View these photos on flickr.com...

Graffiti has existed since ancient times, with examples going back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The word "graffiti" derives from the Greek word graphein meaning: to write. This evolved into the Latin word graffito. Graffiti is the plural form of graffito. Simply put, graffiti is a drawing, scribbling or writing on a flat surface.

The twentieth century brought us the spray can and in the late 60’s and early 70’s modern graffiti was born in New York City. From  subway cars to walls, graffiti can now be seen on many train cars that travel the country. The cars are rolling galleries. Graffiti is thought of by many as a nuisance but has evolved and with the help of artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat is now seen as a  legitimate art form. Graffiti and graffiti-influenced art now hangs in many galleries and museums.

Graffiti culture is a huge industry. Over 25,000 graffiti sites exist on the world wide web celebrating the art and selling everything from graffiti influenced apparel and special caps for spray cans to drawing books with templates of different railroad cars.  Graffiti has influenced fashion and design. Hip Hop and break dancing are often associated with graffiti as is the ghetto, however as graffiti has grown, so too has its character. What began as an urban lower-income protest, nationally, graffiti now spans all racial and economic groups. While many inner-city kids are still heavily involved in the graffiti culture, one tagger recently caught in Philadelphia was a 27 year old stockbroker who drove to tagging sites in his BMW. Styles have dramatically evolved from the simple cursory style, which is still the most prevalent, to intricate interlocking letter graphic designs with multiple colors called pieces (from masterpieces).

The exhibit was curated by Lucas McMahon. Lucas is well connected in the graffiti world and included works by artist from the Carolinas, the Bronx NY, Los Angeles and points in between. Lucas’ work has been featured in print and video publications and he recently worked as an artist on the set of the Kevin Bacon/John Goodman film Death Sentence which was filmed in Columbia, SC.

Artists

Desism
Owen Beckman
Brendan Palmer
Bart Cusick
Lee Wilkie
Lucho Gomez
Tane Addington
Jome
Notik
Jesse McMahon
Clayton Kominsky
Ted Harper
Sicr
Gyser
Zhou