits (cont’d) Slide 25. (1, 3-5, 8, 9) Ondine Park; (2) Noah Sussman

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefangmonster/141590736/; (6, 7) peterjohnchen http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterjohnchen/2568434123/; http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterjohnchen/2571110751/

Slide 26. (1) Noah Sussman http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefangmonster/1123146758/; (2) Edina Tokodi http://www.woostercollective.com/2008/11/the_as_to_our_qs_edina_tokodi_aka_mossti.html; (3) Alexandre Orion http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/01/11/reverse-graffiti/; (4) Noah Sussman http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefangmonster/1353101148/

Slide 27. (1) Ministère de la Culture et Communication, France, Enluminures http://www.enluminures.culture.fr ; (2) Schmoo http://www.graffiti.org/la/la_10.html; (3) from The British Library http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_teaching_geometry.jpg

Slide 28. Jinks http://www.fatcap.com/graffiti/6322-jinks-nantes.html Slide 37. (all) City of Vancouver Graffiti Management Program

http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/streets/graffiti/ Slide 38. Banksy http://www.fatcap.com/graffiti/13622-banksy-london.html

Graffiti

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