A Brief History of Graffiti

Dr Richard Clay goes in search of what it is that has made us scribble and scratch mementoes of our lives for more than 30,000 years. From the prehistoric cave paintings of Burgundy in France, through gladiatorial fan worship in Roman Lyons to the messages left on the walls of Germany's Reichstag in 1945 by triumphant Soviet troops, time and again we have wanted to leave a permanent record of our existence for our descendants. And it may be that this is where what today we call art comes from - the humble scratch, graffiti.

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Jisoe

Jisoe

2005

Faces Places

Faces Places

2017

Art as a Weapon

2014

Blind - What If?

Blind - What If?

2005

Carnalismo

Carnalismo

2024

Bomb It

Bomb It

2007

Area 08 Vol. 2: The Journey Continues

Area 08 Vol. 2: The Journey Continues

2003

Keith Haring: The Message

Keith Haring: The Message

2013

Beautiful Losers

Beautiful Losers

2008

Graffiti Wars

Graffiti Wars

2011

Banksy and the Stolen Girl

Banksy and the Stolen Girl

2023

The Pitch

The Pitch

2017

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Exit Through the Gift Shop

2010

Basquiat: Rage to Riches

Basquiat: Rage to Riches

2017

Spray Paint Beijing

Spray Paint Beijing

2012

Berlin Kidz: Fuck The System

Berlin Kidz: Fuck The System

2017

Pure Hate

Pure Hate

2004

David Choe: High Risk

David Choe: High Risk

2015

Style Wars

Style Wars

1984

Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art

Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art

2020

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