Art or vandalism? Amazing facts about graffiti

Art or vandalism? Amazing facts about graffiti - It's one of the most widespread forms of urban art, though by many it is still seen as a form of vandalism. However, increasing efforts are being made all over the world so that people who practice this art do so in controlled locations, without causing unwanted damage to property. Click on the gallery and learn more about the history of this amazing urban art!

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The meaning of the word - Graffiti comes from the Greek word 'graphein' - meaning 'write' and the Italian word 'graffito', which means 'sketch'.

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Origin - Graffiti, as we known it today, began in the late 1960's in Philadelphia as a tool to promote political ideals and marking territory.

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Romans - Although the movement began in the 1960's, traces of graffiti were found in ancient Rome's architecture.

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Tags - Tagging is the way these artists write their names whilst remaining anonymous. They can use pseudonyms, symbols, or even random words.

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Pioneer - 'Cornbread' was one of the first graffiti artists. His name was Darryl McCray and he was well known for tagging the name 'Cornbread' in several places.

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Anonymous - The majority of famous graffiti artists remain anonymous and use false names to promote their reputation and avoid legal problems.

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Money spent to remove graffiti - It's estimated that about 1 to 3 dollars from each US taxpayers is used for the removal of graffiti each year.

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How much is removed? - Approximately 30 million square meters of graffiti is removed every year in Los Angeles.

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The most popular artist - Banksy is undoubtedly the most popular graffiti artist. He's known for his political and anti-war style. He remains anonymous to this day and his work can be seen all over the world, but mostly in Bristol, England.

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The largest graffiti wall - The largest graffiti wall in the world is located in Dubai and it was completed in 2014 by more than 100 different artists. The piece tells the story of the United Arab Emirates and the work was done to celebrate the country's 43rd anniversary.

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Illegal - Even though this type of art is illegal in many parts of the world, there are 1,650 walls in the world where graffiti is completely legal.

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The 1970's boom - A 'style war' began in the 1970's, where several artists tried to achieve recognition by making bigger pieces or completely fill out a whole area with their drawings. However, because they often had to rush, most of them ended up just tagging the area without drawing complex pieces.

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One of the four elements - Graffiti is part of hip-hop culture and is seen as one of its four pillars. The others being the DJ, the MC and the B-boy or B-girl.

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Punk - Despite being seen as one of the four elements of hip-hop culture, in Amsterdam, graffiti is more connected to punk culture.

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The black book - Most graffiti artists carry a black notebook where they sketch new ideas. This book is securely stored as it can be used as evidence in cases of vandalism.

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Out of control - In the 1980's, tagging the name was extremely competitive. Everyone wanted to be famous, so several people focused more on signing a wall than actually doing complex drawings.

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Stickers - To stay ahead of the competition, several artists started to produce their own stickers. This was a quick and efficient way to tag.

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Graffiti and urban art - There's a difference between graffiti and urban art. Graffiti's aim is not to get the public's recognition. Instead, artists are more interested in gaining respect from other artists. Urban art is more focused to please the general public.

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Names - Newcomers are called 'toys' in the graffiti scene, and the more experienced artists are called 'Kings' and 'Queens'.

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Differences between spray paint - Apparently, European graffiti artists have an advantage over their American counterparts. This is because some European artists met with spray paint companies and advised them on how to improve their cans. Reduced pressure when the paint comes out was one of the most significant changes, and in the United States many cans are still under the wrong pressure.

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No rules - Graffiti is very different from all other art forms. In painting for instance, the painting will either be bought by someone or go to a museum. Sometimes paintings don't even see the light of day! On the other hand, in urban art and graffiti, works are exposed for everyone to see and usually focus on political issues and societal satire.

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Jean-Michel Basquiat - This was one of the most important graffiti artists of the late 1970's. Jean caught the attention of the New York press with his poetic messages on the walls of abandoned buildings. Jean-Michel Basquiat was recognized as one of the most important artists of the late twentieth century.

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Styles - There are numerous graffiti styles, from 3D, to Bombing, Bubble Style, Hollow, and Throw-up, among others.

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Popularity - Today, graffiti is more accepted and popular than ever before. Several exhibitions can be found in multiple museums around the world.

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