A closer look on graffiti street art in Brooklyn and the story of its origin
How & when graffiti was born and its emerge in New York city through subway art.
I wondered down the streets of Brooklyn (Bushwick) enjoying the the graffiti like it was an open-air museum! December 2019, New York City.
The right of decorating public space?
An essential question regarding graffiti is the matter of ownership of public space. Do citizens, including graffiti artists, have the right to alter our public spaces without permission? Moreover, what constitutes art, and how do we assign value to it?
The story of graffiti
In the 1st century BC, Romans wrote messages on public walls, just as the citizens of Pompeii did. These messages included magic spells, political slogans, and references to favorite gladiators. In many ways, this form of public expression can be seen as the social media of ancient times. The Greek philosopher Plutarch dismissed this practice as ridiculous. In the 5th century, the term “vandalism” began to be associated with graffiti, but it wasn’t until centuries later, during the French Revolution, that vandalism became formally recognized. Additionally, during World War II, the Nazis used graffiti as a means of propaganda. The Berlin Wall stands as a testament to the human need for expression amid oppression, transforming graffiti into an act of freedom.
The Emerge of Graffiti in New York City
Today, graffiti artists often work under pseudonyms to maintain anonymity.
In the 1960s, graffiti began to emerge in New York City and Philadelphia, primarily through a style called “tagging.” This technique involves writing the artist’s name or identifier in a single color. It is considered disrespectful to write over another artist’s tag. Early taggers like SNAKE-I, TAKI 183, KIKO, and DESA made their mark on the subway system.
The first graffiti unions were established in the 1970s, and by the 1980s, the burgeoning hip-hop scene brought greater attention to graffiti art, allowing it to flourish as a visual form of expression. During this time, graffiti began to be showcased in high-end galleries.
In 1989, the NYC Transit Authority implemented measures to combat graffiti on subway trains, including double fences, attack dogs, and light towers. As a result, much of the original graffiti art was lost, but thanks to the well-documented photographs of Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant, we can still experience these early artworks.
Subway Art
In 1984, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper finally found a publisher after approaching several houses. Thames & Hudson agreed to publish their book, which became a critical success, with 5,000 copies printed. The book traveled as far as China, Brazil, and South Africa, serving as a tool for new resistance movements. None of the authors anticipated that graffiti art would become a global phenomenon. In Nordic countries, it is often seen as a fun way of expression, influencing branches like graphic design, web design, music, and film.
Styles of Graffiti
Tagging: The simplest form of graffiti, tagging involves the artist’s name or identifier in one color.
Throw-ups: A more sophisticated version of tagging that uses several colors and bubble-style writing.
Blockbuster: An upgrade from throw-ups, blockbusters are larger works created quickly, often using block letters.
Wildstyle: This complex style features interlocking letters and decorative elements, making it visually appealing yet difficult to read.
Heaven or Heaven-spot: Artworks placed in hard-to-reach locations, like rooftops or bridges, gain credibility among peers.
Stencil: This style, which gained mainstream attention, involves creating shapes with paper or cardboard to be applied with spray paint. Banksy is a well-known proponent of this method.
Poster: Artists create posters at home and paste them up quickly, often using a wheat paste mixture that makes removal difficult.
Stickers: Similar to posters but smaller, stickers can be quickly applied without the need for paste.
Piece: Short for masterpiece, this style involves intricate, colorful works that require significant time and skill, earning respect among artists.
3D: This style creates an illusion of depth and can be executed on walls or pavements. Artists like Edgar Mueller and Kurt Wenner are famous for this technique.
