![]() Inter-borough competition emerged as writers became aware of the tags of others, thus inspiring countless pieces in addition to rivalries between writers.Īs the practice proliferated, however, graffiti writers would add illustrations or implement distinct styles apart from the bubble letters that were commonplace. The aforementioned Tracy 168 abided by this schema, as did many others. ![]() The primary goal for most writers in the early 1970s was recognition, fame or notoriety, and this is obvious when one considers that most writers would simply write their first name accompanied by their street number address. This proved to be an easy task, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority did not have sufficient security at the time to prevent this because subway tagging was a brand new trend. That way, their work could be carried and seen across the city. For this reason, graffiti writers began writing (or spraying) their tags on subway cars with markers or aerosol paint cans. If your tag was widespread or unique enough to stand out, the prize was fame. When this practice became popular in New York City in the early 1970s, there was competition to “get up” or write the most, so that as many people as possible could see your tag. However, this may have been a natural development, too. Graffiti’s proliferation to New York City is largely attributed to deliberate efforts on the part of these Philadelphia graffiti writers. These artists would write their names anywhere they could-in public places, on train cars, or even on structures adjacent to highways, using aerosol cans or markers. Artists like Cornbread and Tracy 168 were the first to practice this method of simply writing their name or pseudonym in a public place. It wasn’t until people started writing their names or tags in Philadelphia in 1970 that graffiti became about having an individual and personalized marking to reflect where they had been. ![]() Therefore, I wouldn’t classify someone who uses chalk in a public square as a graffiti artist since chalk is destined to wash off with the rain, and there is no intent for permanence. I would make one modification to this definition-graffiti is almost always meant to be permanent, with writers or artists solidifying themselves in that particular area. Traditionally, it refers to writings or drawings that have been scratched, etched, painted or written in public places. However, this particular subculture often eludes a definition. There is some sense that graffiti must be defined and classified in order to analyze its history more appropriately. Of course, this was before such an act could be labeled as a subculture and centuries before it became popular to write your name (or tag) in a public place. Graffiti, the subculture that seemingly blurs the line between vandalism and art, has a relatively short history despite the fact that people have been writing messages and creating illustrations in public places since ancient times.
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