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GraffitiGraffiti is a letter-based art form often scrawled illicitly on public or private property. It can be traced back to at least ancient Rome, where citizens expressed ideas, taunted rivals, and made crude jokes on walls.
Modern graffiti emerged in the 1960s in Philadelphia, where Darryl McCray claimed he pioneered the art of "tagging," or scrawling his signature on walls. The trend soon spread to New York—where budding artists, sometimes called "graffiti writers," tagged whatever they could find in an attempt to spread their pen names across the city—and evolved alongside the nascent hip-hop and punk subcultures of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Even as it was being hailed as a revolutionary form of expression, graffiti was also being criticized by city officials and residents as vandalism indicative of larger social decline. That hasn't stopped it from being widely praised, however, with graffiti-inspired artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Banksy becoming some of the art world's most renowned figures.Explore Graffiti
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In 2018, a graffiti artist sued HBO for including their work in one of the network's showsAn episode of the HBO show "Vinyl" featured a scene with a woman walking down a New York street and passing by a dumpster tagged by graffiti artist Itoffee Gayle. Gayle filed suit against the network, despite not owning the dumpster, claiming that the network had violated his copyright and trademark rights by including his work in the show without his permission. The court sided with HBO, saying that Gayle's claims "bordered on frivolous." Above the LawGraffiti exists in a legal gray area"Street art" has become a major seller in the art world, yet many states still consider graffiti to be illegal vandalism. Copyright law complicates the situation further, offering protections for "original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression," even if they've been created illegally. Santa Clara Business Law JournalBanksy turned graffiti into high artThe anonymous artist is renowned for his puckish, often stenciled street art. He's also known for the eye-popping sales those works command once they're up for auction. This podcast dives into the history of the singular artist, exploring how a British graffiti artist became a cultural icon. The Banksy StoryOne graffiti artist turned a train tunnel into his galleryChris Pape, also known as Freedom, began exploring a tunnel under Manhattan's Riverside Park when he was a kid. As he grew more involved with graffiti, he turned its walls into a massive art project, one that reflected both the history of graffiti and the people who made the tunnel their home. VICEThe documentary 'Style Wars' captured graffiti at its heightThe film explored the tension between graffiti's innovation and its illegality, following some of its most popular artists, such as Mare 139 and Futura, as well as its detractors, including Mayor Ed Koch. The documentary first appeared on PBS in 1983, introducing the movement to a national audience. You can watch it in its entirety below. harveycastNew York mayor Ed Koch railed against graffiti in the '70s and '80sKoch was outspoken in his hatred of the form and, during his three terms, launched an anti-graffiti campaign with the help of several New York celebrities. This 1984 BBC report documents some of the scorn graffiti artists had attracted, including from Grace Glueck, the New York Times' art critic, who said, "I don't consider it an art form on canvas at all." GHOST GALERIEKeith Haring was inspired by graffiti's accessibilityThe visual artist—known for his vibrant pop art—loved how graffiti was a democratic form, available to everyday people who wouldn't otherwise visit museums or galleries. He began drawing chalk murals in New York subway stations, remarking that it was an ideal venue because it attracted a diverse audience. TateGraffiti became an integral part of hip-hop cultureThe visual art form began taking off in New York alongside the music of hip-hop. Both were postmodern forms of art that repurposed preexisting materials. For graffiti, that was by using the city as canvas. For rap, that was through sampling. This retrospective not only shows how the two forms intersected, but also how the public perception of both changed over time. ABC NewsOne Martin Wong painting contains a secret homage to graffiti cultureAfter the Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired painter Martin Wong's "Houston Street," they discovered there