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This is where the ancient drawings were considered a form of graffiti. It took place mostly in Rome, where they were drawn or carved on buildings, and more. This is not a change in expression, but shows the birth of graffiti art. -
This is the stage where graffiti has slowly started to spread in terms of politics, where it was during WWII. American soldiers adopted a form of graffiti throughout World War II by writing the phrase “Kilroy was here.” (Eden, 2021) This message was accompanied by a simple sketch of a man peeking over a ledge. (Eden, 2021). The soldiers liked to draw on surfaces. British and Austrian soldiers then did similar practices. -
Graffiti started entering New York City. In the 1970s and 1980s, graffiti was largely associated with vandalism, prompting cities to launch aggressive anti-graffiti campaigns. Despite the outlaw status, graffiti began to gain recognition as a legitimate art form when galleries and collectors took an interest in the movement. (Sotheby’s, 2025). Over time, graffiti’s bold visuals and raw energy became symbols of urban creativity, -
Not only is graffiti art about letters and tags, but people who practiced drawing beforehand draw cartoon styled characters with the use of spray paint. Many graffiti artists have thus taken the habit of integrating characters or even replacing one of the letters of their pseudonym with a character to bring a humorous touch to their work. (Guluibaud, 2024). -
Graffiti ended up slowly transitioning to hip-hop culture. By the late 1970s, graffiti writing had become a prominent part of hip hop culture, along with other elements such as DJing, MCing, and breakdancing. (Delaney, 2024) As hip hop culture spread across the United States and then the world, so did graffiti writing. (Delaney, 2024) Since hip-hop also emerged in the late 1970s, graffiti was also there to help shape it even more.