by Jeanne Decamps
Graffiti, derived from the Italian word “graffito”, which means scratch, was used by archaeologists to categorise ancient drawings or writings engraved on walls, usually without permission. However, the conception of graffiti we have today only came about in the late 1960s, arising in cities such as New York and Philadelphia. What started with graffiti writers marking down their tags on walls and trains, quickly changed into a game of who could leave the most visible mark. Writers around the world drew influence from a fusion of hip-hop, punk rock and street subcultural elements.
Tagging is an approach to graffiti characterised by the usage of a moniker written in a particular manner and style. Common tools used by tag writers include markers such as paint markers, mops, solid markers, metal tipped pens, and of course, spray paint cans. One of the earliest pioneers of tagging was Darryl McCray, who used the moniker “Cornbread.” He began tagging in 1965 on the walls of his reform school in Philadelphia, then on the walls across the Juvenile Institutions he often was placed in, allowing him to gain prominence. Once he had begun writing on every wall in his neighbourhood, he pushed the concept of graffiti by pulling stunts such as the alleged tagging of an elephant with removable paint at the Philadelphia Zoo. Another notable early writer is TAKI 183, who formed his moniker through a blend of his birth name and his street number, inspired by a previous local writer, Julio 204. Though he began his tagging career before TAKI 183, Julio 204 kept his tag localized, unlike TAKI 183, who went “All City”.
Competition between taggers to be the most visible created the perfect conditions for creativity, as artists would take leaps in their tag placement and stylistic choices to become more recognizable. Over the years, these stylistic choices began to create distinct handstyles that were often unique to writers or the area they originated from. Examples include Philly handstyle, originating in Philadelphia, which was characterised by unique, stretched, vertically elongated lettering painted in very few, if not one, line. Often, these types of tags give a dynamic feel and almost cursive look, making it more abstract to read.
Out of the San Francisco Bay Area developed the bus handstyle, where writers would tag on a bus and while doing so, be affected by the movement of their ride. Attributes of this handstyle include rounded typography; often loops in letters such as K, M or R and equal evenly sized letters.
Outside of the United States, other styles also began to develop, such as the Brazilian graffiti known as Pichação. Following the concept of the visibility of a tag, Pichação pushes its limits by often appearing on tall buildings. The height of these buildings required a unique approach to tagging, in which writers would often work in crews to scale buildings, employing paint rollers and windows ledges as leverage. What is of particular interest in Pichação tags is their unique political context. Writers would often tag buildings that were economically out of reach for them, creating a distinctive form of civil disobedience. Influences on this style include a unique combination of Scandinavian and Gothic-style typefaces implemented by bands such as Judas Priest and Led Zeppelin. Other influences include punk hardcore bands such as The Exploited and The Dead Kennedys.
From around 1972 to 1973, tags began to develop into throw-ups, also known as pieces. Not unlike tags, speed became of the essence when it came to throw-ups, but this time the art became bigger and bolder. Shortly after, different styles and concepts of throw-ups designs began developing, for example, bubble letters. These are marked by the manner in which the letters are drawn and expanded to have a balloon, or bubble like appearance, as the name suggests. The exact person to be credited for this innovation is debated to be writers such as Phase Two and Jester & Comet. Throw-ups often utilised different tools than tags did. Writers began to swap out their markers for paint rollers and spray paint cans in order to achieve that bigger look and fill in colour as fast as they could. The spaces that writers would target also began to change, as throw-ups required more space, often being found on the walls of trains or on advertisement billboards.
The tag and throw-up differentiation is only one of the many that exists in the world of graffiti. As an art form, graffiti will always develop to reflect the imagination and skills of its artist. However, one thing that will never change is graffiti’s distinctive role in mankind’s need to leave a mark wherever they go.
Le Dragon Déchaîné 