With this article we want to help you to explore the world of graffiti: from its roots up to modern graffiti artists impacting urban culture, design, media and society.
Graffiti – Etymology
What is the definition of graffiti?
The word “graffiti” is the plural of the Italian word “graffito” derived from the verb “graffiare”, which means “to scratch” or “to carve” [1] It is based on the Greek word “ฮณฯฮฌฯฮตฮนฮฝ” (grรกfein), which means “to write”. [1][2]
In ancient Rome, a pointed metal stylus was used to write/scratch on wax tablets.[7]For this reason, the Greek word “grรกfein” (writing) developed to the Italian “graffiare” (scratching). The stylus was not only used as a writing tool, but also for first wall carving graffiti. [7]
The term “graffiti” itself was coined by the archaeologist Francesco Maria Avellino when he gave the lecture “Osservazioni sopra alcune iscrizioni e disegni graffiti sulle mura di Pompei” (ancient wall inscriptions found in the ruins of Pompeii) to the Accademia Ercolanese in 1840. [8][9]
A while later in 1967 “graffiti” was introduced into American language usage by Robert Reisner [4] with his books “Graffiti: [selected scrawls from bathroom walls]” (1967)[5] and “Graffiti: Two Thousand Years of Wall Writing” (1971)[6]. This book stretches the concept of graffiti from cave paintings to bathroom graffiti. [6]
In contemporary times, the term is commonly used in everyday language to refer to sprayed graffiti tags, style-writing, street art in various techniques, as well as writings and fonts created in the graffiti style, both with digital tools and other art materials.
History of Graffiti
As already mentioned in the paragraphs above, the history of graffiti can be rooted back up to cave paintings, Hieroglyphs in the old Egypt and first engravings in Pompeji.
Numerous examples from the historical periods: Antiquity, Middle Ages, Modern Age and 19th century can be found on the graffiti page of Wikipedia. The german Wikipedia graffiti article is even more comprehensive and can be found here.
Christ Ganter mentions in his book “Graffiti School” that Gothic calligraphy from the Middle Ages, the calligraphy from the Far East and the decorative, artistic scripting from the Arabic world are also a part of the history of graffiti. The Gothic calligraphy already combined drop caps with illustrations and Arabic calligraphy was combined with abstract decorations. So they already contain the basic elements of styling of modern graffiti. [10]
A dividing historical line can be drawn between the general tendency to create wall paintings, scribbles and scratchings, even though some can even be referenced to a specific creator, and the first appearance of a graffitist, who drew his name on lots of public places and buildings. The idea of modern graffiti was born.
Joseph Kyselak
Joseph Kyselak (1798โ1831) can be seen as the first tagger. He was an Austrian civil servant and author, but he is perhaps most famously remembered for “tagging” his own name in public spaces. Mostly during his foot journey through the Austrian Empire, he placed his name on walls, trees, and public buildings, making it a distinctive mark of his presence. Allegedly, he was even summoned to the emperor once because of this activity. [11][12]
The photos above show “Joseph Kyselak” tags, which were found in the forests of Lower Austria. In these cases, itโs unclear whether they are originals or imitations. Since they look newer, they are likely to be imitations. However, they still illustrate very well what the original tag looked like.
Invention of the aerosol spray paint can
Even more important was the invention of the aerosol spray paint can by Edward H. Seymour in 1949. It was invented with the purpose of painting radiators with aluminum paint. The company “Seymour Paint” is still active. Seymour manufactures spray paints that are primarily marketed for industrial, automotive, and commercial purposes, such as marking equipment, machinery, and road surfaces, or for other professional applications like maintenance and repair. [13] [14]
A selection of today’s established graffiti-focused spray paint suppliers are:
- Montana Cans: https://www.montana-cans.com/
- Molotov: https://www.molotow.com/
- Loop Colors: https://loopcolors.com/
- Flame Paint: https://www.flame-paint.com/
The invention of the spray paint can made graffiti art in the current form and diversity possible. It allows to paint on almost every material in a fast manner. Spray paint is hardly sensitive to light and weather and cannot be removed easily.
The Cradle of modern Graffiti: New York
Although the first tags were spotted on trains in Los Angeles in the 1950s, and the tagger “Cornbread” from Philadelphia got fame in the 1960s, New York is still considered the birthplace of modern graffiti. [17] Graffiti evolved alongside hip hop culture, as one of its four elements, alongside rap, breakdancing, and DJing.
