Walk through just about any city in the world and you are bound to find some form of graffiti. In many areas of many cities, it has overrun the landscape. From simple personal tags to gang tags, stencils, murals, and street art, graffiti is everywhere. Graffiti has grown from very humble roots, but has permeated through our culture and has become an international art form.
Graffiti, in the purest sense, has existed throughout history. There are examples of graffiti etched into the walls of Ancient Rome and Greece. Graffiti as we know it developed sometime in the early 1900s. Many people point to famous “Kilroy was here” doodle as the origins of modern graffiti. The doodle was first drawn by United States servicemen during World War II in areas they were stationed or had visited. Graffiti then expanded to urban areas like the New York subway system. Graffiti then saw huge growth during the rock and roll, punk, and especially hip-hop music movements.
Individuals have begun to emerge from this movement that many have redubbed ‘Street Art’ (Some people reject the term ‘graffiti’ because it implies vandalism or territorial graffiti). Undoubtedly the most famous artist to come out of this movement is known simply as Banksy. Banksy, though he remains completely anonymous, has become world famous for his satirical graffiti that usually combines a stenciled image with a powerful and memorable witticisms. Banksy’s work, along with that of other prominent street artists such as ABOVE, Blu, and Ash has been shown in museums and galleries around the world.
There is something very raw and powerful about graffiti. Graffiti is honest. Perhaps it is because the artist is risking getting caught that their message is driven home that much more. If the artist feels that their message is worth getting caught, it must be somewhat worthwhile. It is a rebellious and activist action that can unite people, make people laugh, make people think, and make people fear.
Street art has already had an influence on other parts of the art and design worlds. It is a key influence in the ‘grunge’ design trend that has emerged in the last few years. Street art has spawned a number of urban-inspired designs, and many street artists have also been commissioned to produce commercial street art, in other words, graffiti advertisements. Sony began a graffiti promotion for its handheld gaming system PSP, but the tactic was not received well.
In years to come I can easily picture students in art history classes studying it just as we study Art Nouveau, Futurism, or Pop Art. As I see it, graffiti is the clearest defined art movement of our time and deserves just recognition as a legitimate art and form.