People have always sought to leave their mark on the world. From hand tracings in ancient caves to “___ was here” etched beneath classroom desks, the motivation has consistently been to make an impression on one’s physical environment. While graffiti and its motivations are timeless, the term itself was first formally recognized in the 1800s when used to describe ancient inscriptions on the walls of Pompeii’s ruins, dating back to 78 B.C. One historian noted that graffiti was cheeky declarations of existence in which the monumentality of the past was slyly undone. If only for a moment. These early scribblings included declarations of love, memorials, advertisements for gladiatorial games and political statements.
The roots of traditional, text-based graffiti can be traced to the protest stencils utilized by Latin American student groups in the 1960s and Italian fascist propaganda during World War II. Though often creative, text-based graffiti is a form that aims to center its message rather than its artistic qualities. In the United States, political graffiti of the same era focused on the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.
Today, our perception of graffiti often involves spray paint. Edward Seymour invented the first aerosol spray paint in 1949 for industrial purposes, and it quickly became the preferred medium for graffiti artists due to its quick application and drying time. Pioneers like Darryl “Cornbread” McCray began tagging walls, where an artist writes their signature in the form of a name or symbol. Artists and their street names gained popularity in the process.
In New York, simple and early graffiti tags featured the writer’s name followed by their house number, with “Tracy168,” based in the Bronx, being one of the most well-known.
By the 1970s, graffiti had exploded in popularity, covering the subways of New York and the walls of most major cities. Negative reactions from the upper class led New York City to spend $10 million in 1973 to erase graffiti, but the art form prevailed. Hip-hop graffiti emerged as the visual component of hip-hop culture in the late 1970s, spreading from the East Coast of the United States to Europe. Inspired by New York graffiti, French street artist Blek le Rat began spraying stencil images in Paris in the early 1980s, popularizing stencil street art in Europe. New York graffiti became a popular movement, a people’s movement, a declaration of art outside of traditional studios, galleries and museums. If public schools were cutting budgets for art instruction, graffiti artists were proclaiming that people had the power to take to the streets and make their own art.
Graffiti became a tool for resisting oppressive regimes in various South American countries like Chile and Argentina. Messages denouncing dictatorships and advocating for human rights were common for the “Desaparecidos” and their “mothers of the plaza.” The counterculture movement continued this trend with anti-establishment sentiments and themes of rebellion.
The Berlin Wall in the 1980s became a powerful symbol of graffiti used for expression, rebellion and highlighting social contrast. The West Berlin side displayed vibrant artistic images and statements, while the East lay gray and untouched. The graffiti on the Wall held profound cultural and political significance, symbolizing resistance against division, and capturing the social and political climate of the Cold War. Graffiti on the western side was an expression of a liberal vision; on the eastern side, it was a crime.
In 1980s America, galleries began showcasing work from artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Lee Quinones, who were among the first graffiti artists to be taken seriously by the traditional art scene. Basquiat’s work in particular achieved significant recognition, with an untitled piece from 1982 becoming the most expensive work by any U.S. artist and the first $100 million artwork created after 1980.
Basquiat’s work generally included graffiti which seamlessly flowed among his abstract figures and symbols. His art was expressive, free and out of the ordinary. Today, his logos and iconography, particularly the crown which appeared in much of his art, can be seen all across the world.
In the late 1990s, the name “Banksy” began appearing alongside stenciled images throughout London and Bristol. Banksy’s provocative and political street art criticized capitalism, consumerism and war. His international stunts and culture jamming—subverting advertisements, material goods, or even currency—gained him global attention and commercial success. In 2003, Banksy was at the center of global attention when he painted an image on the West Bank Wall that criticized Israel’s policies towards Palestine. He would continue his visits in the following years, with his most recent known work in Palestine made in February 2017. During that time, he opened “The Walled Off Hotel” in Bethlehem, a hotel that is directly adjacent to the separation wall. The hotel is filled with Banksy’s artwork, offering a satirical commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Banksy’s street art and global stunts have propelled him to prominence at prestigious auctions. In 2007, one of his pieces sold for a record £102,000. Banksy’s significant influence and commercial success have wide-ranging implications for urban art in modern cities. Some believe that while graffiti is traditionally controversial, it has evolved into a platform for international youth to express socio-political discontent, leading to greater tolerance of illegal urban art by public officials. Cultural geographer L. Dickens refers to modern street art as “post-graffiti,” due to his perception of the shift from traditional tagging to “street logos.” Taggers sometimes see Banksy as a gentrifier, partly because terms like “street art,” “post-graffiti” and “logos” carry positive, artistic connotations, whereas “graffiti” is associated with poverty, crime, uncleanliness and disorder. Graffiti is also historically provocative due to its association with lower socioeconomic groups and Black and Brown youth; it’s been targeted by New York mayors since John Lindsay. Many traditional graffiti artists began their work to challenge mainstream sensibilities, making Banksy’s media fame and the mainstream elevation of his art controversial.
The 2010s’ political graffiti continued the themes of anti-war and anti-capitalism, with movements like Occupy Wall Street. The movement’s rallying cry, “We Are the 99%,” succinctly captured the anger and disillusionment of a generation facing growing economic disparity and the unchecked power of the financial elite. These demonstrations were not just about physical presence; they were educational and revolutionary in nature. Activists organized “teach-ins,” where people gathered to discuss issues of inequality, capitalism, and the possibilities of systemic change. These teach-ins were designed to educate participants and inspire a broader revolution in thought and action. Graffiti served as the visual track to these moments of teaching, reinforcing the messages being shared in these gatherings and ensuring that the ideas would resonate far beyond any specific moment or group of activists.
The graffiti of this era was more than mere decoration; it was a vital tool in the dissemination of revolutionary ideas. It provided a visible, accessible way for people to engage with the movement, whether they were passing by on their way to work or actively participating in the protests. The walls of buildings, sidewalks, and other public spaces became living textbooks, with slogans and images that challenged the status quo and urged people to question the systems of power around them.
In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, cities across the globe became epicenters of protest, fueling a renewed surge in the Black Lives Matter movement. The outrage and grief felt by millions were channeled into powerful street art, which became a unifying force within communities and a means of reclaiming narratives that had long been dominated by systemic racism and violence. Murals honoring victims of police brutality and racial injustice emerged as focal points in cities worldwide, serving both as memorials and calls to action.
These vibrant displays of protest art were not just local expressions; they quickly transcended geographical boundaries. Social media played a crucial role in amplifying these works, transforming what was once a localized form of expression into a global phenomenon. Graffiti and street art, which had long been associated with specific urban environments and subcultures, suddenly became ubiquitous. The images of murals and graffiti honoring George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others were shared and replicated in cities from Minneapolis to London, Tokyo to Cape Town.
Today, political graffiti continues to reflect pressing social and political issues. Public reaction, particularly from the white upper class, often views graffiti as vandalism due to its association with illegal activity. However, many artists, like 23-year-old Gunk, see it differently. In an interview with “The Temple News,” he states: “I don’t look at it as me doing something illegal—I think of it as me being in a competition with my surroundings. I’m not a criminal by any means. I’m not a violent person. I just enjoy making art. You can take your own power in it, I don’t have to ask anybody to do this, I just go and do it.”
Graffiti, unbound by external control, delivers a raw, uncensored message that sets it apart from other forms of street art. While it often involves marking property without permission, graffiti uses disruption and inconvenience to force those in power to pay attention. Political graffiti remains a powerful medium for grassroots expression and activism, evolving over the decades to address the most urgent social and political issues of our time.
