“Writers” Art Not everyone considers graffiti an art. They see it as vandalism and often associate it with gangs, or criminals and not the artists trying to show their talent. Some graffiti is vandalism done by gangs or criminals, those who do it for art call themselves “writers” or “aerosol artist” and use graffiti for self expression and a hope to become famous. Graffiti, as known today, grew up with hip hop in the 1970s and evolved to what it is now. But by definition has been around sense cave men and is the longest living form of art. An aerosol artist, Graffiti photo documenter and Hip Hop Photographer, Nic One, has always considered graffiti an art as he watched it develop in the Bronx, New York where he grew up. Nic started his own…show more content… Like any art this style is a piece of art, or in other words more a picture or mural done in graffiti style. This came about on the streets rather than subway cars that became old school after the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) took over cleaning up the old and catching the new graffiti art. Graffiti was illegal and officers knew it was beginning to get out of hand and they wanted it gone. It was considered an open window policy which means if there is one broken window on a building it makes the building look neglected which leads to another window being broken. In other words this refers that if they let graffiti be done then other crimes will increase as well. Mr. Gunn, head of the MTA said, “I just think it’s a disregard for public property. I do not want people to take pictures of graffiti. I feel it is promoting graffiti. We do not use the terms graffiti and art in the same sentence. What we don’t want is to let these kids get any fame. We are trying to break their spirits”…show more content… Some writers were able to get into galleries and were paid to keep making new art. However, not everyone got this job. Instead, they turned to the rise of Hip Hop. Graffiti became the style and started to show up on clothes, shoes, and advertisements and was put on clothes by the writers themselves. Despite all the laws and rules created in attempt to stop graffiti, it will never go. For Nic One, he first went to styling clothes to make money in 1983. “I started doing Lee and Levis suits, jacket tops and paints. I was charging $50.00 for the jacket and $40.00 for the paints. I also painted sneakers as well. I charged $30.00 for the pair. I was making some good money and I often would wear a graffiti suit to drum up business” (Green). Word got around and people all around New York started to ask Nic to do their wardrobe. Nic started to make good money and his fame around the Bronx got him into art shows and galleries. Nic One had made it to the top being an “aerosol king” and it took a lot of hard work to get there as it did with every
