Graffiti of Today - image from transformyourimages.co.uk

Art, design, and pop-culture are the backbone of SHEI and while we eagerly search out new trends, we don’t want to ignore influential movements that are already established.  This week we will feature daily posts about one form of art that is unavoidably encountered in the streets, on the walls, and increasingly in fashion and design – graffiti.

Graffiti of Yesterday - image from slinkyman.com

Graffiti – the art of writing on walls – is not new or unique to the United States.  Many credit the earliest examples of American graffiti as the “Kilroy Was Here” phenomenon during World War II.  But if Wikipedia is correct (and isn’t it always?) then the hip-hop style of urban America along with the political activism of the 1960′s transformed wall-scribblings into art.  Without a doubt, graffiti has spawned an entire sub-culture, complete with its own rules, terminologies, and style.

For the rest of the week, we’ll feature interviews with local Taggers, share a graffiti-themed photo-shoot from the SHEI Photography department, and explore the new ways that contemporary designers utilize concepts of street art in their work.

Enjoy!

-B.C.Bodnar