Final answer:
The statement that a tag is the written nickname of a graffiti writer is true. Graffiti, often used for marking territory, has cultural, social, and political significance. Renowned graffiti artists like Banksy and Jean-Michel Basquiat have helped shape the modern perception of graffiti as a form of street art. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
A tag is indeed the written nickname or signature of a graffiti writer. This is true. Graffiti, which translates to "things written" from Italian, is a form of writing or painting that is typically done on walls without formal permission. It began as a popular form of cultural expression in Western countries in the 1960s and serves various purposes, including marking territory, as evidenced by gang graffiti, which demarcates boundaries much like fences would.
Iconic modern graffiti artists like Banksy and Jean-Michel Basquiat, who originally wrote under the tag SAMO, have had significant influence on the perception and evolution of graffiti. Banksy's work is known for its rebellious nature and social commentary, while Basquiat started as a homeless youth spraying sayings on the walls of New York's crumbling buildings before rising to prominence as a neo-expressionist artist.
Graffiti is often associated with street art, a term that grew popular during the graffiti art boom of the early 1980s, and includes various forms such as urban art, guerrilla art, post-graffiti, and neo-graffiti. Despite its artistic value, graffiti also has its critics who view it as visual pollution.
Hence, Option a is correct.