Naples is one of the largest and oldest in Europe as well as a UNESCO-protected historic center. As Iva Skock reports, some believe the city has been ruined by the graffiti, imposing stricter sanctions against the "vandals" and others are impressed at the talent of the artists who are at work. It is interesting that many young Italian do not "see graffiti as a form of art, not vandalism" and many of the artists do not view the images they are creating as erotic, but rather an extension of an artistic history in Italy that has dealt with images such as the nude body and the penis.
"Ancient Roman monuments display signs of early graffiti, or 'scratchings.' Even erotic street art wasn’t uncommon then. In the ancient city of Pompeii, near today’s Naples, many erotic scratchings were found on the town’s walls, especially in Lunapare, the town’s brothel. They depict naked bodies, sexual acts advertising the expertise of prostitutes, as well as customer reviews of a particular performance. The brothel’s tariffs were set, poetically enough, in “asses,” a Roman currency in which one as was equal to about half a sesterce. One such brothel fee varied from two to 16 asses." Always wonderful to look at the movements of today and wrap in the history of the past.
I'm very interested in "erotic" street art....please pass along any links you may have!
To read more:http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/offbeat/110622/erotic-art-naples-pompeii