The Artistic Expression Known as Graffitti

My presentation topic is about graffitti, which is a form of artistic expression. The origin of graffitti is a hhighly disputed topic, as some experts categorize early markings such as hieroglyphics to be graffitti. Hieroglyphics of course are pictographic scripts used by Egyptians whereby the symbols represented events. Others are not sure when graffitti was actually created, but argue that it's most valuable moments were during the 1960's and 1970's, when all of the racial and political change was taking place in the United States.

While the widespread idea of graffitti is the spray paint on the sides of buildings and subway cars, the truth is that even the little scribbles in bathroom stalls that say things like "Jamie is Ugly as Hell" scratched with a pen is considered graffitti. So what is the exact definition of graffitti? The Dictionary definition is " A drawing or inscription made on a wall or other surface, usually so seen by the public." And in Italian it means "a scratching, scribble." Graffitti is actually the plural word for the art, as "graffito" is the singular root word. Another name for graffitti is the term "tagging", since that form of expression, or the style in which you design is almost like your calling card. So the artists say that they "tagged" a particular object, or they saw another's tag.

One of the most famous graffitti artists was the late great Jean Michael Basquiat, who started out doing graffitti on buildings with a friend before meeting and befriending the famous artist Andy Warhol. Warhol convinced Basquait to stop decorating structures and decorate the canvases instead. While working alongside Warhol, Basquiat became known for his African mask-like drawings made of crayon before dying of a heroine overdose at the young age of 28. Another famous artist is Lee Quionones, who is internationally knwon due not only to his graffitti, but also for his paintings of murals in Rome, artwork galleries in Paris, and designing sets in music videos. Quinones began his artwork in New York Subways, tagging train cars and walls throughout New York City. He has even tagged an entire side of a five story building while creating the piece called "Securing The Requiem" in 1999. He was also a part of a Graffitti group called the New York Subway Aerosol Movement.

One of the misconceptions about tagging is that it is mainly done by gang members. While gang members do rep their set by tagging stop signs, buses, and walls, they are not the main culprits of graffitti, nor the creators of it. Some