1 of the five saints

Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and most important a former graffiti artist. He was active in New York City in the 1970s and early 1980s, and later hosted the first hip-hop music video show on TV, "Yo! MTV Raps".
As a young teenager in the 1970s Fab 5 Freddy was a member of the Brooklyn based graffiti group "The Fabulous 5." He got his name for consistent graffiti "bombing" of the number 5 train on the IRT. Outside of the Fabulous 5 group, in 1980, he painted a subway train with cartoon style depictions of giant Campbell Soup cans, after Andy Warhol. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he was an unofficial bridge between the uptown graffiti and early rap scene and the downtown art and punk music scenes.
At the end of 1980, Glenn O'Brien cast Freddy, along with fellow Lower East Side graffiti writer Lee Quinones, in the film New York Beat (later released as Downtown 81). That film showcased artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in his Lower Manhattan environment and the culture that surrounded it. Shortly after, Freddy began production along with filmmaker Charlie Ahearn on his film Wild Style (1982), which showcased artist Lee Quinones in the Uptown, Manhattan environment of the Bronx and the music that surrounded it. In April 1981, Freddy helped curate (with Futura 2000 and Keith Haring) the graffiti-related art show "Beyond Words" at the Mudd Club, which contained their own work along with Jean-Michel Basquiat, Rammellzee, Afrika Bambaataa, and others.This was the first time the many members of the Bronx hip-hop scene had appeared in a Downtown NYC art context.

he broght the art to the streets

Andrew Zephyr Witten is a graffiti artist, lecturer and author from New York City. He began creating graffiti in 1975 and first signed using the name "Zephyr" in 1977. He has been identified as a graffiti "elder", who along with Futura 2000, Blade, PHASE 2, Lady Pink and TAKI 183 invented styles and standards "that continue to be used and expanded upon today"
Much of Zephyr's original work was applied on subway trains. Mr. Witten has commented on this period of his work:

"We felt we understood the trains more than the Transit Authority. Teenagers were running the system. We decided when, where, how much we wrote. Graffiti showed that the Transit Authority was not in control."
Witten was part of the first wave of graffiti artists to make the transition to galleries, collectors and commercial work. In the early 80s, he showed at NYC galleries specialized in graffiti, such as the FUN Gallery and 51X. His art was part of a five-man show including Fab Five Freddy, Dominique Philbert, Futura 2000 and Dondi White that toured Japan in 1983.
His works can be seen in the Hip-hop culture documentary Style Wars and he was featured as himself in the landmark hip-hop motion picture Wild Style. He is co-author of a 2001 biography of fellow graffiti artist, Dondi White: Dondi White Style Master General: The Life of Graffiti Artist Dondi White. He is interviewed in the 2005 DIY graffiti video The Art of Storytelling, where he talks about fallen graffiti artist Nace. He was featured in the documentary Bomb It.

The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group - Oh Brother Where Art Thou? - 1995

The lounge/indie pop band known as the Legendary Jim Ruiz Group made waves with this 1995 disc on Chicago's Minty Fresh Records. Led by Jim Ruiz, the six-piece band storms through a dozen blissful songs fueled by lounge, jazz, and pop. Despite the band bearing Ruiz's namesake, the music is a team effort, with Stephanie Winter-Ruiz adding a lush backing vocal on the opener, "Mij Amsterdam," and Chris Ruiz adding a jazzy alto sax to the second track, "My Bloody Yugo." Winter-Ruiz takes the lead vocal duties on the bossa nova-inspired "Spain." The clean instrumentation and vocals on songs like "Be My Valentine" and "She's Gone Away" are slightly reminiscent of Combustible Edison and fellow Chicago band the Coctails. The jazzy organ on "Lucht" is followed by a haunting alto sax line by Brian Tighe on the disc's final track, "Oh Porridge." The disc features a wealth of guest musicians, including guest appearances on drums, bass, saxophone, and guitar. Drummer Bryan Hanna, bassist Charlotte La Bonne, and guitarist Matt Gerzema round out the group. The sublime and carefree tones on Oh Brother Where Art Thou? solidified the band as leaders of the lounge pop scene. -AMG




