Here is a photo of me at Graffiti Pier in south Philly. Yes, the blue star is my contribution. It is an amazing place, a bit hidden but worth the trip. There is some beautiful artwork there and much looks meaningful to the artists. I've been reading about the different styles that are painted there and while we were there, a few artists were white painting new "canvases". Every inch of the concrete abandoned pier is painted. An outdoor, 1/4 mile art museum.
I've been thinking about the ancient art I see on the rock walls out West and some folks like to call it "old graffiti". I've seen so many sites that have hundreds of different meanings and interpretations ( time keeping, rain, water, hunting, clan history, maps, mythological beliefs, battles fought , births, fertility, directions, solstice and astronomical sites, territorial images, sympathetic magic, rituals, celebrations, etc.) And since thousands of years of rock art exists all over the world , many different styles are pecked and painted on the walls, often in layers on top of layers. It was their way of communication, and in my opinion, definitely not what we would call graffiti. But there are similarities: outside, meaningful art, layered, stylized, and while I was painting the blue star, it was exciting and fun. My star might be covered up some day, but it will always be underneath, just like the ancient rock art.