Taki 183 [48]
“Taki 183” (real name: Demetrius [greek])[15] was the pseudonym of one of the first taggers in New York City. He used his nickname “Taki” and combined it with 183 the street he was living in. A common approach to chose one’s pseudonym later on. He started tagging in 1970 aged 16. Working as a delivery guy, it was easily possible for him to spread his tag around the city. [16]
Through the wide reach of his tags, the New York Times became aware of him and finally published an interview with Taki 183 on July 21, 1971. You can find the article here. [15]
Even though his tags were already known amongst teenagers in New York, this article worked as catalyst and can be seen as the starter of the modern graffiti movement. [16] Due to the greater prominence of graffiti, simple tags had to evolve to complex style-writing to stand out.
“Stay high” allegedly was the first, who wrote his name on a subway train. After that, more and more graffiti artists began spraying trains because it meant their works would travel across the city, gaining them more fame. The Fatcap was developed and used for the first time to be able to apply more paint more quickly. “Phase 2” invented the “Bubble Style“, “Pistol 1” created the first 3D-artwork, “Riff 170” created the first T2B in 1973 and “Flint 707” the first Wholecar in the same year. [18]
Seen [42]
Seen was born in 1961 in the Bronx, New York. In 1973 (age 12) he painted his first graffiti on a train. He sprayed about 200 wholecars and was king of the IRT-line 6 from 1979 till 1982. Other pseudonyms of seen were “Angel”, “Apache”, “Demon”, “Odie3”, “Psycho” and “Richie”. At the beginning of the ’80s, he was a quite successful artist, selling artworks on canvas as well. Through the movie “Style Wars” he became one of the most featured graffiti artists. [21]
Graffiti Photography: Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Martha Cooper, a photojournalist for the New York Post, played a significant role in documenting the early days of graffiti culture in New York City. She was introduced to the graffiti scene by HE3, who she photographed while doing a private photography project, and Dondi. Together with Henry Chalfant she created the book “Subway Art”, a collection of 70+ photos of graffiti on trains, published in 1984. Henry Chalfant, a professional sculptor, had a different approach to graffiti photography than Martha Cooper. He focused on photographing multiple train carts next to each other and clipping photos together. Due to the ephemeral nature of graffiti artworks and photography not yet being widely accessible to the general public, the photographers, who were strongly connected to the graffiti scene, were contacted by graffiti artists to capture their artworks before they were removed or painted over.[19][20]
In 1989 the Transit Authority of New York stopped graffiti on trains with strict security measures like doubles fences around yards, light towers and attack dogs. Additionally, they had enough funding to purchase a larger fleet of trains, which meant that if graffiti was seen on a train, it was immediately taken out of service. An essential piece of graffiti culture was lost. [22]
Graffiti movies “Wild Style” (1983), “Beat Street” (1984) and documentary “Style Wars” (1983)
Books like “Subway art” and movies like “Wild Style”, “Beat Street” and the documentary “Style Wars” were an integral part of spreading graffiti culture around the world.
The story of “Wild Style“ takes place in the South Bronx and follows the romance between Zoro, the king of the subways (played by graffiti artist Lee Quinones), and Rose, the queen of the graffiti scene (played by Sandra “Lady Pink” Fabara, a legendary graffiti artist herself). The story unfolds through a series of encounters with graffiti artists, rappers, and breakers, culminating in a Hip Hop party taking place in a band shell, which is painted by Zoro.
In “Beat Street” the DJ Kenny “Double K” Kirkland from the Bronx tries to get into show business. The movie has a stronger focus on music and break-dance than on graffiti. The subplot portrays the rivalry between Kenny’s friend Ramon and the graffiti artist Spit. This conflict ends in a drama when Ramon chases Spit through a tunnel, where they start to fight and fall onto an electrified rail, resulting in both of their deaths.
“Style wars” is a documentary that covers the aspiring subculture of hip-hop that was developing in New York City in the late ’70s and early ’80s, specifically focusing on breakdancing and graffiti art. [28]
Graffiti in Europe
The movies described in the paragraphs above caused the boom of graffiti in Europe. [23]
Can2 is one of the most famous graffiti artists from Europe (Germany) who joined this movement. He started breakdancing and spraying graffiti in 1983. His pseudonym developed from “Cool Candy” to “Candy” and finally to “Can” and he added his house number at that time – “2”. In addition to drawing in his childhood, friends, and American graffiti movies, Can2 primarily cites comic book artists and Seen as his inspirations. His artworks are distinguished by his beautiful color-combinations, dynamic lines, often used hard shading techniques and his famous characters, which are added to his pieces. Until the year 2000 he already created up to 700 artworks. [24] You can find more information about him and his artworks on his website: https://www.cantwo.de/ and his Instagram profile next to this paragraph.
