Muelle was a trademark signature and design by Juan Carlos Argüello,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

pioneer (circa 1966–1995). Around 1980, during the Madrilene cultural Movida, Argüello started reproducing the

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...

he had designed in walls and public spaces of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

. It consisted of the word ''Muelle'' (

for ''

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season) Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...

''), or an R with an enclosing circle ( ®) and a line in the shape of a coiled spring ending in an arrowhead. At first he used an ink marker, and later spraypainted his signature extensively around Madrid (and to a lesser extent, in other Spanish localities). In the eighties, he improved his technique, using several colours, wider borders, and 3-D effects. His innovative style, along with the profusion of his tags made his work popular. Many other Madrilene youths created their own tags inspired by Muelle's, often ending strokes with arrowheads. The spread of hip-hop culture in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in the late 1980s introduced the new graffiti styles developed in the

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, but variations in Muelle's work basically kept his original design. Argüello appeared in Spanish

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and

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

External links

Photographs at Madrid Old School Graffiti
an ''aficionado'''s web.

External links

See also