Street Art, Decades Apart: 40 Then & Now Graffiti Photos

then now worse tags

graffiti over time

Boido does more than just document these works – he also critiques the policies of municipalities that try to control works of street art. In some sequences, his shots show how surfaces scrubbed clean of more creative and vibrant graffiti end up populated with quick-and-dirty tags instead.

then now demolished graffiti

then now destroyed wall

Of course, ten or twenty years having elapsed, in some cases the entire building disappears and any art on its walls along with it. After all, it is often derelict and deserted structures that no one minds people painting in the first place, and these, in turn, are often on the chopping block for eventual destruction.

then now graffiti persists

In very rare cases, the graffiti in question actually persists across multiple decades – always and inevitably faded and weathered, sometimes partially painted over, but it is still impressive when these works have such staying power. For more examples, dates, details and artists, visit the OldWalls Project website.