I. Do the preparation exercise first and then read the article.
Match the words with the definitions.
1) d-designated
2) c-vandalism
3) a-graffiti
4) b-aerosol paint
5) f-the global village
6) e-a crane
a. words or pictures drawn on walls or public places
b. a kind of paint that is sprayed from a can
c. the act of deliberately damaging or destroying things, especially public property
d. marked or separated for a particular purpose
e. a tall machine used for building tall buildings
f. the modern world, in which countries seem close together and interdependent because of modern communication and transport
Vandalism or contemporary art? Find out more about where street art has come from and where it
might be heading.
A long history
People have been painting and writing on walls throughout history. In prehistoric times, people in Africa
and Europe used to paint pictures of animals and people in caves. Graffiti has been found on buildings at
ancient sites in Greece, Italy, Syria and Iraq. In the Roman town of Pompeii, archaeologists have found
numerous examples of graffiti written in Latin. These include religious, political and romantic messages,
and even some magic spells!
Modern times
In the late twentieth century, graffiti and street art became an international phenomenon. In the 1970s,
young people in New York used pens to write their names, or ‘tags’, on walls around the city. One of the
first ‘taggers’ was Demetrius, a teenager from a Greek family. Demetrius’s tag was TAKI 183. TAKI was his
nickname and 183 was the number of the street he lived on – 183rd Street. At first, he wrote his tag on
walls in his neighbourhood. Then he started tagging in subway stations on the way to and from school.
When the subway train stopped at a station, he would jump off, write his tag on the wall and then jump
back on before the doors closed. Other teenagers noticed Demetrius’s tag and started to write their own.
Soon, New York’s walls, buses and subway trains were covered with tags: Barbara 62, Joe 182, …
Later on, some teenagers started writing tags with aerosol paints. Their tags were bigger, more colourful
and took more time and imagination than the simple, pen-written tags. The trend spread and from the
1970s, aerosol paint graffiti became a common sight on trains, buses and walls in cities around the world.
In the 1990s, graffiti continued but there was also an explosion in street art around the world. Some artists
wanted to make political points and produced art that tried to make people think about war, inequality and
discrimination. Other street artists were more concerned with producing beautiful, attractive work. In South
America, many street artists went to work in poor areas adding colour, life and beauty to grey, city walls.
Art or vandalism?
Is graffiti art or vandalism? This depends on your point of view, but in many countries, writing or painting on
public or private property is considered vandalism. Many street artists have been stopped by the police and
some have had to pay fines.
Many city councils complain about the high cost of cleaning graffiti off buildings, buses and trains. In some
areas, councils have tried to encourage artists not to paint randomly on walls by allowing them to work in
designated areas. Taiwan is one such place and there are ‘graffiti zones’ where artists are free to paint and
write on walls. In São Paulo in Brazil, the city council has even allowed some graffiti artists to paint on the
city’s subway trains.
And what does the art world think of graffiti and street art? Recently, there has been a growing recognition
of its value as an art form. There have been major exhibitions of street art in galleries in Paris, London and
Los Angeles. The American artist Elura Emerald organised a street art exhibition at a New York gallery in
2008. She defended street artists, saying ‘artists who paint on the street are merely expressing
themselves, not hurting anyone. They should be appreciated and celebrated.’
Who are the artists?
Most street artists are anonymous, but others have become globally famous. Here are three stars of the
street art world:
• Os Gêmeos are identical twin brothers from São Paulo. They paint everything from tags to huge,
colourful pictures of people on the sides of buildings. Their work is often so big that they need
cranes to help them work. In 2007, they covered the whole of a castle in Scotland with paint.
• Blek le Rat started out painting rats on the walls of his home city, Paris. Nowadays, he tries to
make people think about different social issues and problems. He paints pictures of homeless
people in big cities to encourage residents to think about the problem of homelessness.
• Faith47 is from Cape Town in South Africa. She paints big, colourful pictures of people and animals
and likes to explore different locations. Her work is found on pavements, in empty factories and on
abandoned cars. She likes the fact that most street art is temporary and will soon be removed by
weather or cleaners from the city council. For her, this reflects how life is full of change with its
cycle of endings and new beginnings.
Street art and the global village
It is impossible to know how street art will develop in the future but certain trends are emerging. While most
street artists are young people who paint in their city or neighbourhood, more and more street artists are
travelling and working around the globe. Other artists are using the internet to talk to each other and share
photos of their work. Also, the art world is giving more recognition to street art as a legitimate art form.
Although we don’t know what will happen to street art in the future, we can be sure that it is here to stay!
II. Circle True or False for these sentences.
1. Graffiti has been found in caves in Greece, Italy, Syria and Iraq. True
2. Demetrius first wrote his tag on the New York subway. False
3. Many city councils complain about street art because cleaning walls is expensive. True
4. Elura Emerald thinks street art is vandalism. False
5. Blek le Rat wants to make people think about homelessness. True
6. Faith47 wants her work to be permanent. False
III. Circle the best answer for these questions.
1. Demetrius used to write his tag on the subway (at weekends / on school days / at night).
2. In the 1970s, (tourists / teenagers / artists) covered the walls of New York with tags.
3. Street art became very popular in (the 1970s / 1980s / 1990s).
4. Some street artists have been arrested and ordered to (pay fines / work in designated areas /
clean the streets).
5. (Taki 183 / Blek le Rat / Faith47) likes to paint in unusual places.
6. Os Gêmeos’ work is known for its (political messages / commercial value / large scale).
IV. Write an essay in 200 – 250 words or less on the topic below.
What do you think about graffiti and street art? Do you think it is vandalism or contemporary art?
Is there much graffiti in your town or city?
Do you think it makes your town or city look better or not?
Should the police stop graffiti artists?
Graffiti can be vandalism or art. If people paint on buildings without permission, it is vandalism. But if they create murals in legal places, it can be beautiful street art. There is some graffiti in many towns. Messy tags can make places look dirty, but colorful murals can make them look better. Police should stop illegal graffiti, but cities should give artists places to paint legally.
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