Graffiti

An abandoned roof felt factory with graffiti in Santalahti, Tampere, Finland

Graffiti (singular graffiti or graffito, the latter only used in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view.[1][2] Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.[3]

Modern graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered vandalism.[4] Modern graffiti began in the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States throughout the world.[5]

  1. ^ "Graffiti". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ahd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Graffito". Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. 2006.
  4. ^ Stewart, Jeff (2008). "Graffiti vandalism? Street art and the city: some considerations" (PDF). Unescoe Journal.
  5. ^ Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. p. 315.