From its humble beginnings as a form of vandalism, graffiti has grown into an american cultural icon. Graffiti is the "art of the people" and has become ever more complex and intricate as time goes on. A few years ago, I visited the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, DC, and one of the traveling exhibits was a graffiti exhibit. I wish I could remember the name of the artist, because the exhibit truly blew me away. The vibrant, bright colors and the use of letters and words, cartoon characters and shapes is unlike any other art form. Graffiti takes cultural symbols and common phrases and turns it all into a work of art. It appeals to the younger generations because graffiti is historically representative of independence, creativity and defiance of authority. In recent years, alternative clothing labels, popular shoe brands, and even some high-end designers have used graffiti or graffiti-inspired artwork in their designs, creating a whole new aesthetic that blends street art with fashion. For the incredibly artsy (and relatively wealthy) some have even called in graffiti artists to paint murals in or on their homes. The images below showcase this fantastic fad in many of its different forms.
Graffiti on the runway
Even popular brands like Coach use graffiti in products geared toward younger people.
Ecko Red is a brand famous for their graffiti and street-style approach to clothing.
Converse uses graffiti in many of their limited edition sneakers.
Left: Graffiti rain boots for soggy days. Right: Christian Louboutin over-the-knee boots in a graffiti-inspired print.
Graffiti is a fun motif for children's bedding!
Graffiti wallpaper adds an edgy touch to this room.
Graffiti in advertising - it's everywhere!
Classic street graffiti.
All images from Google Image Search.