was another work on the back of the canvas that featured contributions from some of the luminaries of the 1980s New York graffiti scene. The Museum of Modern ArtView photos of classic New York graffitiHenry Chalfant was one of the foremost documentarians of early graffiti and hip-hop culture, photographing some of the era's most iconic pieces and playing a part in the genre-defining "Style Wars" film. This interview with him is accompanied by some of his photos from an exhibit at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, showcasing the art form as it came into its own. Buzzfeed NewsIn 1974, Norman Mailer touted graffiti as an intellectual art formThe Pulitzer Prize winner explored the style in his 1974 Esquire essay, "The Faith of Graffiti," before expanding on it in a book with 81 photos by Jon Naar. In it, he traces the form back to its ancient roots and compares graffiti writers to Renaissance painters. Urban NationCities and parks often work to prevent graffitiAlthough some call it art, many see it as an eyesore and try to prevent it through prohibitive designs, lighting, and vandal-proofed coatings that make spray paint easier to remove. This guide from the Project for Public Spaces outlines some of those strategies and more. Project for Public SpacesAs graffiti grew more popular, New York worked to stop itIn 1972, the NYPD made over 1,500 graffiti-related arrests. By 1973, the city was annually spending $10M to remove and limit graffiti. That same year, a poll conducted by an anti-graffiti task force found that the "vast majority" of residents did not consider graffiti to be art. ArtsyIn the '70s, graffiti moved to subway carsUnlike static walls, the silver cars moved throughout the city, like a canvas in perpetual motion. That made them highly desired by graffiti artists, especially because tagging them was considerably more difficult and, in turn, more impressive than a simple tag in an alley. The Bowery Boys: New York City HistoryTAKI 183 was a teenager whose graffiti drew widespread attentionInspired by graffiti he saw throughout the city—including some tags he saw as early as 1964—the 16-year-old began tagging surfaces with "TAKI 183," a reference to a Greek nickname for Demetrius and his street (183rd) in Washington Heights. After a 1971 New York Times profile, his tag—and graffiti culture in New York—exploded. Street Art NYCPhiladelphia's Cornbread claims to be the first modern graffiti artistDarryl McCray began writing his nickname, "Cornbread," across his hometown of Philadelphia in the 1960s. That style was a way of posting a personalized signature across neighborhoods and would become known as "tagging." In time, that style spread to New York, where it took off among other young people. ArtsyExplore a database of ancient graffitiTake a look at thousands of pieces of graffiti from the walls of Herculaneum and Pompeii, including name tags, crude jokes, and crude drawings. The database, maintained by classical scholars, allows you to explore maps of the cities and images of the original inscriptions. Ancient GraffitiAncient Romans sometimes lobbed insults through graffitiGraffiti was used to communicate ideas, offer advice, and, not unlike the internet, talk some trash. That was especially true with tourists, who sometimes scrawled messages on the pyramids, including one person who complained, "I can not read the hierogylphics." In response, someone replied, "Why do you care that you can not read the hieroglyphics? I do not understand your concern." Fire of Learning'Graffiti' comes from the Italian for 'a scribbling'The word was first used in 1851 to describe the ancient inscriptions on Pompeii's walls. "Graffiti" is the plural form of "graffito," which means "a scribbling." EtymonlineArchaeologists discovered over 11,000 examples of graffiti in ancient PompeiiResidents drew various figures and announcements on homes, temples, and walls, much of it preserved by volcanic ash. While some were clearly intended to be artistic, scholars have noted that the ancient graffiti has more in common with social media than with the tags and murals we associate today with the art form. Smithsonian MagazineA graffiti artist breaks down the fundamentals of the formGraffiti is more than just tagging a name. Legendary street artist Carlos Mare, also known as Mare 139, breaks down how to paint several of the form's popular styles and motifs, from quickly drawn throwies to intricately planned masterpieces. WIREDGraffiti's lexicon includes slang for methods and aspirationsQuickly covering an area with graffiti, often fast tags and throwies, is called "bombing," a word