Graffiti: Who, what, when, where, why?

Urban landscapes have long served as unsanctioned canvases for artists looking to add colour and get their names known. Throughout history, humans have written graffiti, driven by individual motivations as varied as the unknown number of writers past, present, and future. 

Graffiti is pure – uncontrolled, human expression.  Risk-fueled adrenaline drawing fleeting moments of precise, focused clarity.

Brands with questionable clout trade currency for can control in order to have shopfronts transformed with one hand, while the other prosecutes the same effort when delivered uninvited.  

Why does graffiti have financial value? 

Are consumers more likely to purchase a product from a shop marketing their products using a well-known graffiti artist, than if that same artist had tagged the shopfront unannounced at night?

Corporations want control over the way they convey a feeling of being out of control.  Why do big brands use graffiti as a marketing tool? How is graffiti treated by the corporate world? These are relevant questions deserving future discussion.

This waffle is all just to highlight the complexity of graffiti as an artform, and how this complexity impacts graffiti’s transition from the street to the gallery scene.

I love graffiti. I love the history, I love knowing things about writers that other people don’t know.  I love seeing artists get paid for what they do, without having to alter their art.  There are plenty of things that I hate about graffiti, too.  Love hurts.

Disagreeing on much, graffiti purists and traditional art galleries alike deem most graffiti unworthy.

Once in a while though, every so often, someone nudges the norms and expands the frame through which we view the artform.  It occurs globally, in cities I’ve not heard of and you’ve not visited.  Without hesitation, without thought, without anyone having set, or thought about a finish line.  It happens fluidly overnight.  

Sometimes artists get locked up and their name is never seen again.  Sometimes that same removal of freedom sparks a need so unquenched that an individual drowns themself in freedom without thought of consequence.  Everything has a price.

I love the myths and stories surrounding the ‘first’ writer.  Many say it was Cornbread in Philadelphia.  Australian writers might look to the legendary Arthur Stace, who over a 35 year period between 1932 – 1967 famously bombed the streets of Sydney with his tag ‘Eternity’.

All we know is that humans have been writing on walls for a very long time (just google ‘cave paintings’ and work forward).  

20 years ago as a 14 year old I was lucky enough to travel to Italy with my parents.  For part of the trip we stayed in Vico Equense, two hours south of Naples and an hour south of Pompeii by train. I’d been studying the region at school so my parents thought a visit to Pompeii and Herculaneum was worth a day trip.  I was excited to see the graffiti I’d read about in Ancient History classes.

One aspect of that day that I do vividly remember is the black, blue and orange city skyline-style panel plastered on the train taking us back to Vico Equense.

The photos may be lost, but the memory of passing graffiti from 75 AD—ancient, yet enduring—and then traveling home on a train adorned with a fresh panel from that week, will forever be etched.  

Society doesn’t usually consider how this form of artistic communication might have positively impacted humans as a global group. It’s a proper conversation to have, avoided because most people don’t like getting their fences bombed.  “I love graffiti, I just hate that tagging crap”.

Interestingly, I’ve heard many stories of writers visiting developing nations where home-owners proactively ask to have their houses painted, quite liking the idea of pro-bono weatherproofing from an international artist.  

As with other art forms, both the act and the bystander’s philosophical receipt of graffiti is contextual. 

Why am I willing to pay for and hang the same print owned by 99 others, where I am unwilling to have the same artist drop an original tag?  Why am I not alone?  Is the value in the art or the COA?  

Why are Banksys protected while burners buffed?  Why are so few graffiti artists able to retain respect in the street, while successfully transitioning to less risky and more financially-sound artistic outlets?

I recently watched a conversation with legendary San Francisco-based graffiti artist Barry McGee, moderated by Veronica Roberts (Director of the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University) and focused on his solo exhibition at Berggruen Gallery. 

McGee describes graffiti as “amazing as a phenomenon, it’s incredible… It doesn’t even fit into art history, it’s like art history goes this way and then graffiti this way (McGee gesturing in opposite directions)”.

“The buildup of not knowing who a person is, [who] is putting this imagery out there.. I’m still fascinated to this day what drives a person to do it. 

I like studying the style of how someone writes something, or the speed in which they write something, or the quantity, the placement – everything.  It was way more interesting to me than what was going on in the Art Institute, or the museums or anything – it was way more invigorating.

“I went to school and everything, I did all that – but as soon as it got dark I was like ‘ok, let’s make some real art’”.

– Barry McGee (2024)

TOX24 & 10FOOT DDS

First in our PH collection series we have TOX and 10FOOT – two kings within the London scene and beyond.  

