The Slang of Street Art: From Tags to Throw-Ups

The Slang of Street Art: From Tags to Throw-Ups

Introduction

Street art’s language is as dynamic and colorful as the murals themselves, a lexicon born from the streets that continues to evolve with each spray of paint. This post delves into the slang that defines street art, offering not just definitions but stories, evolutions, and the contemporary context of these terms.

1. The Basics of Street Art Slang

• Tag:
  • Definition: A quick, often monochromatic marking of an artist’s name or nickname.
  • Evolution: Originated as simple signatures to mark territory or identity in the ’70s.
  • Slang in Action: A tagger might say, “I left my tag on that wall last night,” to denote claiming space.
• Throw-Up:
  • Definition: A step up from a tag, using two or more colors for faster, more visible graffiti.
  • Origin: Terminated from the idea of quickly “throwing up” a piece, reflecting the speed of execution.
  • Slang in Action: Artists discussing a night’s work, “We threw up some quick pieces on the subway cars.”
• Piece (short for “Masterpiece”):
  • Definition: An intricate, detailed work, taking time, skill, and often multiple colors.
  • Style Evolution: From simple to complex, pieces became canvases for storytelling and personal expression.
  • Slang in Action: “Check out the piece I did last week; it took me four nights to finish.”
• Bombing:
  • Definition: Covering an area with multiple tags, throw-ups, or pieces in one session.
  • Cultural Impact: Often seen as an act of rebellion, with stories of artists bombing entire neighborhoods.
  • Slang in Action: “We’re going bombing this weekend; we’ll hit every spot in the district.”

Table: Street Art Terms and Their Meanings:

Term	Meaning	Visual Example
Tag	Artist’s signature	Simple, quick, often one color
Throw-Up	More elaborate, quick graffiti	Two-tone, bubble or block letters
Piece	Complex, detailed artwork	Multi-colored, can be thematic
Bombing	Mass graffiti in one area	Numerous tags or pieces in close proximity

2. Beyond the Basics: Advanced Street Art Slang

• Burner:
  • Definition: An exceptionally well-executed piece, often in a high-visibility spot.
  • Style Evolution: From New York’s subway systems to LA’s walls, burners signify mastery.
  • Regional Variations: In NYC, a burner might be more abstract, while in LA, they could be more character-driven.
  • Slang in Action: “That burner on Broadway is going to be the talk of the town.”
• Heaven Spot:
  • Definition: Graffiti in high or hard-to-reach places, adding prestige to the artwork.
  • Origin: The term reflects the almost divine difficulty and visibility of these locations.
  • Slang in Action: “I painted that heaven spot last night; it was a real challenge.”
• Buff:
  • Definition: The act of covering or removing graffiti by authorities or property owners.
  • Slang in Action: “They buffed our mural, so we decided to paint something even more provocative.”
• Ghosting:
  • Definition: When old graffiti fades or is partially covered, leaving a ghostly outline.
  • Slang in Action: “You can see the ghosting of my old tag under this new layer of paint.”

List of Tools and Techniques in Street Art:

• Stencils for quick, repeatable designs
• Caps for different spray paint effects
• Fills and outlines to add depth to artworks

3. Slang in Action: Stories from the Streets

• “A Day in the Life”: Imagine a conversation at a graffiti meet-up, “Did you see that throw-up on 5th? That’s pure style.” Or an artist recounting, “Last week, I got hit with a buff right after finishing my piece – talk about timing.”
• Miscommunication: A story where one artist thought “bombing” meant large-scale art when another meant quick tags, leading to a night of mismatched expectations.
• Famous Pieces: Discuss how the term “burner” was solidified in street art culture after artists like Seen or Dondi created iconic works on subway trains, setting standards for what a burner should be.

4. Contemporary Context & Digital Integration

• Instagram Influence: Terms like “slaps” or “hits” for particularly good pieces have emerged, often used in captions or hashtags. “This slap is going viral!”
• Digital Street Art: New slang like “pixel throw-up” for digital art mimicking traditional graffiti styles.
• Adaptation to New Mediums: Traditional terms like “tag” now apply to digital signatures or watermarks in digital art.
• NFT and Street Art: Crossover terms where “minting” a piece has become part of the lexicon, blurring lines between physical and digital art.
• Documentation and Sharing: The emergence of terms like “docu-bomb” for the act of documenting a bombing session for social media.

5. The Future of Street Art Language

• Evolving with Technology: As augmented reality and other tech integrate with art, new slang will likely describe these interactions.
• Preservation and Evolution: Terms evolve as street art moves from walls to galleries or digital platforms, creating new dialects within the community.

Conclusion

Street art slang is a living, breathing aspect of urban culture, evolving with each new generation of artists. From the streets to social media, these terms carry the history, the stories, and the spirit of defiance that street art embodies. As the world changes, so will the language of this art form, but its core – a celebration of creativity and community – will remain etched in the urban landscape.