that's intended to evoke images of an aerial raid. "Heaven" is a double entendre: It's a very high spot, both desirable and potentially fatal. KMUWGraffiti has its own visual language, including simple 'tags,' large block letters, and complex 'pieces'Every graffiti artist looks to create their own visual identity, but they often rely on common folk styles, especially when they're still developing their craft. "Tags" are little more than an artist's pseudonym, while "Wildstyle" takes an abstract approach to the signature. More complicated styles, like "blockbuster," are like informal billboards strapped to the sides of buildings and subway cars. UrbaneezA reading of ancient Rome's best graffiti Graffiti has been surprisingly common throughout history, and even the grandeur of ancient Rome's walls wasn't spared. This clever and funny video reads through some of the more notable messages relayed via graffiti in ancient Rome, from tidbits of wisdom like "A small problem gets larger if you ignore it" to more unsavory observations of lovers, friends, and enemies. Fire of LearningBasquiat helped move graffiti from the streets to the galleriesHe took graffiti's aesthetics—cryptic slogans, bold colors, and repurposed iconography—and placed them on his canvases, helping to create what some called "post graffiti." These short documentaries, produced in 1982 and 1983, capture the nascent movement as it emerged in the mainstream art world. The Museum of Contemporary ArtBefore using his own name, Jean-Michel Basquiat tagged his graffiti as SAMOIn the late '70s, Basquiat, alongside Al Diaz, began tagging downtown New York with the name "SAMO©," usually followed by a phrase criticizing the art establishment. The tag became notorious in the New York art scene, and Basquiat eventually revealed he was behind it. Dazed DigitalA collection of ancient graffiti from Pompeii, HerculaneumFrom cavemen to marker-wielding children, humans have always wanted to leave their mark. Read some of the graffiti left by ancient Romans here. The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum feature exquisite levels of preservation due to the nature of their demise. Viewers can see the surviving graffiti by clicking through the site's featured collections, which include topics such as poetry and love. AGPThe earliest depiction of Jesus' crucifixionThe Alexamenos Graffito is widely considered the oldest surviving image of the crucifixion. It was scratched into a plaster wall near Rome's Palatine Hill, probably around 200 CE. It is not devotional art—it shows a donkey-headed figure on a cross alongside the Greek inscription "Alexamenos worships his god," apparently drawn by a student mocking a classmate's Christian faith. No devotional depiction of the crucifixion would be made until the sixth century. 1970s New York was viewed by many as a city in declineBy 1975, the city owed $5B to $6B in short-term debt; over a million manufacturing jobs had left the city since the end of World War II. Meanwhile, the murder rate was more than double than 10 years earlier. Graffiti was seen as illegal vandalism perpetrated by unsupervised teenagers and was viewed by some as emblematic of the larger societal decline. The GuardianRead the New York Times profile of TAKI 183The 1971 article about the young graffiti artist and his many acolytes exposed the burgeoning subculture to a large audience and also detailed the effort to clean the work from the city's walls. (Some readers may experience a paywall.) The New York TimesA popular tag in World War II announced 'Kilroy was here'The graffito appeared seemingly everywhere throughout the 1940s and followed a similar pattern: A man with an oversized nose peering over a ledge, with the phrase written below it. Scholars believe it was an American form of similar tags that appeared in Australia and England, making "Kilroy" a meme long before the word had entered the lexicon. ThoughtCoBasquiat's crown motif acts as an artistic signatureWhile tagging graffiti across New York, Basquiat began to appreciate the power of repetition and branding, especially while establishing mystique through his “SAMO” tag. Some art critics argue that his crown motif serves a similar purpose, enabling viewers to recognize his work immediately. Incredible ArtBasquiat's art was text heavyLike his graffiti, Basquiat’s drawings and paintings often featured words and phrases among images. Art historian Robert Farris Thompson said, “[i]t’s as if he were dripping letters.” Below is 1983’s Horn Players, which includes portraits of jazz greats Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, along