Modern art or vandalism?
Whatever you think about street art, you'll learn more by
reading this
article.
A long history
Painting and writing on walls is nothing new. In prehistoric times, people in Africa
and Europe painted
pictures of animals and people in caves. Graffiti has been found at ancient sites in
Greece, Italy, Syria and
Iraq. In the Roman town of Pompeii in Italy, archaeologists found a lot of graffiti
written in Latin, including
political and romantic messages, and even some magic spells!
Modern times
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 where he lived – 183rd
Street. At first, he
wrote his tag on walls in his neighbourhood. Then he started writing it in subway
stations on the way to
school. When the subway train stopped at a station, he jumped off, wrote his 'tag'
on the wall and then
jumped back on the train before the doors closed. Other teenagers saw Demetrius's
tag and started writing
their own tags on walls, buses and subway trains all over New York: Barbara 62, Joe
182, ...
Then, some teenagers stopped using pens and started using aerosol paints. Their
tags were bigger and
more colourful. Aerosol paint graffiti became very popular in the 1970s and 1980s
and appeared on trains,
buses and walls around the world. In the 1990s and 2000s, a lot of graffiti artists
started to make pictures
too. Some artists were interested in politics and tried to make people think about
social problems and
discrimination with their pictures. Other artists wanted to make cities more
beautiful. In South America,
street artists started painting in poor areas. They brought colour and beauty to grey,
city walls.
Art or vandalism?
Is graffiti art or vandalism? In many countries, it is a crime to paint on walls, and
street artists can have
problems with the police. In other countries, street art is permitted in certain places.
For example, in
Taiwan, there are 'graffiti zones' where artists are free to paint and write on walls. In
São Paulo in Brazil,
the city council allows some graffiti artists to paint on the city's subway trains.
Nowadays, street art is more popular with the public. In some cities, there are street
art festivals. In Bristol
in the UK, there is a street art festival in August every year. Artists paint all the
buildings in a street. Lots of
people come to watch the artists and take photos. Street art can be seen in galleries
too. There have been
exhibitions of street art in galleries in Paris, London and Los Angeles.
Graded reading: Graffiti and street art (level 2) – text
Who are the artists?
Some street artists have become famous. Here are three stars of the street art
world:
• Os Gêmeos are identical twin brothers from São Paulo. They paint huge, colourful
pictures of
people on buildings. In 2007, they painted a castle in Scotland.
• Blek le Rat is from France. He started off painting rats on the walls of Paris.
Nowadays, he paints
pictures of homeless people in big cities. He wants city residents to look at his
pictures and think
about the homeless.
• Faith47 is from Cape Town in South Africa. She paints big, colourful pictures of
people and
animals. She likes painting in different locations and you can find her pictures on
pavements,
postboxes, buses, cars and, of course, on walls!
Street art and the global village
Most street artists are young people who paint in their home city or neighbourhood.
Many of them use the
internet to communicate and share photos of their pictures with other street artists
around the world. Some
street artists have become famous and their pictures can be seen in galleries or on
city walls around the
world. Although we don’t know what will happen to street art in the future, we can
be sure that it is here to
stay!
Robin Newton
Preparation
Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–f next to the numbers
1–6.
1....E.... the global village a. words or pictures drawn on walls or public places
2.....A... graffiti b. the American English name for an underground train system
3....D.... vandalism c. a kind of paint that is sprayed from a can
4....C.... aerosol paint d. the act of deliberately damaging or destroying things,
especially
public property
5....B.... a subway e. the modern world, in which countries seem close together and
interdependent because of modern communications and transport
6....F.... a gallery f. a building containing paintings and other works of art
1. Check your understanding: true or false
Circle True or False for these sentences.
1. Pictures of people and animals have been found on the walls of Pompeii. False
2. Demetrius wrote his tag in subway stations in New York. True
3. In Taiwan, there are ‘graffiti zones’ where you can write and paint on walls. True
4. At the street art festival in Bristol, the artists paint a castle. False
5. Os Gêmeos want people to think about the homeless. False
6. Blek le Rat began by painting rats on the walls of Paris. True
7. Faith47’s art can be found on pavements, postboxes and buses. True
2. Check your understanding: multiple choice
Circle the best word to complete these sentences.
1. In prehistoric times, people used to paint pictures of animals and trees / people /
the sun / food in
caves.
2. Demetrius chose his tag because of his name and phone number / address /
favourite number /
shoe size .
Graded reading: Graffiti and street art (level 2) – exercises
3. Demetrius wrote his tag when he went to school / work / university / the cinema .
4. In São Paulo, the council allows a few / some / most / all graffiti artists to paint on
subway trains.
5. In 2007, Os Gêmeos painted a station / train / bridge / castle / gallery in Scotland.
6. Faith47 / Taki 183 / Os Gêmeos / Blek le Rat wants people to think about the
homeless.
Discussion
What do you think about graffiti? Is it really art?
Graffiti can be both art and vandalism. When it is done with permission or in a
designated area, it can add beauty and creativity to a city. However, when it is done
illegally, it can damage public or private property.
Is there much graffiti in your town or city?
Yes, there is some graffiti in my town, especially on walls, bridges, and subway
stations.
Do you think it makes your town or city look better or not?
It depends on the graffiti. Some pieces are colorful and artistic, which make the city
look better. But others are just messy tags or words that make the city look untidy.
Should the police stop graffiti artists?
The police should stop graffiti artists who damage public or private property without
permission. However, they should support artists by creating legal spaces where
they can paint freely and express themselves.