The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group - Oh Brother Where Art Thou? - 1995/rs
or
The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group - Oh Brother Where Art Thou? - 1995/sb

Roger Klug - Toxic And 15 Other Love Songs - 2000

Toxic And 15 Other Love Songs, is superb. Klug masterfully attacks all his instruments with gusto and comes up with songs of immense charm and complexity, lyrically, smart-arsed and sharp. Add to this the fact that Klug is possibly the most blazingly lethal guitarist alive and you have a breathless mix that can't be beaten.- MOJO

Roger Klug - Toxic And 15 Other Love Songs - 2000 pt1/rs
Roger Klug - Toxic And 15 Other Love Songs - 2000 pt2/rs
or
Roger Klug - Toxic And 15 Other Love Songs - 2000 pt1/sb
Roger Klug - Toxic And 15 Other Love Songs - 2000 pt2/sb

Happy Sunday!

Beulah - The Coast Is Never Clear - 2001

After the dazzling reception of 1999's When Your Heartstrings Break, Beulah wasn't concerned with following things up with something fashionable. The bandmembers were near masters of crafting the perfect pop song -- for themselves -- and quite comfortable with the process. The Coast Is Never Clear captures Beulah's classy cool indie pop, akin to what came before. Singer/songwriter Miles Kurosky's quirky lyrical rants are spry, and the personal experiences behind each song allude to Beulah's unabashed nature. From the twangy licks of the bittersweet "Popular Mechanics for Lovers" to the psychedelic soul tinker of "A Good Man Is Easy to Kill," Beulah gives way to a breaking heart. Sulking and wistful, the theme works and it's not beyond measure. The pop melodies are relaxed; the harmonies are solid. "I'll Be Your Lampshade" is Beulah's country take, with sweeping horns and a sad, pathetic harmonica wallowing over a lost love. It's not necessarily fit for tears, but The Coast Is Never Clear isn't necessarily joyless. The band is sarcastically sweet on "What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades?," while emulating what everyone has faced in the role of eager, adoring wooer. Beulah's indie cred cannot be tarnished with The Coast Is Never Clear. It's not strict rock music -- it's basic. And it's good.-AMG



Beulah - The Coast Is Never Clear - 2001/rs
or
Beulah - The Coast Is Never Clear - 2001/sb

The Alternate Routes - Good And Reckless And True - 2006

The Alternate Routes' debut release is uplifting but rather nondescript guitar-oriented rock, with plenty of soaring guitars and anthemic vocals in the hard-charging tunes that dominate the disc. In the occasional quieter tracks, singer Tim Warren has a light timbre reminiscent (yet not explicitly imitative) of singer/songwriters like Paul Simon or James Taylor; the piano-acoustic guitar-dominated "The Black and the White" is the strongest effort in that regard, though it's not too typical of the album. A bit of hard rock guitar cockiness rears its head once in a while (as in the closing "Please Don't Let It Be"), but that influence isn't too overwhelming either. A group that hews so close to mainstream forms has to have really strong songs, or at least melodic hooks, to make an impact, and they're not in evidence here. -AMG



The Alternate Routes - Good And Reckless And True - 2006/rs
or
The Alternate Routes - Good And Reckless And True - 2006/sb

Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored - 2003

After the Lemonheads' Car Button Cloth, Evan Dando disbanded the group and took a long, long break, sobering up and marrying, slowly resurfacing after over five years of inactivity. First, he played some gigs, commemorated on the U.K.-only live album Live at the Brattle Theatre, before he finally released his first official solo album, Baby I'm Bored, in the spring of 2003, a full seven years after the last Lemonheads album. It's unmistakably a Dando album -- lots of low-key, three-chord songs, sang in his achingly lovely voice, and lasting not a second more than need be -- not much different than a Lemonheads album, apart from the lack of fast songs, loud electric guitars, and a general sense of maturity that permeates the album. So, there are no surprises, but that's a comfort, really, because Dando sounds comfortable and relaxed, lending Baby I'm Bored a cohesion unheard on his records since It's a Shame About Ray. While the schizophrenia, marked by unexpected noise detours, aren't missed, this cohesion does mean that he doesn't hit dazzling heights, so there isn't anything as immediately indelible as "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You" or even "The Outdoor Life." That said, there is something to be said for consistency. Even if it seems unassuming and underwhelming upon its first listen, Baby I'm Bored with each spin reveals the uniform strength of the songs and the sweet, understated charms of Dando as a performer, since he makes the covers -- several of which are written by Ben Lee -- sound of piece with his own work. Make no mistake, this is a laid-back affair and it's a grower, which may lead some listeners to dismiss it out of hand, but anybody that has longed for Dando to finally return to music will surely find much to enjoy here. -AMG



Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored - 2003/rs
or
Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored - 2003/sb

Бэнкси оставил автопортрет на стене в Лондоне

Британский художник-граффитист Бэнкси нарисовал на стене офисного здания на востоке Лондона автопортрет, пишет в понедельник газета The Times.

Работа представляет собой крысу с кулоном на шее, держащую плакат, на котором изображено лицо. Крыса часто встречается среди образов Бэнкси, напоминает издание, а лицо можно узнать по фотографии 2004 года, на которой предположительно заснят художник. Изображение нанесено по трафарету - Бэнкси часто использует эту технику, чтобы быстро создавать граффити и не быть пойманным.

Летом 2008 года британский таблоид The Daily Mail сообщил, что за псевдонимом Бэнкси скрывается 34-летний Робин Ганнингем (Robin Gunningham) из Бристоля. Представители художника отказались комментировать информацию газеты. Бэнкси, ставший известным благодаря граффити около 10 лет назад, тщательно скрывает любые факты своей биографии, не относящиеся к творчеству.

Бэнкси является одним из самых дорогих современных художников. Так, в начале 2008 года на аукционе в Нью-Йорке его работа "Keep It Spotless" была продана за 950 тысяч фунтов. В 2007 его граффити "Космическая девочка и птица" ушло с молотка за 288 тысяч фунтов стерлингов, а живописное полотно продали на Sotheby's за 379 тысяч долларов. Между тем в феврале 2009 года сообщалось, что шесть портретов манекенщицы Кейт Мосс, оцененные в 150 тысяч фунтов стерлингов, не нашли покупателей.Бэнкси.

Banksy Is The World's Most Wanted Graffiti Artist

You can see graffiti in every country in the world. It often defaces walls, poles, trains and the fronts and sides of buildings. Graffiti is considered undesirable vandalism to its victims who spend time and money to paint over or wash it off their property. Indeed, graffiti painting is an ongoing problem in many subway stations and on public walkways, signs, cement walls, and other locations.

However, on the streets of the United Kingdom near London, an artist called Banksy continues to gain international recognition and fame for his graffiti. The fact is that Banksy's "street art" has become immensely popular with both pedestrians and private art collectors alike. In the last several years, there have been a number of exhibitions and auctions of Banksy's art work as his popularity has soared.

The growing popularity of his art is in evidence in the secondary market where a painting titled "Space Girl and Bird" sold for $575,000 in an auction event last year (2007). In fact, Banksy's art can now be found in many private art collections worldwide. Banksy has also produced leaflets and books on art and has his own website. He self-published his first three books, "Existencilism," "Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall," and "Cut It Out."

His latest book called, "Wall and Piece," was published by Random House and has already sold more than two hundred and fifty thousand copies. Nevertheless, Banksy continues to keep his real identity secret to avoid arrest and prosecution. His anonymity is said to be born of a desire to be a "quality vandal" and to elude the police. He once said, "Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw wherever they liked, where the street was awash with a million colors and little phrases. . . . A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business." He has a unique view of the art world as well. He has said, "The art world is the biggest joke going. It’s a rest home for the over-privileged, the pretentious, and the weak."

