Graffiti

Graffiti is a rude decoration inscribed on rocks or walls. These are writings or drawings that are scratched, scribble or painted without approvals on the wall or other surface often within a public view.
       Graffiti art is elaborate and figurative, it combines with images and words. Graffiti can be traced way back with the cavemen painting on the walls of the caves.

THE ORIGIN
       the word Graffiti is derived from an Italian word "Graffiti" a plural word for "graffito" and were both derived from "grafio" which means " a scratch". Before now graffiti was to scratch on surfaces, and paint. eventually the word is derived from the Greek word "Graphien" and it means " to write, draw or scratch". the common word is graph.
            In 1851, Graffiti was first labeled in the city of Pompeii, drawing attention to ancient inscriptions cut into walls of the ruins of city Pompeii.

    the media used for graffiti art includes paints, charcoals, pencil, while spray and stickers evolve during the URBAN GRAFFITI STYLE.

URBAN GRAFFITI
        the first modern graffiti writer is widely considered to be conbread, a high school student from Philadelphia, who in 1967 started tagging city walls to get the attentions of a girl. But it was only in the 80's that galleries began to showcase his works.
          The Urban graffiti style, which also known by people as the use of spray cans, originated from New York city in the late 1960's and was born in the subway.
In the inner  city of New York, people started writing their names and street numbers on public buildings, street signs or public transportation.
             Over period of time, different graffiti artists came up with different styles, colours and medium. It developed from writing names on wall to new form of graffiti that produced into elaborate artistic works. (having many complexly arranged elements). Urban graffiti is not just about wall defacement, it now a more skillful display of talents/ideas from each particular graffiti artisit.

GRAFFITI AND HIP-HOP
                  Graffiti is also the four elements of hip hop. These elements are ( graffiti, emceeing, Djing and B-Boying. Graffiti represented the visual, emceeing and Dj produced the music and B-Boying was the dance. These elements were deeply connected together.

GRAFFITI ARTIST:

Os Gemos: Twin brothers are from Sao paulo. They started painting in the late 1980's, when hip-hop culture exploded in south America cities. They depicted the people of Brazil and its culture, with their yellow figures. they both continue to paint traditional graffiti

Mateo:  His a graffiti artist born and raised in France, who later lived in Berlin between 2006-2013. Mateo work were highly detailed and photo-realistic in nature. his works had mostly colour black and white with odd splash of colours. His concepts are larger that life portrait.

Arueya Ogheneruemu: is a graffiti artist born and raised in Nigeria, studied Fine Art at Auchi polytechnic, specialized in painting and later took graffiti as his core work. His works were mostly advertising, branding, product information and entertainment. And he loves to play with bright colours. 

photo credits: Twisted Sifter