Graffiti in New York Paoyi Huang December 3, 2002

Graffiti Glossary  Bite - to copy other writers’ styles.  Buff – any means used by Transit Authority to remove graffiti from trains.  Burner – a well-done piece.  Down – in part of a group or action.  Fade – to blend colors.

Graffiti Glossary (continued)  Getting Up also known as “Getting Around,” “Getting Over,” and “Getting the Name Out.” successfully hitting a train, or writing writing their names prolifically. one of the most significant factors differentiating New York’s subway writers from the creators of traditional forms of wall writings.  Going Over One writer covering another writer’s work with his/her own. Once a piece has been “gone over,” it is considered as destroyed.

Graffiti Glossary (continued)  Rack Up – to steal, the process of acquiring all kinds of materials used in writing.  Tag (Up) – writing signature with marker or spray paint.  Throw Up – a name painted quickly with one layer of spray paint and an outline.  Top-to-Bottom - extend from the top of a subway car to the bottom, but not necessarily the full length of the car.  Toy – in experienced or incompetent writer.

A Brief History of Writing I  Space Illegal space. writing had first begun on local buses and local neighborhood walls. In the 70s, the ultimate goal is the subway trains.  Fame Taki 183 (late 1960s)  Two separate communities in mind The community of writers themselves. The general city audience.

A Brief History of Writing II  “Graffiti Art” vs. Galleried Art World Two very different systems – subway trains vs. art-on-canvas Writers vs. Traditional trained artists (e.g. Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, etc.) Common – illegal public locations, linear drawing or words in their works. Difference – timing, tradition, etc. Communication between two different systems Result and its implication

A Brief History of Writing III  Graffiti and Hip-Hop Writing has more than a decade of history before rap get into the popular music scene. Writing was rapidly broadcast, and it became a global youth art movement partly through the connections to hip-hop.  Retaking the Trains War on graffiti, Surveillance, Clean Car Program The dynamics between writers and the Transit Police changed after the late 1970s.

A Brief History of Writing IV  Return to the Walls (1980s) Two career paths – bomber vs. piecer (productivity vs. skill) Space bombers take the streets. the style masters go to “hiding places.” Results localized loosing network/community alter traditional norms

A Brief History of Writing V  Two Alternative Forms Stickers Other modes of transportation as writing means (e.g. railroad)  Using Technology – the Circulation Writers’ zines (e.g. International Graffiti Times) Video  Globalization NYC as the “Homeland of Graffiti”  ~The End~