Banksy's graffiti began appearing on trains and walls around Bristol, England in 1993. By 2001, his street art could be seen all over the United Kingdom. His art has a distinctive style which makes it easy to recognize. It features attention to detail and uses layered stenciling and spray paint. Banksy uses familiar images and his pictures contain dark humor and are often controversial. His art is often focused around anti-war, anti-establishment, and anti-capitalism themes. Sometimes Banksy's works have a pro-freedom message.

Banksy uses rats as images in many of his pictures. His most famous street paintings are a series of black-and-white stenciled rats. Many of these rats are created to be larger than life. The rats have become immensely popular with London pedestrians. A "gangster rat," painted on a wall near the Smithfield market, wears a peace-sign medallion and carries a sign that says "Welcome to Hell." Another rat holds a sign that reads, "Please love me."

Other Banksy art features the image of two policemen kissing painted on a public wall. In another picture a military helicopter is adorned with a pink bow. Winston Churchill has a Mohawk haircut in another. He has even produced revisionist oil paintings such as Mona Lisa with a yellow smiley face, and a pastoral landscape surrounded by crime-scene tape. Banksy, dressed in a disguise, installed them in the Louvre and the Tate.

Banksy often uses public walls as a background to display his art. Although recently he has been creating art on canvas as well. In addition, Banksy sometimes enters museums and galleries to add his own art to the museum collections. In the last several years, Banksy's street art has been seen internationally. It has been found in the Middle East on Israel's West Bank barrier, and in various countries worldwide including Spain, Palestine, Germany, and the United States. He painted the security fence at Bethlehem with a scene of a hole in the concrete barrier. The hole revealed a glittering beach on the other side.

Banksy is viewed by people in many different ways. To some he is an anti-hero who touches the public conscience. Others think of him as an anti-social rogue who vandalizes public property. Some people who have done business with him consider him to be both a genius and a madman. Many view him as unique and irreverent.

On his website Banksy states that he has bought a taller ladder to use in his work. So there can be no doubt that his graffiti ("street art") will continue. For their part, the authorities in the United Kingdom will continue to try to identify and subsequently arrest Banksy, the world's most wanted graffiti artist.

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events.

How to Draw Graffiti

While graffiti is associated with vandalizing other people's property, it has evolved into an art form in and of itself. As such, here's how you can explore graffiti both legally and creatively.

STEPS:

1. Learn the history to appreciate the art. Graffiti is a hobby with some history. Look at early hip-hop and the first writers (people who write graffiti), such as Taki in NY. When starting writing, you will be labeled a toy (un-experienced writer). The word toy has two meanings, which are un-experienced writer, and writer who doesn't want to learn and do whatever they want which ruins it for everyone else. (Giving writers a bad name).

2. Pick a graffiti name. Practice drawing letters and pick some that you like drawing. Do not try to get too crazy with extensions and bending at first. Take it slow and make everything as clean as possible. It is very helpful at this point to find inspiration from other pictures you see. However, in the future, you will want to develop your own, unique style. A very important aspect to creating a good style with your name is flow. Keep characteristics of letters common throughout the rest of your name. Style is everything. When picking a name or alias, choose one that is unique—one that will last and represents you as an artist.

3. Carry a sketchbook and pencil with you wherever you go. Practice your craft as much as possible. As you come up with new ideas for tags and designs, sketch them in your book and develop the concept by trying out different variations. If possible, carry pencils of a few different colors. Eventually, you can move to using permanent marker.

4. Work with your cans. Buy a piece of plywood from Home Depot to practice on. At this point, colors and styles should be simple. Practice your can control and your techniques for painting and steps for putting together a clean "piece".

5. Be Smart. Many cities also have "permission" or "legal" walls specified for graffiti art. Legal graffiti is often more respected than street art. You have unlimited time and freedom to do what you please. Compare legal walls to quick throw-ups found on the street. You will find that legal walls are intricate and aesthetic. Street art is just trying to be seen. Legal graffiti art is more remembered and respected by those who do not completely understand the art form. Also be aware that other writers will expect work of a very high standard, so low standard work on a legal wall can make you look really unskilled, whereas poor standard illegal work can be explained by a variety of factors (cops, owners, losing your footing etc.).

