Drag the elements

• Ancient times
• What people think
• The artist

Throughout the history of graffiti, there have been unstoppable debates on whether it is an artistic movement or just another act of vandalism by reckless teens. And the further the street art movement is developing, the more concerns arise. So, let's shed more light before you pick sides.

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  For starters, it is important to define "graffiti". Coming from the Greek word "graphein", which means "to write", it includes any type of writing or painting within a public view. If you think of what the first graffiti were like, you may probably recall the first drawings made by the first cavemen. The tradition was inherited by Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, leaving legends, beliefs and life stories as paintings on the walls. 

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  Graffiti art, as we now know it, started in Philadelphia in the late 1960s. It was used either to make a statement or to mark territory. First artists usually wrote "tags" on the walls, which only included the name of the artist. With time, graffiti has evolved in various forms and shapes. Today, graffiti can be used for commercial purposes: artists are asked to create graffiti as a part of an advertising campaign. The attitude towards graffiti varies all over the world. Some suggest that graffiti is an art and joy unless it's on private property. Artists themselves consider that graffiti represents freedom and lets the city have its style and soul. 

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  Graffiti artists become street legends, sometimes worldwide. Take Banksy, for example, the world-famous anonymous street artist. He's become famous for his outstanding graffiti, always with a message behind each. He has also filmed a documentary, which has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Banksy himself was awarded Person of the Year at the 2014 Webby Awards. His artwork "Balloon Girl" was sold for more than £1,000,000 at the auction in 2018 and shredded right after the bid was closed.