Graffiti began as inscriptions and drawings on sculptures and walls in ancient Italy. In fact, graffiti was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii in 1851. Graffiti on sidewalks and other forms of street art are still prevalent in Rome today. While the Romans regard graffiti as a form of urban art, many westerners regard it as vandalism unless the graffiti artists obtain permission from the property owners. Graffiti can take the form of drawing, painting, or writing, or a mix of the three.
Tagging is a type of graffiti that is used to create a ‘name tag’ on public property and is thought to be used by gangs to mark territory. Tagging dates back to the 1970s, when a New York mail carrier set out on a mission to ride every bus and subway in the city. To mark each bus and subway he took, he wrote his name and courier identification number, Vic 156. Others began to follow Vic’s lead, and tags became more common, larger, and elaborate. Graffiti moved from buses and subways to walls and all types of outdoor areas, resulting in tagging.
The old Belmont trolley tunnel in Los Angeles was a popular hangout for taggers until it was demolished, despite two years of protests to save it as a modern cultural landmark. The tunnel had been featured in numerous films and was frequented by homeless people, gangs, and drug addicts. Graffiti artists and taggers from all over the United States and the world had come to Belmont to paint. The graffiti was dismissed by Los Angeles police as vandalism, but art groups petitioned the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission to help save the tunnel.
Graffiti artists known as “aerosol muralists” create large, commissioned murals on city walls, usually on the sides of businesses. Murals that are both beautiful and graphic can draw a lot of attention from potential customers in the area. Aerosol muralists use aerosol spray paint because it gives the mural an airbrushed look. House paint, rollers, and brushes are occasionally used. Murals are frequently inspired by their surroundings. A mural on the side wall of a Greek restaurant, for example, would almost certainly have a Grecian theme.