TAKI 183 is the "tag" of a Greek-American graffitist who was active during the late 1960s and early 1970s in New York City. The graffitist, whose given name is Demetrius, has never revealed his full name.
Biography
TAKI 183 was a graffiti tagger active during the late 1960s and early 1970s in New York City. His tag was short for "Dimitraki", an alternative for his Greek birth-name Dimitrios, and the number 183 came from his address on 183rd Street in Washington Heights. He worked as a foot messenger in New York City and would write his nickname around the streets that he frequented. On July 21, 1971, The New York Times published an article about him titled "Taki 183" Spawns Pen Pals. TAKI 183 spurred hundreds of imitators including Joe 136, BARBARA 62, EEL 159, YANK 135 and LEO 136 as examples provided by the newspaper. Those who got their names up the most and who developed signature tags became known in their communities. Graffiti became a way for many young people to try to get attention and the attention TAKI 183 received spurred this on. Although he was undoubtedly the popularizer of graffiti tagging, it was Julio 204 who started the trend, mainly tagging in the Inwood area. TAKI 183 was last known to be the owner of a foreign car repair shop in Yonkers. In an interview with the New York Daily News of April 9, 1989, he talked about his retirement as a graffiti writer: "As soon as I got into something more productive in my life, I stopped. Eventually I got into business, got married, bought a house, had a kid. Didn't buy a station wagon, but I grew up, you could say that." TAKI 183 was an early member of the artists collective, United Graffiti Artists, founded in 1972 by Hugo Martinez. It is also rumoured he was an inspiration for the 1985 filmTurk 182. His graffiti appeared in the 1985 movieJust One of the Guys. It appears on a bathroom stall wall after Joyce's character Terry uses the restroom for the first time as a man. TAKI 183 was also mentioned, and his art featured, in the 1983 documentary Style Wars.
Publication with contribution by Dimitrios
The History of American Graffiti. New York City: Harper Design, 2011. By Roger Gastman and Caleb Neelon.. Dimitrios contributed a foreword.
