| The word
‘Graffiti’ refers to images or pictures that are
drawn in public places without securing the
appropriate permissions. Although most people would
associate graffiti with rowdy city youngsters, the
truth is that graffiti originated in ancient Greece
and Rome. Pictures of graffiti art show that this
art form was even prevalent in ancient Egypt.
Modern graffiti
art is believed to have originated in the 1960s or
1970s. The only changes in graffiti have been their
central themes and perhaps the tools for
application. Today, graffiti is created using spray
paints and markers and unfortunately may include
offensive vocabulary. Such work however is
tantamount to vandalism and if caught, the offenders
may be legally prosecuted. Even though there are
many reckless individuals who enjoy causing such
damage to property, the proper use of graffiti can
be thought-provoking and can even serve as an
important tool to send out social messages. This
kind of positive graffiti has found its place as an
art form and can even be seen in museums. Creating
graffiti art therefore has much to do with content
thereof. Offensive words scribbled on walls have no
aesthetic value and hence cannot be deemed art. On
the other hand one may come across beautiful murals
in cities around the globe today which enhance the
beauty of the neighborhood.
Many of these
murals may be commissioned by the governing bodies
of the area. In India, for instance, several
artists were commissioned to paint murals and to
essentially create graffiti art over the walls off
police stations in an effort to beautify the city of
Mumbai. These art works were both thought-provoking
and aesthetically appealing.
As modern-day graffiti may have its roots in New
York City, it is only logical for today’s graffiti
art lettering to have its roots in tagging, which
was originally a method through which gangs
identified the graffiti of their own members as well
as that of other gang members.
The graffiti art
alphabet may be monochromatic, basic alphabets or
may be the more evolved dual-colored, outlined
alphabets. More complicated styles of graffiti
lettering include three-dimensional lettering. If
you want to learn how to write graffiti art, it may
make sense to get your hands on graffiti art
stencils, which would make the task of lettering
easy.
No matter how
ornate the art work or mural, a true graffiti artist
would have his or her name somewhere within the
design. Like any artist, the graffiti artist enjoys
adulation and appreciation of his art. In New York,
when graffiti started off as scribbles in the
underground subway system, the artists would seek to
be recognized by his or her artwork but artwork was
usually limited to the fancy lettering of their
names. This is when different kinds of lettering
were designed. Because subways drew such large
numbers of people, artists rejoiced in the amount of
visibility their work enjoyed. Over time, with the
rise of hip hop, subway graffiti has adopted hip hop
culture and reflects such themes. |
