A
People love to make their mark, and graffitisuch as initials or drawings written or spray-painted onto subways, walls orfootpaths is a universal phenomenon. It has existed since ancient times, andone of the oldest pieces of still-existing graffiti is an advertisement for abrothel in the ancient town of Ephesus, in Greece. There are many types ofgraffiti, and also a variety of views about it. Some see it as an art form,some use it as a form of protest against authority, others regard it asneedless and destructive vandalism, and it is often seen as the precursor ofgang-related crime in a neighbourhood.
B
The heyday of graffiti was in New York Cityin the 1970s. At that time, there was little money for the policing ofgraffiti, and artists targeted the subways and subway cars in particular.Graffiti became so popular at this time that artists wanted to identify theirown particular work. They began to create distinctive stylised signatures andthus the art of tagging was born. Sales of spray paint increased significantlyat this time, as more and more street artists began to explore this new mediumof expression, and graffiti became bigger and more elaborate. Artists werecompeting to cover the whole city of New York with their work, and finally theMetro Transit Authority began to battle with graffiti artists, locking gatesand removing pictures from subway trains. At the same time, graffiti beganmaking its way into art galleries, as the established art world began torecognise it as a legitimate modern art form.
C
By the 80s, graffiti culture in New York wasbeginning to decline. It was becoming associated with the local drug scene, andlegal penalties for vandalism became more severe at this time. In particular,the MTA hugely increased its anti-graffiti budget, and it became much harderfor artists to create elaborate pieces on subway cars, so graffiti wasrestricted to the streets, where it has stayed until today. By mid-1986, the ‘war on graffiti’ was being won, and there werefewer graffiti artists in New York. In the 90s, under mayor Rudolph Guiliani,the anti-tagging task force set out to eradicate graffiti vandals by banningsales of spray paint to under 18s and by hugely increasing fines for theoffence.
D
Of course, graffiti is not only a NorthAmerican phenomenon, and there are thriving cultures throughout the world,especially in Brazil where graffiti is endemic. Some people say that the hugegap between rich and poor in the country has fuelled the growth of graffiti asa form of anonymous political protest against economic injustice. It is alsobecoming more common in various countries in the Middle East, probably also asa protest by people who feel marginalised or repressed by existing politicalregimes. In general, cities around the world have problems with graffitiartists, who are often seen by the establishment as mindless, drug-fuelledvandals.
E
This is particularly the case with tagging,as one common use of tags is as turf markers for gangs, who use them to markout territory in a neighbourhood. Tagging is seen as the first sign of gangactivity in an area and, consequently, many cities seek to stamp it out toprevent the growth of crime and lawlessness. Common methods for fightinggraffiti include banning sales of spray paint, the creation of online taggingdatabases, fines, and even imprisonment, but the taggers continue, seeing anarrest as a badge of honour rather than as a deterrent. At the same time,graffiti has become a recognised art form with commercial uses by companiessuch as Sony and even ultra-conservative IBM, which was recently fined to payfor the cleanup of a graffiti-based advertising campaign.
F
So is graffiti a form of mindless, criminalvandalism, or is it a vibrant and exciting modern art form? As with so manyphenomena of modern life, this is all in the eye of the observer.
Multiple Choice
Choose the appropriate letters A, B, C or D.
1. Graffiti includes
A. drawings on walls.
B. initials on footpaths.
C. drawings and initials on subways.
D. all of the above.
2. According to the reading passage,
A. graffiti was common in ancient Greece.
B. one of the oldest known examples ofgraffiti is in Ephesus.
C. graffiti has only existed in the lasthundred years.
D. all of the above.
3. The ‘heyday’ of graffiti means
A. the time it was the most popular.
B. the time there was the least graffiti.
C. the way graffiti artists talked to eachother.
D. all of the above.
4. ‘Tagging’ refers to
A. graffiti done with spray paint.
B. graffiti on subway cars and walls.
C. personal stylised signatures.
D. all of the above.
5. To say graffiti became a ‘legitimate modern art form’ meant
A. it was often sold for large sums ofmoney.
B. it was not removed, like other graffitiwas.
C. some people considered it a valid styleof art.
D. all of the above.
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