The history of graffiti art: how it came about this urban art form

Graffiti art is an urban art form that has developed over time. It began in New York City in the 1970s, as an artist began to spray graffiti on public buildings and subway wagons. Since then, graffiti art has developed into many different directions.

Nowadays, graffiti is seen as a living art form that creates unique artistic forms of expression. Graffiti art has developed into a worldwide movement that connects people from all over the world and has a great influence on popular culture and art world in general.

Street Art is considered one of the greatest art movements that has achieved enormous popularity and is still growing quickly as an art form. Street works of art appear mainly in urban areas and in public places such as outdoor walls of buildings, highway overpasses and bridges and remarkably determine the appearance of many districts and cities around the world.

Reflections about political and social issues are often the focus of street art, which ranges from sprayed tags over stickers / stickers and knitted fibers, the telephone masts, to monumental painted murals (mural art) that cover the entire building. To a certain extent, Street Art

A few key data at a glance:

• Epoch: approx. 1960s - today
• Key regions: Created from the cities of the United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia, today spread worldwide
• Key terms : graffiti, subway art, guerrilla art, urban art, street art, public art, urban art, large -format wall paintings, mural art, wall art, spray art, tape art
• Important artists: Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, Cornbread, Banksy , Shepard Fairey, Lady Pink, Blu, Taki 183, Tracy 168
• Main features : created in public spaces, with a strong political or social message

The history of graffiti art

Early days

For prehistoric times , when handprints and paintings with hunting scenes were attached to cave walls in order to emphasize the prosperity and unity of small human communities, people use natural surfaces to draw and paint on them.

1920s and 1930s

What we call Street Art today differs from nature from the land fonts mentioned above and goes back to modern times, to the war of the infamous gangs in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s , as name -based tags and primitive graffiti began to appear on the walls of streets to mark controlled areas from the gangs.

A similar urban climate contributed to the fact that Art of Murals found their way into the cityscapes of the South California metropolises at about the same time. Well documented origins of street art come from Philadelphia and especially from New York City.

The 1960s

In the 1960s , New York went through difficult times and was about to bankrupt. The huge areas with nailed buildings, construction gaps, decommissioned factories and construction sites became a canvas for a group of creative children, first in Spanish Harlem , which led to the development of an entire art form. Starting with simple signatures, the path of street art went to complex wall paintings that covered entire subway wagons.

In the poorer quarter of New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s, artists such as Taki 183 and Tracy 168 spray paint used their names in public areas. Most of them were young people who wanted to mark their presence in society in this way.

The New York Golden Age

Her graffiti art inspired other artists who began to spray their names and drawings on buildings in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Bronx. These artists formed the first urban art style, which became known as graffiti art.

In the mid-1970s, various striking styles developed, since many groundbreaking street artists wrote their nicknames and pseudonyms in a unique way with an original design and fought it. Few artists have captured the creative process and the early dynamics of the street artist communities, with photographer Martha Cooper being one of the most respected names for this.

1970s, she began the New York Street Art scene and street artist, and also contributed significantly to the development of the entire movement by spreading her book entitled Subway Art , which was published in the early 1980s. Coopers narrow paperback edition quickly became a nursing thread for train writers and graffiti artists, not only in the United States, but also in Europe.

In the 1980s, street and graffiti art found their way into art galleries and museums , at a time when artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat from the New York Street Art scene granted credibility and their works brought the world of fine arts from the street.

The works of Basquiats are among the most sought -after art objects of the 20th century. How did they come about and how did graffiti become a hotly traded art style in the 1980s? A portrait of the young artist in a short but intense life:

Since then, the art form has secured its position in the art world and has been confirmed as a cultural phenomenon, although such practices are considered illegal in many cities around the world.

Today

Nowadays, graffiti art is a well-known phenomenon worldwide and is practiced by many artists all over the world. There are many different techniques and styles that are used to create graffiti art, and there are also many different topics and motifs that are integrated into the works of art. Graffiti art is an art form that develops quickly and is constantly changing.

Development of graffiti art over time

Graffiti art has developed into a globally recognized art form over time. Graffiti art originally began as a form of street art in the 1970s in the major American cities. The origin is often attributed to the African and Latin American immigrants who expressed their culture through graffiti art.

Tracy 168 - Bonus Feature from Just To Get A Rep Graffiti Documentary

Nowadays, graffiti art is an important part of modern art and is used as an expression by artists around the world. Graffiti art has developed considerably over time and many graffiti artists use techniques such as spraying and stenciling to create their works.

They experiment with colors and various graffiti styles to create their unique art. Graffiti art is also present in the media and is often used as a means to transmit political messages. It is a symbol of freedom and creativity and a way to use people's creative potential.

Different forms of graffiti art

Cities are home to numerous graffiti works of art. For example, graffiti in Berlin has a long tradition and is an important part of the city. Each city has its own culture, which is reflected in the manner of graffiti art. From small tags of buildings to large wall paintings in the streets, which contain both complex and simple designs, there are many different types of graffiti art.

