Introduction: Like in School
Before we begin with the presentation of some pioneers of graffiti, I would like to take you back to the "school desks," assuming the role of a pseudo-teacher, highly eager to educate myself on the subject, mentioning, in addition to the history of the phenomenon in question, other key concepts such as "aerosol art", "graffiti logos", "graffiti stencils", "tags", "throw-ups2, "bombing", "crews", and Street art. If the most widespread teaching method in schools in my country, namely Italy, is currently that of concept maps, inspired by the latter, I will create a sort of "dictionary" that, while not arranged in alphabetical order, will be ready to immediately help you identify the key points to understand, assimilate, and make your own.
LUCKY LUKE GRAFFITI (2023)Painting by Fat.
- Graffiti = A socio-cultural phenomenon expressed through the creation of wall paintings, often considered an act of vandalism when executed on urban surfaces, punishable by law. Despite this definition, the phenomenon in question is quite difficult to classify, as it always hovers halfway between a desire for rebellious self-affirmation and a strong component of artistic expression. Going back in time, graffiti emerged in the 1970s as a subculture in the New York and Philadelphia ghettos, rapidly spreading with the aim of manifesting the dissatisfaction of the graffiti artist, who initially belonged to a subculture and intended to publicly express dissent in the face of limited access to museums and art institutions, as well as to oppose evident discrimination and the challenges of urban life.
- Aerosol art = One of the first artistic expressions associated with graffiti, taking the form of a painting technique achieved through the use of spray cans, enriched with airbrushed paint applications. It is important to note that many aerosol artists are also closely associated with graffiti, although there is an increasing number of individuals exclusively dedicated to aerosol art.
- Graffiti logo = A trend resulting from graffiti artist associating their own name with an icon, which is reproduced serially on urban surfaces, drawing inspiration from the fusion of graffiti's initial forms with more European-influenced currents, which also take inspiration from the world of design.
- Graffiti stencil = A type of graffiti created using the stencil technique, a normographic mask through which spray paint is applied, following a rapid execution method that is quite effective for evading authorities while reproducing the same image in any number of copies.
GRAFFITI BURNS (2022)Painting by Vincent Bardou.
GRAFFITI REFLECTIONS (2023)Painting by Esteban Vera (EVera).
- Tag = The graffiti artist's pseudonym, in other words, their signature, executed quickly and with few colors, with the aim of being widely spread, much like a brand name. Just like the latter, the tag is almost always represented in the same way to immediately identify its author's identity, making them ideally famous. It is important to add that the tag effectively represents the writer's personal style, as it is the result of constant practice, aiming to define a calligraphy that must combine aesthetics and speed.
- Throw-up = A term that refers to the evolved form of the tag, characterized by a stylized drawing of the respective signature, which, similarly executed quickly and with few colors, sometimes even without filling, takes shape in larger dimensions.
- Bombing = This word is linked to a concept that expresses the intention to prioritize the quantity of pieces left behind by the graffiti artist rather than their execution quality since the main goal is to achieve notoriety by spreading one's name, even through "works" with simple structure and coloring.
- Crew = Graffiti artists often gather in organized groups known as crews, whose initials must always appear alongside the graffiti artist's name, even when they work alone, to indicate their affiliation.
- Street art = A term that often, albeit incorrectly, encompasses both artistic manifestations carried out illegally in public spaces and those belonging to a context that is also institutional and therefore legally permissible. In reality, as mentioned earlier, if graffiti refers to something created exclusively in an illegal manner to raise awareness, when it comes to Street art, it is necessary to clarify that it represents a legitimate and highly elaborate form of artistic work, conceived to necessarily connect with the masses. This last point explains why Banksy is indeed a street artist, as, despite creating unauthorized works, he is highly concerned about the public's reaction to his work. Finally, it is with this last definition that the "lesson" continues in the narrative of the pioneers of graffiti, i.e., in the explanation of the perspective of those personalities through whom the socio-cultural phenomenon in question has achieved its current popularity and diffusion...