6. Try to meet experienced writers who can help you learn the ropes. (Remember, be safe and be legal. It could put you in jail) Show your appreciation for their work and their skills. And whatever you do, do not paint over a respected artist or good artwork because you will also be called a toy.

And remember, whenever you write, keep in mind that you are representing the entire graffiti culture anytime anyone else sees it. People usually don't differentiate between writers, they just know that somebody destroyed their property. Stay away from privately-owned businesses or vehicles, worship areas, high profile business buildings. The experienced writers nowadays tend to stick to low-profile spots such as tunnels, abandoned buildings, and, if so desired, legal spots.

You can also draw graffiti on paper. Some of graffiti on paper works you can find in our Art Gallery.

Graffiti art terms

Tag – a tag is an artist’s personal stylized signature. A tagger or a writer is an individual that leaves a tag or signature.
Piece – a piece, derived from masterpiece, is a large 3D image depicting arrows, many colors, and cool effects. If the site of the piece is a difficult location, and is well done, the artists / writer will earn the most respect.
Throw-up – a throw up is not a piece, rather it takes less time to create than a piece. It usually consists of an outline and one fill in color. The most common form of throw-ups are bubble letters and shapes – the reduced time in artistic investment also reduces the chances that the vandal will be caught.
Sticky – a sticky is a sticker that has the graffiti artist’s tag on it.
Cru – A cru or crew is a group of graffiti writers and artists that stick together – they can be part of gangs or not.
Slash – it is a great insult to ‘slash’ or put a line through someone else’s graffiti – it is a disrespectful action also known as dissing, buffing, marking, or capping.
Back To Back – the term back to back describes graffiti that covers a wall from one side to the other (ie the Berlin Wall, train cars).
Burner – a burner is a complex, large piece that appears to be burning out of walls and trains.
Insides – insides are tags created within buses, trains, cars, or trams. During the 1970’s it was common in New York to see as much graffiti inside a train as on the outside.
Going Over – if an artist ‘goes over’ another person’s piece and replaces it with his own tag it is the same as declaring war.
Toy – a toy is a graffiti artist that is not talented, or new to the scene.
King – a king is a writer that has gained respect by being talented, and owning the most tags in a certain area (in trains, outside of trains, on walls).
Nic – if you nic someone’s work you are stealing their ideas, color schemes and lettering.
Bite – bite means the same as nic in New York

Ancient graffiti

In ancient times the term graffiti referred to figure drawings, wall carvings and inscriptions found on ancient ruins, throughout Pompeii, and within the Catacombs of Rome. The word evolved to include artistic vandalism. The first known example of ‘modern’ graffiti exists in the Ephesus, an ancient Greek city that is now Turkey. The graffiti conveys a ‘for a good time’ sign which appears near a long mosaic stone walkway. The sign includes a heart shape, a footprint, handprints, and a numbers. The hands represented how much the ‘good time’ would cost, and the foot shows how many steps it would take to find the lover. Pompeii is a Roman city that depicts many examples of graffiti art – you’ll find, in Latin graffiti, magic instructions, insults, love declarations, signs for political campaigns, caricatures, and quotations from literature. Ancient graffiti is also found in Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, in the Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala, Viking graffiti in Rome, and vandalism art in Ireland at Newgrange Mound.

