Celebrated by some and reviled by others, graffiti as we know it today began with a movement in the 1980s that has since become the symbolic artistic language of young peopleeverywhere, and one of the most potent influences on youth-oriented marketing and design.
GRAFFITI IS AS OLD AS CITIES--FROM THE POLITICAL SLOGANS THAT WERE SCRIBBLED ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN THE ANCIENT ROMAN CITIES OF POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM, TO ANONYMOUS SPRAY-CAN ART THAT BEGAN TO APPEAR ON CITY WALLS ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA IN THE LATE 1970s, GRAFFITI ART HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. CELEBRATED BY SOME AND REVILED BY OTHERS, GRAFFITI AS WE KNOW IT TODAY BEGAN WITH A MOVEMENT IN THE 1980s THAT HAS SINCE BECOME THE SYMBOLIC ARTISTIC LANGUAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLEEVERYWHERE, AND ONE OF THE MOST POTENT INFLUENCES ON YOUTH-ORIENTED MARKETING AND DESIGN.IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF GRAFFITI ART EVER PUBLISHED. INCLUDED HERE ARE A HISTORY OF THE MEDIUM, PROFILES AND INTERVIEWS WITH GRAFFITI'S MOST PROMINENT CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, AND A PRES-ENTATION OF THE DYNAMIC STYLES AND TRENDS THAT HAVE EMERGED DURING THE PAST 35 YEARS. AUTHOR NICHOLAS GANZ, ALSO KNOWN ASKEINOM, IS A GERMAN GRAFFITI ARTIST WHO HAS TRAVELED TO EVERY MAJOR CITY AROUND THE WORLD TO WRITE THIS BOOK, THE DEFINITIVE TREATMENT ON THIS EXCITING. EVER-EVOLVING ART FORM.