One of the oldest forms of graffiti art is to write tags . Tags are short, simple graffiti pictures that usually contain a name or logo. Tags can usually be found on walls, trains or other public places. Tags are one of the most common forms of graffiti art that can be found in cities.

Another popular form of Street Art are wall paintings . Wall paintings are much more complex than tags and often contain several colors and complex graphics. These graffiti works of art can be designed in many different styles, from realistic portraits to abstract and surreal designs. Wall paintings can be found in many cities and can be a great asset for any place.

Street art mosaics are beautiful combinations of small fragments that together result in a unique work of art. These graffiti works of art can usually be found on sidewalks or other public places and can be an important addition to any city landscape.

Marking with spray paint is one of the most common and fastest methods to make a work public, while markers, color and innovations such as filling fire extinguishers with color are also widespread. However, Street Art is not limited to color and marker, since artists all available materials and media such as stencils, stickers, posters, textiles, LED lights, mosaics or video projections. Yarnbombing , the act, to bring colorful or crocheted yarns or fibers onto the street, is one of the new phenomena in the world of street art.

So there are many different types of graffiti art that can be found in cities. From simple tags to complex wall paintings and street art mosaics, this art form gives the cities an unmistakable appearance and reflects the culture and charm of the cities.

Significant street art and graffiti artists

Finally, let's take a look at some of the most famous street artists of the past and the most influential street artists of the present.

Banksy

Despite his international fame, the identity of the stencil artist Banksy is still secret. Banksy, himself a mystery, became known in the 1990s by spraying trains and walls in his hometown Bristol.

Since then, the artist has become a worldwide phenomenon that brings subversive and controversial messages worldwide. He also performed one of the most original auction stunts in art history when his painting "Girl with Balloon" from 2006 unexpectedly destroyed himself after it was sold for more than one million dollars Sotheby's

Keith Haring

Keith Haring played an important role in the rise of the New York street art scene of the 1980s by creating paintings and drawings inspired by graffiti, which cracked the barriers between street culture and high art.

Haring found a unique path to participate in the creative boom of the city by using his own visual language and symbols to comment on topics such as drug addiction, sexuality, war and power. He became known for the first time in the early 1980s with his cartoon-like subway drawings, temporary work, which he created with a piece of chalk, using empty advertising posters at subway stops as a canvas.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

As many of his contemporaries, Jean-Michel Basquiat, like many of his contemporaries, began his work on the streets of New York City as the son of a Puertorican mother and a Haitian immigrant. At the age of 20, in addition to studying art history, he started working on paper and canvas in the so -called consolidated way.

He made friends with his idol Andy Warhol , who not only did a lot for his rise and recognition, but also worked with Basquiat. For years, Basquiat fought the sudden fame and pressure in an escalation that led to an overdose heroin at the age of 27.

After his early death, his fame climbed and today Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of the first and greatest representatives of the visual art in the history of African-American art through his paintings and graffiti.

Cornbread

Cornbread, also known as Darryl McCray, is largely considered the first graffiti author and artist in the world. He lives and works in Philadelphia and started graffiti in the 1960s and contributed to putting graffiti art in a contemporary context. It is a graffiti icon that appears both as a public speaker and as a representative of a young generation.

Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey is a contemporary American street artist who founded the well-known Obey , which emerged from the skateboard scene.

In addition to stencil work, Fairey creates murals as well as graphic illustrations and designs. He is the creator of the successful campaign logo and the "Hope" poster by former US President Barack Obama from 2008.

Lady pink

The Ecuadorian-American painter, wall painter and graffiti author Lady Pink became a cult figure in the hip-hop and graffiti scene of the 1980s and became known for the first time in the late 1970s by her subway paintings.

Throughout her career, she used graffiti as an act of strengthening women and matured as an artist, created monumental works across New York and held Wall Art Workshops for local communities.

Blu

Blu from Bologna, Italy, represents a younger generation of street artists. He is known for his ambitious projects and his politically charged wall paintings on an epic scale. His best-known project is Muto , a mix of street art and stop-motion animation.

In 2016, he systematically deleted and destroyed wall paintings from 20 years, which he had created on the streets of Bologna, as a form of protest against the oppression of the youth culture in the city.

The importance of graffiti art in society

Graffiti art is an art form that is widespread in many parts of the world. It can be used as a means to convey a message or statement. Graffiti art has a very important role in society.

It is a way to give voice on a topic that affects many people. Graffiti art can be used as a medium to convey political messages to denounce social injustices or to create a feeling of community, but also to express creativity and uniqueness and to give up a statement.

It is a way of expressing yourself without saying a word. Many graffiti artists use their art to express their opinions and feelings.

Graffiti art can also be used kind of protest It can be a way to draw attention to injustice that is present in society and is used to express rebellion against authorities.

In many cases, graffiti art can also be used as a visual element to maintain the culture of a certain community. It can be a way to preserve the traditions and values ​​of a certain group.

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and managing director of Kunstplaza. Publicist, editor and passionate blogger in the field of art, design and creativity since 2011. Successful conclusion in web design as part of a university degree (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expression painting and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through many years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.

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