Modern graffiti

Throughout the 20th century, World War Two seemed to mark the real recognition of modern graffiti. “Kilroy was here” became a popular cultural American expression in the form of graffiti; it depicted a doodle of Kilroy peeking over a wall. Similarly, Australians adopted a nation the nation wide graffiti – “Foo was here”. “Mr. Chad” was another popular graffiti subject of the times, which portrayed a face with eyes and nose hanging over a wall saying “What No …. ?”. This referred to lack of commodities during the time of rationing. With the advent of airplane inventions, airplane graffiti followed including the ‘nose art’ that became popular during WWII. With the development of large cities and urban areas after the war, in the second half of the 20th century, gangs would mark public property and walls with their gang names, titles, and tages – this would mark the gang’s territory. By the end of the 20th century graffiti, or tagging, was no longer restricted to gangs, but spread to ‘artists’ who began to leave their tags in order to create a ‘name’ and reputation as a graffiti artist. The very first documented incident of illegal spray painted markings was found in Philadelphia. The artist responsible named himself ‘Cornbread’. Certain graffiti has local significance such as the tagging done by the Californian gangs the Bloods and the Crips. The graffiti name Cool “Disco" Dan appears in the Washington D.C. area; the artist creating the graffiti has been actively spraying his tag since 1984. Instead of becoming caught up in drugs and games during the Go Go scene of the 80’s, this artist devoted himself to graffiti. More information on Cool “Disco” Dan can be found in the book “Free Agents, a history of Washington, DC graffiti”. A joke put out by the Washington post is as follows: What two people’s help will Mayor Marion Barry need to clean up Washington, D.C.? The answer is Cool “Disco” Dan and God!

Origins of the word ‘graffiti’

Graffiti is a style of art made on both public and private surfaces, prevalent in low income areas of cities, taking the form o f drawings, words, and art. Graffiti art is often considered vandalism because most of the time, the property’s owner is not consulted about the art administration. Graffitti art dates back to ancient classical Greece and the Roman Empire. The word Graffiti is a plural word derived from “graffito”, which refers to works of art created by scratching a design on a surface. The word sgraffito is also related to the word Graffiti in which it conveys a method of scratching through a layer of paint in order to reveal another pigmented layer below. All the words mentioned above are originally from the Italian language, and the main roots are “graffiato” which means “to scratch” and this word is from the Greek word “graphein” which means “to write”. It is still not clear when exactly the word graffiti was first used to distinguish an art form.

Граффити родилось в Америке...

Искусство граффити развивалось из простейших надписей, называемых "тэгами", которые "трудная" молодежь писала дабы оставить свой след. Эти юнцы писали свои прозвища, после чего безмерно радовались жизни во всей её красе. В начале средтвом нанесения рисунка или тэга был маркер, затем использовались аэрозольные баллончики с автокраской. Это был конец 1960-х годов. В основном маркировкой стен занимались 10-ти летние пацаны. Именно в то время появляется термин "бомбежка", т.е. заливка стен с паралельным чханием на полицию и окружающую действительность. Принимая во внимание то, что тэги часто просты и абсолютны, искусство graffiti - сложная сеть электризации цветного, творческого чистописания, и своего рода ритмичного хаоса. Первоначально, taggers конкурировали при помощи замудренности и количества своих автографов. Но поскольку число тэггеров и, собственно, самих тэгов росло, постепенно начался поиск нового стиля, чтобы выделиться из толпы. Тогда лучшие из тэггеров стали уделять большое внимание артистизму, введению чего-то своего. Точкой отсчёта начала современной настенной живописи являются 70-е годы нашего столетия. Происходило это действо в родном и желанном всем райтерам New York City. По многочисленным данным первым, кто отметился на стенах города был райтер по кличке "TAKI 183". Тинейджер по имени Деметривс впервые начал выводить свой творческий псевдоним TAKI и номер своей улицы 183 на стенах и станциях подземки по всему Манхеттену. Он просто царапал на стене свою кличку. Вскоре другие тинейджеры заприметили TAKI и стали спрэить собственные имена. Ранние "райтеры" ни черта не заботились о том поймут ли их каракули уличные зеваки. Однако, с появлением сотен "голодных" писателей, читаемость отдельного наскального хита стала приобретать особую важность и все с одной единственной целью - привлечь внимание прохожих. На этом этапе стиль письма и выбор места также играли заметную роль. Каждому хотелось выделится из общей массы и получить признание себе подобных. Далее начали появляться простенькие рисунки, но никого не интересовали темы рисунков, больше всего прикалывал адреналин от рисования в стремных местах.

