Graffiti Subculture in the Shadow of Prague

This thesis focuses on the issue of graffiti subculture in towns. It is considered as a subculture of young people with all its aspects. A subculture offers an opportunity to build one's own identity during the difficult period of growing up. Graffiti is considered as one of the basic elements of hip hop. First part of the thesis explains the main phrases, describes the history of graffiti and its shift from periphery of the society to mainstream, from the socially excluded to artists whose paintings hang in the galleries. These changes have inevitably shaped the graffiti scene to the form we currently know. Inseparable is the illegal form of graffiti which is frowned upon by many people. It is however the necessary evil for many active writers in order to be acknowledged by the community. There are various solutions for eliminating the illegal form and dedicate some space to graffiti. The theoretical part describes history of graffiti in the city of Melnik and its main protagonists. It also defines ones status in a group (crew) and in the subculture itself, attitude to graffiti's icons and active women writers