The practices of grafitti and of considering graffiti as art are generally related to a sub-culture that rebels against extant societal authorities, or against authority as such. Graffiti is characterized by brief quotations and intricate "tags" or encoded signatures which may be a name of the artist (alternatively described as the vandal) or of a group which the artist may associate (alternatively described as a gang?).
Graffiti is subject to different societal pressures from popularly-recognized art forms, since graffiti appears on buildings or other flat surfaces that are not owned by, or under the control of the person who applies the graffiti. So graffiti encorporates elements rarely seen elsewhere. Spray paint is commonly used, and the organizational structure of the art is heavily influenced by the need to apply the art quickly before it is noticed by authorities. It is rare that graffiti can be traced to its originator, although it sometimes has a date and a signature.
Some neighborhoods encourage murals that resemble graffiti, as a way of encouraging youths toward self-expression and beautification.
Jean-Michel Basquiat is an example of a graffiti artist.
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