with words Basquiat associated with them. SmarthistoryA 1981 review helped propel Basquiat into superstardom“The Radiant Child,” featured in Artform in December 1981, presented Jean-Michel Basquiat (and, to a lesser degree, Keith Haring) as the genius of the post-graffiti art movement. The critic, Rene Ricard, wrote that, “[o]ne or two words on a Jean-Michel contain the entire history of graffiti.” ArtforumView Jean-Michel Basquiat's artworkThe iconic artist had a short career, but he produced a massive body of work and changed the style of American art by bringing together pop art, graffiti, hip-hop, and punk. His work still hangs in galleries across the world. View scans of the most famous ones here. BasquiatFintech companies made it easier for merchants to request tips, leading to fatigueIn recent years, companies such as Square and Toast have created touch screen technologies prompting customers at coffee shops and casual restaurants to tip upwards of 25%. Despite the interesting psychological conundrum this presents to consumers, one tech columnist argues that shoppers don’t need to succumb to the pressure. NY TimesA young Basquiat was fascinated by the book 'Gray's Anatomy'At 7 years old, Basquiat was hit by a car while playing stickball. While in the hospital, his mother gave him a copy of Henry Gray’s medical reference book “Gray’s Anatomy” to help him better understand his recovery. The book fascinated the young Basquiat, who’d later incorporate bodies and anatomy into his art. The Museum of Modern ArtThe creator of Sherlock Holmes published a book claiming fairies were realIn 1917, two young girls took photos of one another appearing to interact with fairies and a gnome. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes books and a fervent believer in spiritualism, published the photos in a magazine and asked the girls to recreate them, which they did. Conan Doyle went on to write a book about the fairies. In 1983, decades after his death, the girls admitted the photos had been faked. BBC NewsNew York named a street after Basquiat in 2025The influential pop artist made his name (and developed his unique graffiti-inflected style) in the city's East Village. In 2025, the city added his name to one of the neighborhood's streets in his honor. (Some readers may experience a paywall.) The New York TimesOil nationalization triggered the CIA‑backed 1953 coup in IranNPR's Four Days in August podcast recounts the four days of covert CIA‑UK operations in Iran that toppled Prime Minister Mossadegh in August 1953. Threats of Iranian oil nationalization were a major driver of the decision to facilitate regime change. NPRHip-hop is both a music and a cultureWhile the word is often used to describe the popular genre, it’s historically been used to describe the culture that sprang up around the music in 1970s New York, including breakdancing and graffiti. The Kennedy CenterThe ancient Greeks were known to take vacationsHistorians trace the vacation back to at least ancient Greece, where many people traveled to festivals and athletic events, including the Olympic Games. BBC BitesizeBeyond DNA, Franklin's legacy extends into modern virology and steel productionWhile remembered for her critical but under-credited role in uncovering parameters for the structure of DNA, Rosalind Franklin made significant contributions across coal chemistry and virus structure. Her research helped improve fuel efficiency, wartime protective equipment, and foundational knowledge in molecular biology. NatureExploring carbon compound pore structures contributed to improved gas mask filtrationDuring World War II, the British Coal Utilisation Research Association sought to improve the efficiency of coal as an energy source and studied the effectiveness of charcoal filters to keep soldiers safe. Rosalind Franklin's research there formed the basis of her PhD and led to five scientific papers. NIHPompeii’s ruins expose the brutal realities of Rome’s sex tradeDrawing on graffiti, slave collars, brothel art, and the story of “Eutychis, a Greek lass with sweet ways,” this piece reconstructs the violent, coercive world of Pompeii’s enslaved prostitutes—and how their owners controlled, renamed, and exploited them. AeonUsing psychedelics to manage a cancer diagnosisDr. Roland Griffiths helped lead the revival of psychedelic research, often prescribing the use of psilocybin to address severe depression or anxiety in patients. This podcast explores how Griffiths leaned on his own career after being diagnosed with cancer and facing the prospect of death. NPR
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