Cтало модным придумывать себе кликухи и писать их заковыристым шрифтом на стенах. Стены в то время были просто "убиты" тагами . Потом бравым ребятам из Нью-Йорка наскучило просто тратить краску на какие-то подписи и появились первые цветные рисунки. Они были низкого качества и состояли из малого количества цветов. Прошло время, граффити стало частью популярной в то время хип-хоп культуры. Рисунки приобрели божеский, а под час и идеальный вид. Художников стало появляться всё больше и больше. Банды Нью-Йорка придумали графитами помечать свою территорию, предупреждая тем самым незадачливых прохожих. Часть графитчиков начала работать на преступные группировки. Причем все старались подмять под себя лучших художников. Из-за того, что многие хорошие стены уже забиты, происходит перераспределение и многие работы не живут более недели. В начале 1970-х граффитчики спустились под землю. Нью-Йоркская подземка стала полем битвы. Это и были те самые, широко известные массам "войны стилей" (style wars). Место было что надо - размалеванные хитрыми буквосплетениями, составы мчались туда-сюда, унося чьи-то имена. Краска граффити постепенно стала "просачиваться" внутрь вагонов. Теперь уже выбор локаций уступает в важности и первостепенности самому письму. Ведь изначально все буковки строились ровно в ряд и читались легко. Но с появлением радикальных стилей трудночитаемые каракули привлекали все больше внимания. А вот стиль письма, как способ узнать кто автор, исчерпал себя. И писатели устремились приручать цвет и размер. Некто Stey со товариши стали выписывать свои имена на внешности поездов тонкими вытянутыми белыми буквами во всю длину и ширину вагона.

Открытие толстых кэпов (fat caps) привело к созданию подлинных шедевров. Так парень, СуперКуль заметил, что замена узеньких кэпов спрэющих баллонов на пузатые позволят ему "накрывать" больше поверхности широкими размашистыми "мазками". И вот, значит, этот Супер с баллоном желтого и розового и фэткэпом на конце вступил на территорию парка подвижных составов и выписал свой нэйм. Получились жирные розовые буковки в розовом окаймлении. Работа была так себе, но в то же самое время это был самый цветной и выразительный кусок в мире граффити, созданный в рамках "субвей систеам". А писатель фразы из бронкса был первым, кто развил успех СуперКуля и помог дизайну вырасти в буквах и сформироваться окончательно. Цвет и выделение буковок теперь стали аккуратными, и стили писателя из Бронкса получил название Бабл леттес.Следующая революция в стиле произошла, когда Пистол - уже Бруклинский мастер - впервые нарисовал 3D. Работа состояла из самого имени в красно-белом с голубой окантовкой, что давало трехмерное настроение. Писатели со всего Нью-Йорка стекались, чтобы заценить этот пьес. Город бредил повторением подвига, но и думать не смел о состоятельности выполнения задуманного. Но время спустя люди добились своего, каждый делал 3D со своими штрихами.

Время шло и граффити принимало цивилизованные черты появлялись один за другим такие шрифты как Wild Style. Тэги стали большими, полужирными. Среди них были округленная "жареная кукуруза" и тому подобные фишки. Вскоре огромное значение приобрел цвет, символы, мультипликации (cherecter), а также дерзкии 3-х мерные буквы. Цветовые переходы, смешивание цвета - сложный процесс, в котором цвета, кажется, переходят друг в друга от светлого в более темный. Эти рисунки несли в себе небольшое подобие каракулям тэгов, но их создатели уже называются "райтерами" вместо taggers. Идиология художников медленно менялась от быстрых налетов к более размереному рисунку с филигранной техникой. Появляются первые легальные стены. Начинается коммерцелизация графити, благодаря чему многие художники покидают улицу и открывают свои галереи. Сперва большинство авторов работало поодиночке, но поскольку рисунки увеличились в размере и сложности, многие начали работать в свободных группах наземых "командами"(crew). Появились технологические новшества, преобразовавшие graffiti в более сложную художественную форму. Настоящий взрыв хип-хопа прогремел в начале 1980-х.

