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Some special links inside my web site:

Graffiti page

1.Emergence of Hip-Hop

2.Tagging

3.Graffiti culture

4.Graffiti Tools

5.Graffiti in 21 cent.

6.Graffiti style art

7.Portland'z struggle

History of Graffiti 

The word "graffiti" derives from the Greek word graphein meaning: to write. This evolved into the Latin word graffito. Graffiti is the plural form of graffito. Simply put, graffiti is a drawing, scribbling or writing on a flat surface. Today, we equate graffiti with the "New York" or "Hip Hop" style which emerged from New York City in the 1970's.

The Emergence of Hip Hop

Hip Hop was originally an inner city concept. It evolved from the rap music made in Brooklyn and Harlem in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Donald Clarke, a music historian, has written that rap music was a reaction to the disco music of the period. Disco was centered in the rich, elitist clubs of Manhattan and rap emerged on street corners as an alternative. Using lyrical rhythms and 'beat boxing' the music was a way to express feelings about inner-city life. Hip hop emerged as turn tables began to be used to form part of the rhythm by `scratching' (the sound created by running the stylus over the grooves of an LP).

Taki 183: Initiator of Tagging

At about the same time as Keith Haring, a delivery messenger began writing "Taki 183" whenever he delivered documents. Soon his name was all over the city. Newspapers and magazines wrote articles about him and Keith Haring. Both became celebrities. This claim to fame attracted many young people, especially those involved with rapping. They began to imitate "Taki 183".Graffiti was incorporated into the Hip Hop culture and became a sort of triad with rapping and break dancing . Breakdancing has since lost much of its initial popularity, while rapping has emerged as a major style in American music. New York City was inundated with graffiti during the late seventies and early eighties. But as media coverage faded so do did the graffiti. Then in the mid-eighties a national TV program did a graffiti story and set off a graffiti wildfire which has become world-wide.

Graffiti Culture

Graffiti quickly became a social scene. Friends often form crews of vandals. One early crew wrote TAG as their crew name, an acronym for Tuff Artists Group. Tag has since come to mean both graffiti writing, 'tagging' and graffiti, a 'tag'. Crews often tag together, writing both the crew tag and their own personal tags. Graffiti has its own language with terms such as: piece, toy, wild-style, and racking.

Graffiti Tools

At first pens and markers were used, but these were limited as to what types of surfaces they worked on so very quickly everyone was using spray paint. Spray paint could mark all types of surfaces and was quick and easy to use. The spray nozzles on the spray cans proved inadequate to create the more colorful pieces. Caps from deodorant, insecticide, WD-40 and other aerosol cans were substituted to allow for a finer or thicker stream of paint. As municipalities began passing graffiti ordinances outlawing graffiti implements, clever ways of disguising paint implements were devised. Shoe polish, deodorant roll-ons and other seemingly innocent containers are emptied and filled with paint. Markers, art pens and grease pens obtained from art supply stores are also used. In fact nearly any object which can leave a mark on most surfaces are used by taggers, though the spray can is the medium of choice for most taggers.

Graffiti in the 21st Century

As graffiti has grown, so too has its character. What began as an urban lower-income protest, nationally, graffiti now spans all racial and economic groups. While many inner-city kids are still heavily involved in the graffiti culture, one tagger recently caught in Philadelphia was a 27 year old stockbroker who drove to tagging sites in his BMW. Styles have dramatically evolved from the simple cursory style, which is still the most prevalent, to intricate interlocking letter graphic designs with multiple colors called pieces (from masterpieces).

Graffiti Style Art

While most taggers are simply interested in seeing their name in as many places as possible and as visibly as possible, some taggers are more contented to find secluded warehouse walls where they can practice their pieces. Some of these taggers are able to sell twelve foot canvases of their work for upwards of 10 - 12 thousand dollars.

Portland's Struggle

Currently, Portland public and private agencies, individuals and institutions are spending at least two million dollars a year cleaning up and preventing graffiti. At present, Portland's public and private agencies, building owners and residents are keeping graffiti at manageable levels by consistent and immediate clean-up. The Police Bureau and the District Attorney's Office are deterring future taggers with frequent arrests and prosecutions. Unfortunately, graffiti has been around long enough to have become multi- generational and new taggers are stepping to the forefront as others are caught and convicted. Only a consistent and continual effort by all of Portland's agencies, institutions and residents will maintain our communities' livability.

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About Me Page

1. Nook Graffiting

2. Hard Music