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Artists gleaned the raw style off street kids, while tunnel-hopping graffiti writers honed in on their artistic abilities to be commercially successful. It was a time when graffiti tagging exploded into battles over the artists who could produce the most visually edgy, elaborate murals in the most dangerous, inaccessible places without getting caught. Chalfant says change came when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority took over the New York regional train system and manufacturers started to build paint-resistant trains. Police also aggressively cracked down on graffiti in the
'80s and '90s. "The whole scene has evolved to something beyond just writing your name," Chalfant points out. "Artists are making comments about culture, about society. It's a personal vision of an artist." Ortiz now spends his days painting, peddling his art to galleries and buyers. He never quite rose to the level of fame as some of his graffiti counterparts, and the appetite for graffiti art has diminished in the U.S. art world. Long past Haring's death, Ortiz claims he rarely gets credit for the collaborations he and Haring did together, although his LA Roc tags are displayed on numerous Haring pieces. Witten's brush with fame now often comes with his freelance art writing and his sporadic visits to his daughter's school, where he teaches her classmates how to draw. Lulu knows her father draws "crazy art," a term she picked up from seeing graffiti on trains. From time to time, the thought of spending a few hours in a deserted freight yard still crosses Witten's mind. Taking into consideration his daughter, he won't admit if he still train-bombs. But he won't say he doesn't, either. "I'll decide when I'm too old," he says. "Fortunately, there's no forced retirement in graffiti."
[Associated
Press;
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