Этот всплеск продвинул искусство аэрозоля, наряду с такими течениями как breakdance и рэп, в популярное культурное явление. Хип-хоп зародившийся на улицах Нью-Йорка, довольно таки быстро перерос в международную, многонациональную культуру. Успех рэпа помог продвинуть некоторых лучших художников (style masters). Рэпперы стали часто показывают graffiti в своих видео клипах. В середине 80-х мода на искуство проходит и ряды графитчиков сильно редеют. Вторая волна популярности берет свое начало с приходом 90-х. Большое количество графитчиков снова приходит на улицы и все начинается по новой но уже на более высоком уровне.Как только культура заявила о себе в полный голос, был снят документальный фильм "Cтиль", написаны книги. Многие молодые люди стали извергать свои псевдонимы на улицах своих городов. Кто-то спрэил из-за моды и популярности, но еще больше тинов подошли к этому серьезно. Скоро мода прошла, и остались те, кто реально двигал культуру граффити много-много лет.Когда в Америке и Европе, после бурных бомбежек, граффити начало принимать цивилизованный оборот, в России оно только зарождалось.В СНГ граффити попало в конце 80-х годов, но лишь спустя более 10 лет, заполнила умы празно слоняющихся масс и, перехлеснув через край, вылилась в доселе невиданным причудливым узором на серые улицы. Прошли времена, когда практически о каждом новом рисунке можно было узнать от самих авторов задолго до его появления. Сегодня можно просто гулять по улицам и все время встречать все новые и новые работы.

Три основных стиля написания своих мыслей на стене:

Wild style - это когда все красиво, но ничего непонятно. В этом стиле значение слова или фразы полностью теряется. Главное красота. Довольно трудный стайл, но самый распространённый среди профессионалов.

Buble letters - это когда просто, но со вкусом. Бабл используется в основном для Бомбинга. С него начинают все. Простенькие буквы, классное впечатление.

Fx style (daim style) - сложный стиль и в написании, и в раскраске.

Graffiti is often seen as having become intertwined with hip hop culture and the myriad of international styles derived from New York City Subway graffiti (see below). However, there are many other instances of notable graffiti this century. Graffiti has long appeared on railroad boxcars and subways. The one with the longest history, dating back to the 1920s and continuing into the present day, is Texino. During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and its filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives". In the sixties American graffiti proclaiming that "Yossarian lives!", was briefly popular, a reference to the protagonist of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22. The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchist, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") expressed in painted graffiti, poster art, and stencil art. In the U.S. at the time other political phrases (such as "Free Huey" about Black Panther Huey Newton) became briefly popular as graffiti in limited areas, only to be forgotten. A popular graffito of the 1970s was the legend "Dick Nixon Before He Dicks You," reflecting the hostility of the youth culture to that U.S. president.

Rock and roll graffiti is a significant sub genre. A famous graffito of the 20th century was the inscription in the London subway reading "Clapton is God". The phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington Underground station in the autumn of 1967. The graffiti was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall. Graffiti also became associated with the anti-establishment punk rock movement beginning in the 1970s. Bands such as Black Flag and Crass (and their followers) widely stenciled their names and logos, while many punk night clubs, squats and hangouts are famous for their graffiti. In the late 1980s the upside down Martini glass that was the tag for punk band Missing Foundation was the most ubiquitous graffito in lower Manhattan, and copied by hard core punk fans throughout the U.S. and West Germany.

The modern day graffiti artist can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. Spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one necessity for graffiti . From this commodity come different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of visual graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and come in virtually every color.

Stencil graffiti, originating in the early 1980s, is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) in order to form an overall design or image^[. The stencil is then placed on the canvas gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface. This method of graffiti is popular amongst artists because of its swift technique that requires very little time. Time is always a factor with graffiti due to the constant threat of getting caught by law enforcement.

Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes as new media for graffiti writers. The Italian artist Kaso is pursuing regenerative graffiti through experimentation with abstract shapes and deliberate modification of previous graffiti artworks. Yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification.