ABSTRACT
Graffiti refers to a broad spectrum of words or images placed on fixed or movable physical spaces, and is not usually permitted by law. Although graffiti has existed for centuries (examples can be found in ancient Roman ruins, among others), contemporary graffiti first appeared in American urban areas in the late 1960s, and has since spread globally. Varieties of modern graffiti include ‘tagging’ names or nicknames, gang signs or codes and elaborate, multi-coloured murals displaying words, images or a combination thereof. Graffiti is applied with pen, marker, spray paint or acrylic paint, or a mixture of media. It is written on extremely varied physical surfaces, although most commonly on public and private buses, subway cars, bus shelters, building walls, tunnels, building pipes and, more recently, canvases.
