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A Brief History of Graffiti

Dr Richard Clay goes in search of what it is that has made us scribble and scratch mementoes of our lives for more than 30,000 years.

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A Brief History of Graffiti

Presented by art historian Dr. Richard Clay, this documentary traces the origins of graffiti from prehistoric cave paintings (like a 30,000‑year‑old mammoth in Burgundy) through historical wall inscriptions—such as marks by Red Army soldiers on Berlin’s Reichstag—to modern urban forms including Banksy’s public art.

It illustrates how humans across eras have felt compelled to leave visual marks in public spaces