The word graffiti comes from the Italian language. “Graffiti” is actually the plural of the word “graffito.” They are both derived from the word graffio, which means “a scratch.” The original graffiti was scratched into the surface, not just painted. Ultimately, the word is derived from Greek –graphein – meaning to write, draw, or scratch. (This gives us the common word root –graph.)

Graffiti was first labeled as such in 1851 in reference to ancient inscriptions etched into the walls – that is, “scratches” – of the ruins of the city of Pompeii. The definition has since expanded to include all sorts of public art, from hastily made drawings to elaborately executed street art.  ?

Lady Pink (Sandra Fabara, born in Ecuador) is a legendary female graffiti artist from Queens, New York. Looking for a way to cope with the loss of her love, Lady Pink took her grief to the streets when she picked up her first can of spraypaint in the late 1970s. What at first was simple tagging of her lost love’s name across New York, quickly evolved into one of the most respected street art careers. It goes without saying that Lady Pink used to be the only prominent female artist in the New York’s graffiti scene for a long period of time. Her instantly recognizable 1990s murals and subway cars, which featured rather playful images with camouflaged graffiti, cemented Lady Pink’s status of a living New York graffiti legend. 

Years Active: 1979-present

Lady Pink had a decent subway career in the 1980s, but it's not what puts her on this list. Her murals of the 1990s are visually very distinct and usually involved fun imagery with camouflaged graffiti. Residents of the neighborhood loved them, and she was still getting up changing the thought process of a lot of emerging writers.

One of the artists who created and popularized graffiti art in the 1970s is Blade, legendary New York graffiti artist and a proud owner of the title King of Graffiti. Active from 1972, Blade decided to paint original characters, and in 1980 chose subway trains as canvases for his conceptual works. During those years, Blade, a true graffiti pioneer, painted over five thousand pieces. Quickly he moved to paint canvases, and this decision led to his worldwide recognition. Credited as a developer of several classic graffiti styles, Blade remained very active in the contemporary art world all these years. Recently, he held an acclaimed exhibition 'King of Grafitti' which was followed by the book of the same title which goes back to the artist’s beginnings and reviews his greatest achievements in a 35 years long career.

 

Years Active: 1972-1984

Blade is known as The King of Graffiti - a title that's hard to dispute. He's painted over 5,000 trains but is best remembered for his iconic whole-cars. He chose to paint characters he created instead of appropriating imagery like most writers. In 1980, he began using the trains for his more conceptual works - most notably, his Walking Letters car.