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An Essay On The History Of American Graffiti

Decent Essays

The Power of Paint “The people who run our cities don’t understand graffiti because they think nothing has the right to exist unless it makes a profit” (“Banksy Quotes”). This is a quote by Banksy, a popular graffiti artist from England (“Banksy Was Here”). Graffiti has been practiced since ancient times. Graffiti from ancient Rome still remains on the walls today (Grody 5). Modern graffiti was started by two artists under the names of “Cornbread” and “Cool Earl” in the 1960s, who began a graffiti style called “tagging” in Philadelphia.(“The History of American Graffiti”). “Tagging” is the most common form of graffiti, which is when the artist writes their name. Graffiti began to spread and these two artists received attention from the press (“The History of American Graffiti”). Graffiti can be …show more content…

The presence of graffiti in art galleries shows this. “[G]raffiti art has been shown in various galleries in New York and London, and artists are often commissioned to do legal murals and other work for art shows” ("Graffiti: Art Through Vandalism”). Graffiti artists demonstrate their skill through various pieces to receive attention from those who can hire them. In order to be recognized by the public, these artists must master the use of spray paint. This is difficult because it can not be erased or removed and the artist must work their mistakes into the piece. It takes time for graffiti artists to improve because “[a]s in any art form, authority of creative expression develops through committed practice and thought” (Grody 7). Grody describes the commitment that is necessary in graffiti art. Graffiti artists often plan out their pieces and think through their ideas before beginning the process of painting. They must quickly and carefully execute their art to avoid being noticed. It takes time to acquire such a precise skill. It is important to recognize the skill that graffiti requires to be

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