Loomit [47]
Loomit is from Germany as well and also started spraying in 1983. He is well connected in the Graffiti scene and travelled a lot around the globe to collaborate with other graffiti artists and share knowledge. [25] Check out his website: https://www.loomit.de for more information.
Mirko Reisser was born 1971 in Lรผneberg, Germany. He started spraying Graffiti in 1989, six years apart from Can2 and Loomit and the first big boom of Graffiti in Europe. He is primarily known for his sophisticated 3D-styles.[26]
In 2022 he painted the tallest mural in the world in Calgary. It is approximately 95 meters high and it took 130 liters of primer, 207 liters of paint and 543 cans of spray paint to complete the artwork.[27]
The rise of Street art
The term Street art has encompassed various techniques and forms of art in public spaces. The differentiation from graffiti is, that Street art is mostly figurative. As described in the first section of this article, graffiti derives from the greek “grรกfein“, which means writing. When researching Street artists you will find figurative artworks with a strong focus on stencil art. Street art developed parallel to graffiti and style-writing.
Keith Haring
Keith Haring, a Popartist, often mistakenly mentioned as one of the first graffiti artists, is one of the first Street artists. Specifically when keeping the etymology and history of graffiti in mind.
He mainly drew the outlines of persons with chalk next to graffiti tags to gain fame and awareness in the graffiti scene. He payed respect to the graffiti scene by being aware of not crossing any tags or drawing on top of them. [31] You can find examples of his artworks here.
Blek le Rat
Blek le Rat, born 1951 in Paris, was the first stencil artist. Inspired by the graffiti in New York and poster art from Ernest Pignon-Ernest he made the decision to create artworks outdoors. He points out that the expression of his artworks is connected to its location and would decline tremendously by putting them in a gallery. In 1981, he was the first artist to use stencil art (pochoir) in public spaces.[29] Even though it is said that punks already used this technique before him.[30] Many artists followed his approach. The Comic-hero name “Blek le Rock” was the basis of his pseudonym. He combined it with rat, because they are nocturnal, clever, and despised by society. [29] You can find examples of his artworks here: https://blekleratoriginal.com/de/1980er
Blek le Rat called graffiti “the biggest art movement of the world”. [20]
Harald Naegeli
Harald Naegeli, born in 1939 in Zรผrich, Switzerland. Starting with statements and paroles, he switch to figurative paintings and became famous for his line paintings as one of the first Street artists. The artworks, which were created with a very unique line style, were not signed and became increasingly abstract over time. The uniqueness made the lack of signature possible. [32] You can find examples of his artworks: https://www.haraldnaegelistiftung.ch/
Summarized one can say that most street artists followed the approaches, sources of inspiration and artworks of these artists and created stencil, figurative and poster/paste-up/sticker- artworks.
Street art tends to be more successful than graffiti because figurative artworks are more easily understandable for the general public. Unique graffiti styles of the artists cannot be distinguished for most of the people. This is also a reason why writer started to add graffiti characters next to their pieces.
Graffiti and Street art books
A big problem of artworks in the public space is their impermanence. Graffiti & Street art books and magazines played a major role of spreading graffiti culture and the documentation of artworks in a curatorial quality. This is why they deserve to be mentioned. Additionally I want to provide the possibility to access them as a reference and for inspiration. Below you can find a personal selection of books, which makes no claim to completeness and will probably grow in the future.
Contemporary Graffiti Artists
Digital photography and the internet made it possible for artists to share their artworks globally. Nowadays artists primarily use Instagram to showcase their artworks, alongside with other social media platforms. Everyone now has access to a smartphone to document their work. The artists do not need commercial media productions, movies, books, magazines and news paper articles anymore to spread their artworks on a large scale. Below you can find links to Instagram profiles of contemporary graffiti artists, street artists, calligraphy masters and digital artists. You will find a lot of breath-taking and inspiring artworks their. The selection represents a personal preference, makes no claim to completeness and will probably grow in the future.
