“Graffiti represents man’s desire to communicate”- Anonymous
Graffiti has become a prominent force in urban settings in the late 20th century. New York City conceived graffiti and it will always be the “capital and cultural centre of graffiti”. At its inception in the 60’s the mention of the word would conjure up different images in people’s minds – is it art or is it vandalism? a cause of the urban decay or a product from it? Many would associate graffiti with poverty, inequality, and violence. Graffiti can be seen as one element within the Hip-Hop subculture. Each asserting the right to write.
Graffiti in New York City in the 90s evolved and the canvas morphed as walls replaced subway cars. The NYC subway will always be the home of NYC graffiti, but, many writers prefer to stay on the right side of the law when creating a masterpiece today. We’ve seen many graffiti works from Keith Haring to Shepard Fairey, auctioned away in high-end galleries and putting their mark on our culture and history today.
Take a look at some neat graffiti work in New York in the 90’s (& before).
Stéphanie