Graffiti

Graffiti (plural of graffito: "a graffito", but "these graffiti") are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a wall or other surface, often within public view.

Description

Graffiti range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and they have existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.

In modern times, paint (particularly spray paint) and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner's permission is considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime.

Graffiti may also express underlying social and political messages and a whole genre of artistic expression is based upon spray paint graffiti styles. Within hip hop culture, graffiti have evolved alongside hip hop music, b-boying, and other elements.

Unrelated to hip-hop graffiti, gangs use their own form of graffiti to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities.

Controversies that surround graffiti continue to create disagreement amongst city officials, law enforcement, and writers who wish to display and appreciate work in public locations. There are many different types and styles of graffiti; it is a rapidly developing art form whose value is highly contested and reviled by many authorities while also subject to protection, sometimes within the same jurisdiction.

See also

• Anti-graffiti coating
• BUGA UP
• Grafedia
• Graffiti (program) - A computer program which makes conjectures in various subfields of mathematics (particularly graph theory) and chemistry, but can be adapted to other fields.
• Graffiti abatement
• Graffiti Markup Language - an XML-based file format that stores graffiti motion data.
• Graffiti terminology
• Handwriting recognition
• Hobo sign
• Kilroy was here
• Latrinalia
• Kotwica
• Spray paint art
• Stencil Graffiti
• Street art
• Vandalism
• Visual pollution
• Yarn bombing

External links

• Graffiti @ Wikipedia.org

Graffiti recognition

• A Novel Method for Graffiti Detection Using Change Detection Algorithm - "The aim of this system is to detect the graffiti painting act while people are going to draw, identify them and distinguish the drawer."
• OriginalGCode - a hardware/software package designed to allow graffiti tags and drawings to be easily captured via a webcam, and export the ensuing shape data to various formats for 2D and 3D fabrication. Built as part of Graffiti Research Lab Germany, in extension to the SVG2BVG project, and in collaboration with several other people, notably Christophe Vaillant and Tristan August.