Paid Hours recently got our hands on one of the TOX24 – Service Updates (100 edition) prints, and we’ve recently matched one of 10FOOT’s Wight Trash prints with a 2023 Deptford Market shirt.  As fans, we’re keen to take a closer look at the duo and everything happening over at Actually.

The Artists

TOX

Tox is a legendary figure best known for his work within London’s graffiti scene. His ubiquitous tags, often ‘TOX’ followed by the year (e.g. ‘TOX24’), have sparked debates around art vs vandalism for many years (just check out this forum thread from 2006).  

Active since the early 2000s, TOX’s simple yet pervasive style, affectionately described by 10FOOT as ‘shopping list tags and sausage roll dubs’ has become iconic.

Originally aired on 19 August 2004, Season 2 Episode 1 of ITV’s The Tube titled “Underground Crime” highlights just how prolific TOX has been throughout the years.  The episode offers an in-depth look at the artist’s impact on the graffiti scene, showcasing his extensive work throughout London’s train network.

A significant part of TOX’s appeal lies in the simplicity and boldness of his style. His notable recent works including the “Service Updates” print and “Underground” collection highlight this aesthetic, resonating with fans and collectors alike. 

An Ironic Transformation

In a high-profile 2011 case, TOX was sentenced to 27 months in prison, with the judge famously stating “There is nothing artistic about what you do“. This quote adorns the now highly-sought TOX23 tube maps.

TOX24 maps include a similarly famous quote from London Underground network operations manager Andrew Hogg. Actually customers often receive a TOX tube map on purchase of a print, or t-shirt via the website.

Readers can grab a tube map on ebay for £50+.

TOX has been releasing prints and canvases for many years (readers can view past works on sites like Fair Art and Prescription Art) although the recent shift towards planned, multicolour (slightly more ‘public’) pieces was immediately sought by galleries and collectors alike.  

In October 2023, a TOX23 Underground (Analogue) print sold for £1,792 via Bonham’s.

January 2025 TOX prices are varied, but we haven’t seen anything from the newer Service Updates / Underground series priced lower than £1200 for some time now.  While the week-on-week price growth on his new prints has been notable, older TOX prints are now rare and coveted.  

Indeed as TOX moves towards the gallery artist that many argue his tenacious multi-decade career and multiple years in prison deserves, those pieces with his original moniker may well become highly sought-after.  As of January 2025, Paid Hours has seen one TOX09 “TOXIC” signed print available on ebay at £5,000.  

The Paid Hours crew loves TOX’s 2023/24 collection – the pieces are vibrantly colourful, bold and pay homage to the artist’s love of London’s underground system with severe clarity.  It’s unsurprising that these pieces have been snapped up by collectors around the world.  London is a global hub, travellers and collectors adjourn to the streets to get the word, and for 20+ years that word has been ‘TOX’.

While his latest collection is as hard-nosed as his early handstyle prints, what now feels like a third-stage in his career sees TOX’s feet still firmly planted in the streets – but with arms now outstretched with a long-awaited offering to galleries and collectors.  The artist’s latest offering, as brazenly legitimate and gallery-ready as it was unexpected, is one that collectors and fans have been unable to refuse.

TOX’s ‘Service Updates’ and ‘Underground’ collection shows a passion for London’s underground system, these works feel intrinsically private, yet demandingly public.  Dripping with colours and motifs instantly recognisable by those familiar with London’s tube network, TOX brings the ongoing battle between paint and trains directly to paper.  

TOX’s latest works come signed, but even without the signatures these pictures yell the artist’s name a thousand times: can lines, bold in their simplicity, drip out the artist’s long-awaited letter to London’s underground. These works swell with light and colour, drawn from a human who has suffered for his work; who lost life and liberty for the game.

The Paid Hours crew has seen recently released Tox canvases on sale at £9,000+, showcasing the leap in global appreciation.

TOX x Lacoste Collaboration

In 2023, as part of Lacoste’s 90th-anniversary celebrations, the iconic French brand collaborated with UK-based vintage and streetwear brand Wavey Garms.

The collaboration featured the work of renowned graffiti artists, including TOX, Petro (Duncan Weston) and Henry Hotrocc. The event showcased 30 officially screen-printed TOX23 x Lacoste polo shirts (each with an Actually COA), highlighting the artist’s influence on street culture and welcoming him into the world of mainstream European fashion.

Andrés Branco of Wavey Garms fame took to instagram to share his copy of the TOX23 Underground series print.

