Graffiti is a form of art created by writing or spray painting on any given surface. It is a highly appreciated art form today, though it first came into prominence as an art form that allowed rebellious teens to vent out their frustrations or as gang art. Earlier, graffiti artists would spray paint any surface they could find, from abandoned mill walls to sub way trains and public buses.
Graffiti artists include Aerosol, Street Art and Post-Graffiti, Avant Grade, and Political Graffiti. Popular styles of today include “Tagging”, “Wild style”, “Bubble Letters”, “Throw-Ups”, and “Blockbuster” among others. Every graffiti artist has a self-designed tag to his or her credit. A tag is a name or term that the artists give themselves. This tag is often spray painted on any given surface or as a signature at the bottom of a creation. Though the art of graffiti has been around since the times of the ancient Greek and Roman empires, it was only by 1971-1974 that it gained popularity for the right as well as the wrong reasons.
The period 1971-1974 was termed the “pioneering era” in graffiti art. One of the first graffiti artists to achieve recognition was Panayiotakis. His tag, TAKI 183, is a blend of part of his name and the street that he lived in, 183rd. Others to gain due recognition included Fab Five Freddy and two of the first female graffiti artists to come to light, Barbera 61 and Eya 61. Between 1975 and 1977, the art form reached its pinnacle of popularity. The craze soon dwindled by 1985 and, by 1989, graffiti had lost most of its popularity. Though graffiti has usually involved legal issues, this art form has one too many takers. The number of graffiti artist is constantly on the rise — so is the number of buyers. |
