Graffiti Wall Art at Jing Jai Farmer's Market Chiang Mai

Graffiti, form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group.

Although the common image of graffiti is a stylistic symbol or phrase spray-painted on a wall by a member of a street gang, some graffiti is not gang-related.

According to Art Journal, “there are many possible purposes for graffiti: it can be to tell a story, highlight a certain moment in time where things went wrong or right, describe people, politics, culture, art, places and society together; express yourself anonymously, or just be another art form.”

What Is the Purpose of Graffiti? Graffiti aims to be seen without being caught or to spread an important message. The end purpose of Graffiti, like other art is to tell a story or express oneself. Graffiti allows artists to express themselves, even if it is not in a publicly acceptable manner.

While it isn't commonly hung in museums or galleries, graffiti is considered art in the art world. The Wrangler believes “Graffiti is a form of expression.” Graffiti allows artists to express themselves, just like painting, illustrating, acting, and any other art form does.

The word graffiti originates from both Greek and Italian – the Greek word “graphein” which means “to write,” and the Italian word “graffito” which means “a scratch.” Los Angeles cleans over 30 million square feet of graffiti per year

Some of the earliest expressions of street art were certainly the graffiti which started showing up on the sides of train cars and walls. This was the work of gangs in the 1920s and 1930s New York. The impact of this subversive culture was extraordinarily felt in the 1970s and 1980s.

Street art and graffiti overlap in many ways, but the key differences between the two lie in technique and intent. In terms of technique, street art tends to be image-based, whereas graffiti is more commonly word-based.