Banksy’s Homage to TOX

Banksy’s relationship with, and use of TOX’s art as a subject in his own pieces has at times created an interesting intersection between gold-star ‘quantity over quality’ style graffiti and Banksy’s style of art.  According to a plaque at the 2023 Beyond The Streets exhibition, Banksy has paid homage to Tox at least six times.

One notable Banksy work referencing TOX is “Cottage” – often referred to as “Toxic Cottage”. Banksy incorporates TOX’s tag into the forefront of the piece, drawing on the graffiti artist’s timeless prominence.

In June 2011, Banksy painted a stencil in London’s Jeffrey Street (NW1), again referencing TOX’s plight as an artist of note navigating England’s legal system.  

These homages not only worked to extend TOX’s status beyond the UK’s graffiti scene, but also furthered discussions around the artistic value of persistent tagging – as well as the importance and impact of TOX’s work on the urban landscape.

10FOOT

10FOOT is in many ways difficult to write about.  I grew up and still live under a flight path in my city.  The noise is so familiar that my brain can filter it out.  Sometimes a plane flies lower than usual, and the booming engines remind me of the constant passing of life above.

This is 10FOOT to London: a constant hum, ringing in the background like DDS-diagnosed visual tinnitus.

While the ringing can be ignored when life (or prison) takes over, it’s incurable.

Burrowing into daily commutes with a stylish repetition corporate advertisers can’t quite capture (the secret ingredient is crime), 10FOOT brandishes an inherently temporary form in his ongoing heist – sticking the world up one wall at a time, like an Ocean’s Eleven prequel.

As with TOX, the intrigue of 10FOOT’s work isn’t in the mystery of who – but rather the what, when, where and why.

He’s been known to move around without the usual, seemingly unnecessary tethers that most of us accept without thought.  Over a decade ago, he was jailed and served more than a year in prison for charges relating to criminal damage worth more than £113,000.  When I travelled to Tokyo in 2018 I saw 10FOOT tags high up in the center of the city.  We understand that Japan is notoriously difficult to gain entry to if travelers have spent 12+ months in prison.

10FOOT is known internationally, having left his mark in close to (probably now exceeding) 60 cities.  

More recently, we saw him up in Portugal:

While recent front covers and features in publications like Financial Times, Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine and Living Proof Magazine have begun to highlight 10FOOT’s significant contributions and influence on the international art scene, the reality is that many are only just starting to wake up to the incredible impact this artist has already had on the millions residing within his canvases.

His work is often political, with pieces famously supporting causes including the unfair treatment of Palestinians, and the imprisonment of artists (and recently, Luigi Mangione).  If you know where to look, you can find his long-form written work on issues surrounding prisons and imprisonment generally.

10FOOT’s Recent Highlights

This very broken list includes a few notable moments from 2023/24:

Front Cover and Feature Article in the Financial Times: In February 2023, 10FOOT was featured on the front cover and in a feature article by Miles Ellingham in the Financial Times.

SAATCHI GALLERY’s Beyond The Streets London Exhibition: From February to May 2023, 10FOOT’s work was included in the SAATCHI GALLERY exhibition “Beyond The Streets London.” A piece was stolen off the wall during the exhibition.

Launch of Actually: Launched in 2023, “Actually” is a platform where works by 10FOOT, Tox, Fume, Zombra, and others are sold and authenticated. The platform has been successful independently.

Deptford Market Stall Collaboration: In August 2023, 10FOOT collaborated with D’n’B legend Goldie at Deptford Market, where Goldie sold a small selection of handmade 10FOOT shirts.

DOPE Magazine Front Cover & Special Edition of 50 Prints: 10FOOT was featured on the front cover of Dope Magazine Summer 2023 (Edition 22) published by Dog Section Press.

To commemorate the edition and help raise funds for Dog Section Press, a set of 50 hand-finished prints was released via Dog Section Press – each uniquely tagged with a can of fake blood. These prints are priced at around £800 in January 2025.

Palace Collaboration: Causing controversy (although not enough to stop the August 2023 release), 10FOOT collaborated with London-based Palace Skateboards to release an exclusive set of tops featuring the now-famous image of a London police van covered in tags *10foot palace instagram screenshot*

“Welcome2England” Piece Auction: In October 2023, 10FOOT’s “Welcome2England” piece sold for £6,930 at a Christie’s auction, soaring above estimates.

Silver Disintegration Loops Print: In February 2024, an edition of 10 of the Silver Disintegration Loops Print was made available exclusively through the Selected Works ‘982 – ‘024 Gift Shop at the Los Angeles Stone Island store.