Cornbread
The photo posted on Instagram last September by Cornbread captures, in addition to the image of the writer posing next to a mural depicting him, the features of his tag, written simply in block letters and accompanied by marks that almost evoke the appearance of some "asterisks." If you don't know who I'm talking about, then let me ask you another question first: who is believed to have originated the graffiti writing phenomenon? The answer echoes the name of Cornbread, which is Darryl McCray, born in 1953 and raised in Brewerytown, North Philadelphia, where he began to spray his name here and there, creating a rather original and amusing life story. In fact, the choice of his name stems from a humorous episode from his youth, during which, sent to juvenile detention at the age of 12 due to some minor legal issues, he was given the nickname "Cornbread" because of his obsessive requests for cornbread to the cafeteria cook. Darryl McCray saw in this "identifying recurrence" an opportunity to gain notoriety, so much so that he wrote "Cornbread" on his jacket and began to infest the juvenile detention center in question with his first tags, continuing to do so once he was released from the institution...
Daze
With his hat on backwards appears, along with DJ KaySlay, former graffiti artist, now Street artist, Daze, in a shot shared on social media, which I chose for a very specific reason: the presence of a train in the background. In fact, Chris "Daze" Ellis, who grew up in 1970s Brooklyn, was, to say the least, impressed by the garish graphics splashed on subway trains, an artistic context that was also investigated by his creativity, only later switching to the city wall medium, where similarly outlaw artwork came to life. For some time now, however, he has better "worn" the appellation Street artist, as he has transported his urban creations to the traditional medium of the canvas, on which he has investigated progressively more intimate and personal themes. Precisely echoing his own words he reveals, "My work has become more representational and more figurative, reflecting the environment I come from. I felt I could express myself in a deeper way." From this latter intent came dreamlike images fused with cityscapes, which brought him closer to the artists who frequented New York's notorious nightclub scene at the time, including the famous Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Finally, although Daze has now traveled all over the world to exhibit his works in countless institutions, he has never forgotten his first medium, the street, despite the fact that he now benefits from public permits to operate there.
Tracy 168
When we talk about painting on traditional media, we can think of Realism, Impressionism, Surrealism, etc., but not to mention that graffiti lettering also has some peculiar styles, such as, among the best known and oldest, Wildstyle. Such graffiti lettering turns out to be quite complex, so much so that it is considered, both the most difficult to create, and the most difficult to read. As a matter of fact, in the style in question, although the letters always retain the basic elements, they tend to lose their original features, so much so that their shapes and colors are mixed, intertwined, overlapping. However, what is described is not to be left to chance, as it takes great training and high skills to create wildstyle pieces, also because the graffiti artist, who must be very creative, turns out to be totally free to enrich his work with decorative elements of all kinds. Consequently, creating one's own alphabet in wildstyle turns out to be decidedly arduous, though somewhat challenging, because the artist who succeeds is able to give birth to his own private language, decipherable only by those who know him well. How does Tracy 168 fit into all this? Well, he is the inventor of the term wildstyle, in that he was one of the first to evolve the style of his lettering to the point of making his own pieces almost illegible.
NEED A HELP (2023)Painting by Blure.
Other pioneers...
Finally, it is impossible to end this account without at least mentioning other key names in graffiti art, such as, for example, TopCat 126, Taki 183, Read 163, Phase 2, Blade, Lee Quiñones, Fab 5 Freddy, Cay 161, Futura 2000, and Lady Pink. In this regard, it is also necessary to make explicit how many of them added a number to their nickname, as this was the most common custom among the first generation of New York writers. Delving deeper, however, into some of them: TopCat 126 was known to go out at night and squeeze into the tunnels that housed the train cars of New York City, the city in which he popularized graffiti; the phenomenon Taki 183 ended up in The New York Times in 1971; Read 163 He was the first writer to write letters together; Fab 5 Freddy painted a subway train with cartoony representations of giant Campbell's soup cans, clearly drawing inspiration from Warhol; Lady Pink was the "first lady of graffiti," i.e., the first woman to tag on the New York subway!
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
