The Art of Graffiti

In reading the two articles, especially the article that is specifically about Graffiti, my eyes were opened to the cultural and social significance of this movement.  In the sixties and seventies, it became so widespread in New York involving competition and the desire to gain fame.  Writers would try to "kill" subway cars and buildings by writing all over them and getting their names out there.  However, as time progressed and the "battle" against the New York government began, the style of these works changed and became more bold and more filled with purpose.  The writing became more motional and abstract, and people all over the city could interpret it in several ways.  I think this is extremely important because through language and writing, even in the form of graffiti, we can see the changes and evolution of a group of people, and this writing specifically is a means of communication between the artist/writer and the entire city of New York.  That, I think, is the most powerful part of this movement, and only after reading these articles was I able to realize that that is the reason for graffiti's prominence in today's society.