Graffiti as an Art Form…

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics

300 year old Greek Graffiti

What we are doing is LEGAL. Using spray paint and marking property without permission is ILLEGAL. If you are commissioned to create a piece on property that is LEGAL. The use and sale of Spray Paint in the city of Chicago is ILLEGAL. Penalties for doing graffiti in the City of Chicago are very HARSH !

Disclaimer: Legal vs. Illegal

Graffiti History in a nutshell…

Graffiti (as an underground art form) is said to have started in Philadelphia in the mid to late 1960’s by a writer who goes by the name Cornbread, and moved to New York City around the same time. One of the original graffiti writers from New York City is known as Taki 183. Since then it has evolved from the original look, although the principles and ideas have remained the same. The Art form has gone world wide. It has also been popular ever since!

Cornbread

Taki 183

Graffiti hit a peak in the 1980’s with the rising popularity of break dancing and hip hop…Therefore They became synonymous with each other.

Tags- originalstyle of graffitidone with markers,or spray paint

Throw UpsOne or two color “bubbled” letter styleof graffiti.

Wild Style-the intentof this form is to hidethe writer’s name withinthe “wild” style. The artist tries to be creative as possible.

Mural- Wild Style pieces with other imagery

Basic Terms:

Graff: Short for graffiti.

Writer: Another term for graffiti artist.

Getting Up: Going out and committing the act of graffiti.

Bombing: Putting graffiti on as many spots as possible atone time.

All City: Title of achievement for literally “getting up” all overthe city.

Graffiti is part of the “Four Elements of Hip Hop”

DJBreakin

GraffMC

Is the graffiti we are learning aboutDifferent from “gang graffiti”?

Yes, because “gang graffiti” is simplydone as a way to mark territory etc.

The Graff we are learning abouthas to do solely with the artistputting his/her name up and beingas creative/artistic as possible.

Characters

How does Graff relate to the Elements and Principles Of Art?

Line Shape Color Form Value

Unity Harmony Balance Rhythm Movement ...and so on

Graffiti has transcended from the late 1960’sto present day…including fashion.

Even video games…

Cool Kids

Retro Kidz

…the 80’s are back.

Costs about $6.5 million to clean up yearly.

Prosecution for doing graffiti includes heavy finesand/or jail time.

Chicago charges writers with a felony and the highest fines in the nation for illegal work – up to $1,000 and jail time for a repeat offender. Because piecework is almost always done on permission walls, only tagging, which is done on public property, creates a legal problem. Because tagging is only necessary for a beginner to be noticed, many established artists, who now have families, less free time, and more to lose from getting caught, are tagging less and spending more time with “permission walls.”