Julio 204’s tags later inspired Taki 183, and sparked the mass movement in New York. Julio 204 was operating in New York at the same time as Cornbread, and also used spray paint. While this may or may not be factual, innovations in New York occurring during his rise truly put graffiti on the map. The writer claims that he was the only person in the world using spray paint to make his mark at that time. The fledgling vandal changed graffiti’s trajectory with his decision to use spray paint. Not only was it easy to use, but easy to steal and even easier to conceal.Ĭornbread became a spray paint pioneer in Philadelphia during the late 60s. Spray paint gained massive popularity with rebels, protestors, and graffiti artists.

The History of American Graffitiby Roger Gastman and Caleb Neelon explains that spray paint pieces took off when artists like Cornbread and Julio 204 started using it to write their tags. It’s impossible to pinpoint who first started using this new tool to create art. Spray paint dries quickly, making it a prime candidate for covering, buildings, and subways. Graffiti artists gained more respect for using stolen paint. Not only was it easy to use, but easy to steal and even easier to conceal. By 1973, Seymour’s enterprise Big Spray was manufacturing 270 million cans annually in the US alone. Spray cans were especially prominent in the auto industry because their usage made it easier to paint auto parts. The automobile and home furnishing industries adopted the new technology. Seymour’s creation was so popular that its usage expanded to other industries. His wife suggested using a spray gun, similar to the ones used in deodorizers. According to an article by The New York Times, a paint salesman named Ed Seymour wanted to find a way to paint radiators with aluminum coating. The creation of spray paint has a rather odd backstory, one that could not have predicted its massive popularity with graffiti artists and the creation of an entire subculture. Spray paint simplifies the creative process, acting as both a paintbrush and paint. It inspired artists to see a bigger picture beyond the simple act of tagging. This tool provided the sleek finishing touch we associate graffiti with today. Not all markings evoke intense reactions the way spray paint pieces can. These pioneers used basic markers and paint to write messages such as the “Kilroy was here.” The advent of spray paint proved a turning point that sparked more fascination with the movement.

A resurgence occurred with the freight train movement when railroad workers tagged their monikers, and gangs marked their territory. Markings have been a mode of communication since the cave scratches in Pompeii. The original definition of graffiti is to mark, but that doesn’t mean all markings are significant.

Spray paint x