Graffiti

https://beyondwalls.org/lesson_plans/history-of-street-art-and-make-your-own-mural-activity/

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1. What is the first thing you notice about Ruben's mural? 

2. Create a list of objects you recognize in the mural. You must list at least three objects. 

3. Why do you think those objects were included? What do you think they represent? 

4. Based on what you learned, do you think Ubiera’s mural is an example of graffiti or street art? Write a paragraph explaining your answer. You must use complete sentences. 

History of Street Art

Early examples of graffiti date back to prehistoric and ancient times, such as the cave paintings at Lascaux and ancient Roman citizens writing their names and protest poems on building walls. However, graffiti as we know it today dates to the late 1960’s when individuals began writing their names, or ‘tags’, on buildings across cities such as Philadelphia and New York. Graffiti arose from the Black and Latino neighborhoods of these cities alongside hip-hop music and street subcultures. The invention of the aerosol spray can paint in 1949 aided in the development of graffiti. As graffiti grew in popularity, ‘taggers’ started moving to other major targets, such as subway cars and trains, as a way to have the writer’s name be seen by a wider audience. 

By the 1980’s the city of New York started viewing graffiti as an act of vandalism and a massive amount of resources were poured into stopping it. 

The defintion of graffiti is the act of writing, drawing, or painting on walls or surfaces of a structure. However, over time graffiti taggers started shifting away from text-based works 

to include imagery, thanks to the efforts of artists such as Jean-Michael Basquiat and Keith Haring. Around the same time, many artists also began experimenting with different techniques and materials, such as stencils and wheat paste posters, culminating in what is today referred to as street art.  

While there remains a legal difference between graffiti and street art, the similarities remain an important aspect: both art forms are created outdoors in urban, public spaces.