From Envirowiki

Graffiti is fucking cool. That's most of what you need to know.

Graffiti, technically, is any markings made illegally on something that's not your property. It has a documented history stretching back to the roman empire (the word comes from the Latin "graffito"), although it's undocumented history stretches back to the first monkey with burnt stick.

Graffiti can be done in almost anywhere, in any medium. Common media and methods are spray paint (including tags, murals and stencils), paint brush or roller, stickers, pens, or sharp objects (scratching). Spray paint is problematic, because it has toxic chemicals, often hcfcs, or other hydrocarbons. There are ways around this, such as mud stencils (see making mud stencils), or using compressed air.

Graffiti often has a meaningful message, others are just intended as pure art, while others are just fame seekers.

[edit] External links

• Know Your Rights in the USA - stencilarchive.org