Skare One [49]
Klark Kent [50]
Klark Kent developed the online graffiti game “Bomb the World,” where players can have their artwork rated by the community and rise in rank. Unfortunately, the game is no longer available. [53]
Contemporary Street Artists
Digital Graffiti
Graffiti Technica [54]
Contemporary Calligraphy & Calligraffiti artists
Graffiti Generator
As a matter of fact, the media has played a crucial role in spreading the graffiti movement by documenting it, which has also contributed to its development. With the graffiti generator app we want to provide the possibility to create fonts in graffiti style for people who do not create graffiti on their own on the one hand. On the other hand we want to help graffiti beginners to approach graffiti design in a playful way by having the possibility to choose many styles, easily change color combinations and sizes of letters, creating different compositions and generally having an easy start with less hurdles and faster results. Art teachers can use the app as a tool to encourage student engagement in lessons, encourage motivation, creativity and passion for art. It is more easy to handle larger class sizes effectively and the varying skill levels among students, dealing with their fear of failure while drawing and prevent them from becoming discouraged and giving up. The basics concepts and techniques can be understood more easily, students can develop technical skills and confidence in their ability to draw and ultimately also can quicker reach the level of developing their own style and personal expression.
By providing this approach we hope to highlight the design aspect of graffiti and therefore promoting the wider acceptance of graffiti as a form of art in society.
Final thoughts
I hope this article gave you a good overview of graffiti history and its influences and made it more tangible. Is there something I forgot to mention or is there any other feedback you want to share? Feel free to drop a comment below. It is always appreciated.
References and Additional Resources
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti#Scratching_(deutsch:_Kratzen)
- https://translate.google.com/?hl=de&sl=auto&tl=en&text=%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BD&op=translate
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 132 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 326 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- https://www.amazon.com/Graffiti-selected-scrawls-bathroom-walls/dp/B0007FJNH4
- https://www.amazon.com/Graffiti-Thousand-Years-Wall-Writing/dp/4021204423
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeji#%E2%80%9EGraffiti%E2%80%9C
- https://www.etymonline.com/word/graffiti
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti#Graffitiforschung
- Graffiti School – a student guide with teacher’s manual – Chris Ganter, page 11, 12
- https://www.kyselak.at/
- https://www.sn.at/wiki/Joseph_Kyselak
- https://www.seymourpaint.com/about/
- https://www.seymourpaint.com/
- https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/21/archives/taki-183-spawns-pen-pals.html
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 380 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- Graffiti School – a student guide with teacher’s manual – Chris Ganter, page 13
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 286 – 291 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- https://www.amazon.de/Subway-Art-Henry-Chalfant/dp/0500292124/
- Subway Art, Matha Cooper, Henry Chalfant – Thames & Hudson, p.6, p.7,
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 342 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- Subway Art, Matha Cooper, Henry Chalfant – Thames & Hudson, p.124, p.126
- Graffiti School – a student guide with teacher’s manual – Chris Ganter, page 13
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 65,66 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 261,262 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 81 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-now-home-to-the-world-s-tallest-mural-1.5966494#:~:text=Calgary%20is%20now%20officially%20home,S.W.)%20in%20the%20Beltline.
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177262/
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 51 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blek_le_Rat
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 151-154 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- Das groรe Graffiti-Lexikon – Bernhard van Treeck, page 282-284 – https://www.amazon.de/Das-grosse-Graffiti-Lexikon-Bernhard-Treeck/dp/389602292X/
- https://blekleratoriginal.com/de/1980er
- https://www.haraldnaegelistiftung.ch/
- https://www.haring.com/!/genre/public_projects
- https://www.instagram.com/roa_archive/
- https://www.instagram.com/cantwo/
- https://www.instagram.com/skore79/
- https://www.instagram.com/mirkoreisser/
- https://www.instagram.com/smoenova/
- https://www.instagram.com/mad_c1/
- https://www.instagram.com/graffitiloser/
- https://www.instagram.com/banksy/
- https://www.instagram.com/dmarkgraffiti/
- https://www.instagram.com/nychos/
- https://www.instagram.com/kaws/
- https://www.instagram.com/loomit_official/
- https://www.instagram.com/taki183/
- https://www.instagram.com/skareone/
- https://www.instagram.com/klarkkentone/
- https://www.instagram.com/aura.aerosole/
- https://www.instagram.com/the_inkman/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klark_Kent
- https://www.instagram.com/graffiti_technica/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti
- https://www.instagram.com/twik.one/
- https://www.instagram.com/digitaldoes/
- https://www.instagram.com/edmunpdf/
- https://www.instagram.com/ekto.1/
- https://www.instagram.com/tadaone.art/
- https://www.instagram.com/rone89ine/
- https://www.instagram.com/medvedus/