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Urban Art/Graffiti Writing

Terminology - As described in the book "Style: Writing from the Underground"

Aerosol Art:  that done in aerosol which can be conceived as art

Aerosol Culture:  a wide spectrum of spray related practices

Bar Letter:  a hard edged style with barrish connections

Bite/Biting:  to copy

Bomb/Bombing:  saturating trains/other spaces abundantly with ones name

Burner:  colorful elaborated pieces

Burning/Burn:  to best, defeat, or upstage, usually in competition

End to End:  a piece or painting the length of a subway car (window down or top to bottom)

Fat Cap:  special cap used to fill in large areas/thick line

Getting Up/Getting Around:  having ones name in quantity or in many places

Heart Bottom Letters:  letters with heart shaped bottoms

Hot 110:  a name used to write over others who write over others

Hump Letters (Feet/Foot Letters):  a letter with a rounded protrusion bottoms/backs

Lay-Up:  an underground/elevated track where trains are parked

Loaf:  a half circle/oval that comes off of a letter's end

Machine Letter:  a machine like lettering style

Married Couple:  two train cars interlocked and functional as one unit

Marshmallow:  a lettering style with puffy bottoms

Masterpiece:  a combination of outlined filled stylized letters

Mechanical Letters:  a mechanical like lettering style

Physicals:  friends or individuals

Platform Letter:  a stemmed or extended letter style or accessory

Racking Up:  the confiscation of spray paint and other items

Roast:  see "Burn"

Sandwich:  a cut [letter] segment of three or more layers

Softie (Bubble Letter):  a widely used soft rounded Bronx lettering style

Star Letters:  letters with star shaped protrusions

The Shit:  good or better than good/dope

Throw Up:  a scarcely filled in or quick piecing style [most notably popularized by In/Kill3]

Top to Bottom:  a piece or painting from the top to the bottom of a subway car

Toy:  originally a writer with no status or recognition, usually due to lack of hits or masterpieces

Window Down End to End (WIDEE):  a piece or painting the length of a subway car and under the windows

Whole Car:  a piece or painting expanding a subway car's width and length

Writer:  one who writes

Writing:  the act of one who writes/uses marker or spray paint

Graffiti artists who wish to be visible and recognized, contact us to have your handle added to the urban art page.

All flicks were taken in Grand Rapids, MI

Asma%207_edited.jpg
Frankenstein%20with%20a%20Joint_edited.j
GR%20graff%202_edited.jpg
*616 htownink 2 big.jpg
GR%20graff%201_edited.jpg
Gizmo%201_edited.jpg
*mural%20unity_edited.jpg
One People panaramic regular.JPEG
Jay%20MLK_edited.jpg
616%20Epitath_edited.jpg
Monk-Bboy legal wall 1.jpg
GR bombs 1.jpg

Send us your flicks to add to our graffiti gallery.

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