World’s 3 Most Influential Graffiti Artists

Graffiti has evolved becoming more political, more controversial and quite a productive industry.  Gone are the days of graffiti, or urban art, being seen as nothing more than a nuisance to local government and area communities.  Graffiti artists have progressed their work into more traditional forms like paintings, sculptures, posters, and valued museum pieces.  The best graffiti artists create pieces that are eye-catching, avant-garde and thought provoking.  Regardless of the medium used, these artists are infiltrating mainstream pop culture.  They have turned their talents to be within illustration and design while still maintaining their graffiti practice and style.

Dondi – (USA) 1961-1998

“DONDI”, Donald White is considered one of the most influential graffiti artists in the history of the underground movement. As the youngest of five African-Italian children, Dondi was raised in East New York section of Brooklyn, his early style reflected the unstable region with social conflicts, racial tensions, and street gangs. As an underground graffiti artist earning his rightful nick name of “Style Master General”, his artwork displayed a methodical approach with great planning. Every aspect of a piece before painting was meticulously detailed in a sketchbook. Dondi worked tirelessly and perfected his art before ever creating it. In the late 1990’s Dondi was feeling the pressure to produce and went into semi-retirement where his pieces took on a highly technical approach with blueprints and pencil and ink drawings. These mainstream pieces eventually became some of his best work.

Banksy – (GBR) 1974-present
Robin Gunningham started his work in the Bristol aerosol writing underground scene. As an England-based graffitist and political activist, Banksy’s street art involves a collaboration between artists and musicians and contains dark humor graffiti in a distinctive stenciling technique.  Well known for the display of his political views, his openly works on public surfaces such as walls or sidewalks for maximum exposure. As a recent film maker, his first film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, was nominated for an Academy Award-Best Documentary category. Banksy’s sharp political style is known throughout the world with his recent silk-screened works selling for record prices for a graffitist.  In February 2007, when owners of a house having a Banksy mural on the side decided to sell the house, it was passionately listed as a “mural that comes with a house attached”.

Bates – (DEN) 1984-present

Bates is best known for his name-based graffiti.  His unique artistic lettering has shaped this graffiti style for decades. His work has been featured in several books, he has been sponsored by major paint companies and has even done design work for clothing companies such as Tribal Gear, Dickies and more.  Bates latest work has been to use canvas as a new medium.  While the tradition in style of his lettering shows, he is definitely developing some new concepts.  There’s a clarity to his style that is hard to emulate and with almost every continent having some of Bates’ work, he truly remains one of the original, and best, name-display artists.

About the Author: Dominic works for a local paint store, supplying graffiti artists in his local area with some of the highest quality materials. He’s an artist himself and turns to some of the world’s greatest for inspiration for his own pieces.