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Graffiti
I learned to appreciate this art when I was in
Germany. I use to break dance at the age of 10 in 1983 with all my friends
and we stayed bombing walls.
We watched all the great movies like the classic
Beat Street which pushed Hip Hop and crazy Graffiti from actor
“Ramo”.
Nothing white lasted around my crew bach then. I
wasn't a great artist but my best friend at the time “Smurf” use to
tag everything.
His skillz were ridiculous and we still have our
names on underground bunker walls on the Army base.
Today there are millions of Graffito artist and
this is my gift to the future artist.
What Is Graffiti?
Graffito is a type of deliberately inscribed
marking made by humans on surfaces, both private and public. It can take the
form of art, drawings, or words. When done without a property owner's consent
it constitutes illegal vandalism. Graffiti has existed at least since the
days of ancient civilizations such as classical Greece and the Roman
Empire.
The word "graffiti" expresses the plural of
"graffito", although the singular form has become obscure and has largely
fallen into disuse. Both of these English words come from the Italian
language, most likely descending from "graffiato", the past participle of
"graffiare" (to scratch); ancient graffitists scratched their work into walls
before the advent of spray-paint. These words derive in their turn from the
Greek γραφειν (graphein), meaning "to write". Historians continue to
speculate over the vexed question as to where the term "graffiti" first
referred to this form of marking.
History of Graffiti
Historically, the term graffito originally
referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of
ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Usage
of the word has evolved to include any decorations (inscribed on any surface)
that one can regard as vandalism; or to cover pictures or writing placed on
surfaces, usually external walls and sidewalks, without the permission of an
owner. Thus, inscriptions made by the authors of a monument do not class as
graffito.
The first known example of "modern style" graffiti
survives in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) and
appears to advertise prostitution, according to the tour guides of the city.
It stands near the long mosaic and stone walkway and consists of a handprint,
a vaguely heart-like shape, a footprint and a number. This purportedly
indicates how many steps one would have to take to find a lover, with the
handprint indicating payment.
Ancient Pompeiian graffito caricature of a
politician.The Romans carved graffiti into their own walls and monuments, and
examples of their work also exist in Egypt. The eruption of Vesuvius
preserved graffiti carved on the walls of Pompeii, and they offer us a direct
insight into street life: everyday Latin, insults, magic, love declarations,
political consigns. Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli also has several examples. One
example has even survived that warns: "Cave Canem", which translates as
"Beware of the dog," next to a picture of the dog in question.
However, not only Greeks and Romans learn how to
graffiti: the Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala, also contains ancient
examples. Viking graffiti survive in Rome and at Newgrange Mound in Ireland,
and Varangians carved their runes in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The
Ancient Irish inscribed stones with an alphabet called Ogham -- this standard
mode of writing may not classify as graffito.
Later, French soldiers carved their names on
monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s.
Art forms like frescoes and murals involve leaving
images and writing on wall surfaces. Like the prehistoric wall paintings
created by cave dwellers, they do not comprise graffiti, as the artists
generally produce them with the explicit permission (and usually support) of
the owner or occupier of the walls.
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