Graffiti, or rakugaki in Japan, is the typical term applied to any basic public markings, whether it’s the small writing on bathroom stalls or the huge pictures done on city buildings. Usually associated with gangs, graffiti is typically done by non-gang members. Gang related graffiti only qualifies for 10% of the pieces out there and this is mainly to mark territory. Hip-Hop culture and graffiti are heavily intertwined. Hip-hop eventually made its way to Japan, where graffiti also found its way overseas. With the help of the film “Wildstyle,” graffiti and hip-hop had an impact on the Japanese culture. Afterwards Japanese graffiti artists and Japanese culture merged to create unique works of art that constructed a new identity in the Japanese culture.

History of Graffiti

Graffiti dates back to ancient times including Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and before the eruption of Vesuvius in Pompeii. It is even mentioned in the bible. Cave paintings and pictographs can be considered graffiti. Graffiti is a basic part of civilization. Ancient graffiti depicts declarations of love, poetry, advertisements for prostitution, and political ideas. Early forms of graffiti offer insight into the education levels these ancient cities were at. It also lets us know about lifestyles and languages from cultures whose existence has demised.

Modern graffiti arose when hip-hop was on the rise. Graffiti is one of four elements that made up hip-hop culture. Originally Philadelphia was the center for artists to spread their name around, but it quickly moved to New York. The city subways were the main areas being targeted because an artist wanted their work to spread throughout the city and subways carried their logo through many areas. They used the terms tags, bombs, pieces, and throw-ups to describe the work according to the amount of time spent on the piece of work. By 1974, cartoon characters and scenery were being incorporated into their work. Artists would have competitions of who could do the most throw-ups in an area, which led to the mid-1970s being called the “bombing” era. Soon artists were given gallery openings that drew attention from the public.

Rakugaki