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A Brief History of Graffiti

Richard Clay looks for what it is that has made us scribble and scratch mementoes of our lives for over 30,000 years, from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary street art.

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. From the prehistoric cave paintings of Burgundy in France, through gladiatorial fan worship in Roman Lyons to the messages left on the walls of Germany's Reichstag in 1945 by triumphant Soviet troops, time and again we have wanted to leave a permanent record of our existence for our descendants. And it may be that this is where what today we call art comes from - the humble scratch, graffiti.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 17 Feb 2020 01:00
BBC Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:16

    Explosions in the Sky

    First Breath After Coma

  • 00:19

    The Silver Seas

    What If It Wasn't Out There?

Credits

Presenter Richard Clay
Production Company Kaboom Film and TV
Director Nick Clarke Powell
Executive Producer Charles Furneaux

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