Graffiti History

The form of art known by many names, but commonly known as graffiti, originated in the state of Philadelphia. It was used by the political activists and also by the local gangsters to mark their territory. This actually had its beginnings in the later years of the 1960’s when the MOVE household was bombed. With the blatant discrimination that came to fore, this form of expression helped in reaching out to many with a message.

Cornbread and Cool Earl were the first writers to actually consciously raise their voice against the bombing. They would paint out messages on walls, against the discrimination, and then sign it off with their names at the end of it all. How this form of expression got to New York is still an unanswered question. But now if you look around, you will find a graffiti in every nook and cranny of the city. There is a certain freedom that surpasses that, which is found in other forms of art. There is no rule that’s followed. You will see colours splashed and an image that relates to the current scenario.

But soon after Cornbread’s art made an appearance, writers could be seen emerging in the Washington Heights area in Manhattan. The subway was used by many, and they began use it to give messages, with aliases. The graffiti on the subway therefore became a mode of communication. In those days, it was a way of raising their voices against the brutality and cruelty that the blacks had to face in their day to day lives. The MOVE bombing, and the death of eleven people in the process, and all the chaos that followed showed the desperate need of a medium to reach the masses, which it eventually did.

Now, however, graffiti has become a means of ruining the walls of the city. No longer can it be seen as a work of art, as people scribble silly words and profanity on the walls. Graffiti is banned for this very reason in numerous cities. There are ways in which art can be misused, and this is one of the examples of how it’s done and done often. However, there are many experts for graffiti removal in London if you wish to get rid of any such disaster.