Throw up or throwie is one of the three basic forms of graffiti. The term itself is derived from the English colloquial expression "throw up" (to hurl), which reflects the idea that the letters (or other types of symbols) are designed to be written (thrown) onto a surface as quickly as possible. By definition, a throw up should be simple, easy and quick to execute, and easy to remember.[1]

A hollow throw up using the letters SPLEEN. The letters are the same heigh and similar shapes.

Form change

Throw ups are usually the writer's nickname, but not their real name. They are written in round shapes like bubbles. Sometimes they have a colour on the inside, called a fill, but sometimes they do not. Throw ups without a fill are called hollows.[2]

Sometimes throw ups only have the first two letters of the writers nickname, because it is faster, especially if their nickname is long.[3][4] Throw ups are usually done with the writer moving their whole body in a way they have practiced to do quickly a lot before.[5] This speed means that writers can make lots of throw ups very quickly.[6]

A good throw up has the letters all the same height,[7] the top of the letters the same shape, and bottom of the letters the same shape,[7] not much empty space,[8][9] and clean lines. Sometimes it isn't easy to decide if something is a throw up or a piece, but throw ups are usually faster to paint, have less colours, and the writer cares more about being fast that making it pretty.[10]

History change

Throw ups started in the New York City Subway in the 1970s[11][12] and as bigger versions of tags[13] before changing into their own style.[3][10] Compared to tags and pieces, throw ups have not changed much since people started making them.[14]

References change

  1. Eske (2022-03-14). "Graffiti Throw Ups - Learn how to do Throw Ups". GraffitiBible. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  2. Parks, Michelle (2009). Writing on the walls: Graffiti and civic identity (Thesis thesis). University of Ottawa (Canada). doi:10.20381/ruor-19161.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Whitehead, Jessie (2004-11-01). "Graffiti: The Use of the Familiar1". Art Education. 57 (6): 25–32. doi:10.1080/00043125.2004.11653573. ISSN 0004-3125.
  4. Castleman, Craig (1984-04-26). Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York. MIT Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-262-53051-4.
  5. Novak, D (2014-01-01). "Methodology for the measurement of graffiti art works: Focus on the piece" (PDF). World Applied Sciences Journal. 32 (1): 40–46.
  6. Lasley, James R. (1995-04-01). "New writing on the wall: Exploring the middle‐class graffiti writing subculture". Deviant Behavior. 16 (2): 151–167. doi:10.1080/01639625.1995.9967994. ISSN 0163-9625.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Almqvist, Björn; orkel Sjöstrand; Lindblad, Tobias Barenthin (2014-04-04). Graffiti Cookbook: The Complete Do-It-Yourself-guide to Graffiti. SCB Distributors. ISBN 978-91-85639-71-7.
  8. Team, The Drivin' & Vibin' (2022-08-21). "Who is Cope2?". Outside Folk Gallery. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  9. Grim, Jon. "Replace your graffiti throwie with this!". The Artist Block. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Navitas, Prananda. "21st Century Graffiti. How authorities should deal with it in city centers". In Bergmann, Alexander (ed.). In book: Music-City. Sports-City. Leisure City. A reader. Publisher: Bauhaus University Weimar. pp. (pp.90-97).
  11. Ross, Jeffrey Ian (2016-03-02). Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-64586-3.
  12. Ferrell, Jeff (1998-12-01). "Freight train graffiti: Subculture, crime, dislocation". Justice Quarterly. 15 (4): 587–608. doi:10.1080/07418829800093911. ISSN 0741-8825.
  13. Dovey, Kim; Wollan, Simon; Woodcock, Ian (2012-02-02). "Placing Graffiti: Creating and Contesting Character in Inner-city Melbourne". Journal of Urban Design. 17 (1): 21–41. doi:10.1080/13574809.2011.646248. ISSN 1357-4809.
  14. Snyder, Gregory J. (2011-04-15). Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York's Urban Underground. NYU Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8147-4046-0.