History

• Graffiti has really been around forever• American graffiti started in the 1960’s in

Philadelphiaand New York City

Basic History

• New York City is the real birthplace of graffiti• Gang art was the beginning but it soon

transformed into something more individual• Artists began “tagging” subway cars as a way of

gaining notoriety• Started off with simple names, but soon grew

into big, fancy designs• The goal was to show your dominance in the art

• At first, artists just wanted their name out there

• Soon they began developing masterpieces, or pieces, to further distinguish themselves

• Led to the development of different styles

Top to Bottom

• Artists tagged the subway car from the top to the bottom with there masterpieces

Throw Up

• No not puke• One of the original styles of tagging• Characterized by one color outline and one color filler

Softie Letters

• Bubble letters

Wild Style

• Incorporated arrows, curls, and connections• Made the letters look very mechanical

Metropolitan Transit Authority

• They did not appreciate the graffiti on their cars

• The government allotted more money to the anti graffiti division

• Led to the train yards being better monitored and harder to sneak into

• Cut down on the amount of graffiti and started cleaning cars off

• By 1986 most lines were running clean cars• Artists began returning to the streets• Today most artists paint on the streets but the

few who believe the only true graffiti art is on subway cars continue their fight against the MTA