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“Wight Trash” Print Release: In April 2024, 10FOOT released a set of 100 numbered “Wight Trash” prints via Isle of Wight-based skateshop Wight Trash. The prints were designed using Microsoft Paint, gaffer tape, and a scalpel. Readers can watch the “10FOOT TRASH” advert on YouTube. 

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“Disintegration Loops (Translucent Red)” Auction: In June 2024, 10FOOT’s “Disintegration Loops (Translucent Red)” sold for £1,408 at a Bonhams auction.

Living Proof Magazine Cover: In December 2024, 10FOOT was featured on the cover and in a feature piece, along with a pullout poster, for Living Proof Magazine. Living Proof (formerly Angel & Z Radio) releases regular podcasts, high-quality magazines, and other printed publications focused on ranging street-culture areas like graffiti and fashion.

Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine: In Winter 2025, 10FOOT was highlighted on the cover and spine of Juxtapoz’s thirtieth-anniversary Winter 2025 Edition, along with an in-depth feature piece including an interview with DDS crew members Fume and TOX.

Rather than list each of 10FOOT’s drops via Actually, we suggest readers head over and check the website out.  Grab a shirt and sign up for their email list while you’re there. 

To conclude on 10FOOT, a man with no conclusion in sight, we might defer to Josiah Gogarty’s recent piece in The New Statesman.  Josiah writes:

“To see 10 Foot’s tag in some impossibly high-up spot is to see his past presence. In a city that millions of people wind through every day, I know that he was there. 

In a city perpetually reshaped and tidied up by money, tags spring up briefly through the cracks. It’s not necessarily nice or particularly benevolent. But if art has something to do with representing the human spirit, graffiti does that far better than a stencilled [sic] goat.”

The Evolution of Actually (ctlly.cc)

Self-described as ‘Friends, art, London, bodge, spiritual guidance, publishing, etc’ – ctlly.cc has quickly evolved into a serious platform showcasing an evolving collection of works.  Limited prints and shirts sell out immediately and the team have had to implement a submission system to help dodge bots and vampires. 

As of December 2024, the website hosts sold out works by 10FOOT, TOX, FUME, ZOMBRA and Dorothy Spencer. You’ll be lucky to find any of these bits and pieces on ebay these days, but it’s worth a look.  

Prints sold via Actually in 2023/24 for £277-300 are now priced upwards of £1,200 (if you’re able to find one).  Indeed, there was a brief moment where Actually-stamped prints were popping up on ebay.  Paid Hands suggests this will be a rare sight moving forward, with established galleries in the know grabbing what they can, ready to start adding digits to price tags at a bitcoin-like rate.

ctlly.cc is a simple site, doing what it needs to – no more, no less.  We’ve heard from multiple purchasers that the team’s customer service is slow, mysterious and excellent – with mistakes on the artists’ end often sorted with an apology and a piece (we’ve heard of buyers scoring signed TOX tube maps along with letters of apology).

Similarities between Actually and Banksy’s Pest Control Office 

Pest Control Office, established by Banksy in 2009, has had a profound impact on the international art scene. By providing a reliable method for authenticating Banksy’s artworks, Pest Control Office has helped to formalise and legitimise street art. 

For years this independently operated authentication process has given collectors confidence in the legitimacy of Banksy’s art, which in turn has increased its value and visibility. By issuing Certificates of Authenticity (COAs), Pest Control Office has ensured that collectors can buy, sell, or insure genuine Banksy pieces with confidence. 

Comparable to musicians working independently without the need for the traditional record label of yesteryear, this shift away from heavy-handed gallery involvement has not only benefited Banksy, but also paved the way for artists like TOX and 10FOOT to gain success through outlets like Actually.

While we do expect to see new 10FOOT and TOX pieces brought to market via galleries in 2025, we’re excited to see Actually’s next offering.

Paid Hours on Graffiti

Paid Hours recently picked up Rafael Schacter’s book Monumental Graffiti – Tracing Public Art and Resistance in the City, published by MIT Press and sporting a 10FOOT blurb quote. Schacter highlights the intersection between graffiti, built landscapes and the humans who inhabit them. We were pleased to see a few artists within the Paid Hours collection throughout.  

Readers should keep their eyes peeled for a Paid Hours review of Monumental Graffiti – Tracing Public Art and Resistance in the City, including special commentary from our guest author, who has extensive experience as a Senior Town Planner with the City of Sydney (Australia) and multiple local councils within London City, including Ealing Council, London Borough of Redbridge, and London Borough of Camden.

Feel free to get in touch with Paid Hours if you have information you’d like to share, or if you’re looking to sell pieces by TOX and/or 10FOOT!