Street art

This article is about visual art practiced in the street. For performing art practiced in the street, see Street performance. For street theatre, see Street theatre.

Street art by John Fekner in Jackson Heights NY.

Street art by Banksy in Bristol.

Street art by Jacek Tylicki in New York 1982.

"Painting in the Global Tradition" by Ces53, a Dutch street artist

"Divorced" by Morley in Los Angeles, CA.

Owl, Mezer, Moss. Venice Beach, CA.

Don't Fly Away, street art by BLANK in New York City

Street art is art, specifically visual art, developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, flash mobbing and street installations. Typically, the term street art or the more specific post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art.

Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. ‘Street’ artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them. John Fekner defines street art as “all art on the street that’s not graffiti.”

Techniques

Whereas traditional graffiti artists have primarily used free-hand aerosol paints to produce their works, "street art" encompasses many other media and techniques, including: LED art, mosaic tiling, murals, stencil art, sticker art, street installations, wheatpasting, woodblocking, video projection, and yarn bombing.

Traditional graffiti also has increasingly been adopted as a method for advertising; its trajectory has even in some cases led its artists to work on contract as graphic artists for corporations. Nevertheless, street art is a label often adopted by artists who wish to keep their work unaffiliated and strongly political. Street artists are those whose work is still largely done without official approval in public areas.

For these reasons street art is sometimes considered "post-graffiti" and sometimes even "neo-graffiti." Street art can be found around the world and street artists often travel to other countries foreign to them so they can spread their designs.

Motivation

The motivations and objectives that drive street artists are as varied as the artists themselves. There is a strong current of activism and subversion in urban art. Street art can be a powerful platform for reaching the public, and frequent themes include adbusting, subvertising and other culture jamming, the abolishment of private property and reclaiming the streets. Some street artists use "smart vandalism" as a way to raise awareness of social and political issues. Other street artists simply see urban space as an untapped format for personal artwork, while others may appreciate the challenges and risks that are associated with installing illicit artwork in public places. However the universal theme in most, if not all street art, is that adapting visual artwork into a format which utilizes public space, allows artists who may otherwise feel disenfranchised, to reach a much broader audience than traditional artwork and galleries normally allow.

Street artists

Street artists such as Above, Jef Aérosol, Banksy, Borf, Mat Benote, BLU, Cartrain, Ces53, Dan Witz, D*Face, Tod Hanson, Invader, Michael Kirby, Neck Face, Ellis Gallagher, Vhils, Os Gemeos, Swoon, Twist, 108 and Sten Lex, have earned international attention for their work and have shown their works in museums or galleries as well as on the street. It is also not uncommon for street artists to achieve commercial success (e.g., Ash, Shepard Fairey, Ron English, Faile, Mr. Brainwash and WK Interact), doing graphics for other companies or starting their own merchandising lines. Other pioneers of street art who have completely discontinued street art (e.g., Richard Hambleton and members of AVANT) have also successfully pursued their contemporary art careers in galleries and museums.

In 1981, Washington Project for the Arts held an exhibition entitled Street Works, which included John Fekner, Fab Five Freddy and Lee Quinones working directly on the streets. Fekner, a pioneer in urban art, is included in Cedar Lewisohn’s book Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution, which accompanied the 2008 Street Art exhibition at the Tate Modern in England, of which Lewisohn was the curator.

The 1990 book Soho Walls – Beyond Graffiti by David Robinson documents the paradigm shift in New York from the text-based precedents established by graffiti artists toward art in the streets such as the shadow figures by Richard Hambleton and the group of five young New York artists working collectively under the moniker AVANT.

In 1993, 20 1-ton statues of a coated human-beast called my inner beast where eracted in different cities all over Europe, in order to provoke the average European into seeing their own inner beast. Later in the year Jens Galschiøt was first identified as the artist.

Key locations

While practically all large cities in the world, and some of the larger regional towns, host some form of urban art or graffiti, there are a few locations that are considered to harbour forerunners of particular mediums or foster a pioneering street art culture in general. Such locations often attract internationally known artists who travel to these locations to exhibit their works. The following is a partial list of the most notable locations.

Europe

• Bulgaria: Sofia - In the night between the 17th and the 18th of June 2011 the monument of the Soviet Army in Sofia was painted by anonymous street artists. The Soviet soldiers depicted in the monument for a few days turned into Superman, Ronald McDonald, Santa Claus and others. It was a controversial subject and there were many supporters of the monument staying painted and many against it. In the early morning of June 21, 2011 the monument was cleaned.
• Germany: Berlin has attracted attention to international urban artists since the reunification of the city, making it one of Europe's street art strongholds. Bizarre post-communist locations, cheap rents and ramshackle buildings gave rise to a vibrant street art scene. Hotspots include Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.
• Italy has been very active in street art since the end of the 90's; some of the most famous street artists include BLU, 108, and Sten Lex.
• France: Paris is also a very active street art scene with artists such as Space Invader, Zevs, Mosko et Associés, Mesnager, Zoo Project. It started with the Lettrism and then with a Situationist slogan painted on a wall in Paris. The nouveau realist, including Jacques Villeglé, Yves Klein and Arman interact with public space but stay, like Pop Art in a classic studio/gallery relation. On 1962, The Rideau de Fer (Iron Curtain) By Christo and Jeanne-Claude is an example of early uncommissioned art. The Same year sees the first can spray work by pioneer Gérard Zlotykamien. After the "chienlit" (expression coined by General De Gaulle to qualify the May 1968 mini-revolution, Paris, like New-York has major city works but no Factory as important as Warhol's. In the 1970s, the work of Daniel Buren appeared in the Paris subway. Blek le Rat and the Figuration Libre (including Claude Closky and Pierre Huyghe) became active in the 1980s.
• Norway: Stavanger is host to the annual Nuart Festival, one of Europe's leading events dedicated to promoting street art.
• Poland: Łódź in September 2011, under the patronage of Mayor Hanna Zdanowska, a permanent city exhibition was financed called Urban Forms Gallery. The exhibition included work from some of Poland's elite street artists as well as some more globally known artists. Since the 1990s street art has been prevalent in Poland, which is most likely related to the collapse of communism in 1989. Street art is largely, though not exclusively, inspired by the hip-hop music scene. It is mostly accepted by the public, with the authorities occasionally giving licence to artists to decorate public spots. Despite this, public property is still illegally targeted in some cases. Warsaw and Gdansk are among some of the other Polish cities with a vibrant street art culture.
• Spain: Major Spanish coastal cities such as Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza have a vibrant street art scene.
• UK:
  • Bristol is part of a vibrant street art scene, due in part to the success of Banksy.
  • London has become one of the most pro-graffiti cities in the world. Although officially condemned and heavily enforced, street art has a huge following and in many ways is embraced by the public.

North America

• United States:
  • Atlanta: small but growing street art scene in the Krog Street Tunnel and the 22-mile BeltLine path which circles the inner city along industrial and residential spaces. Host of the Living Walls street art conference. However, in May 2011 Atlanta established a Graffiti Task Force. In October 2011 the police arrested 7 persons that they designated as vandals and some regard as artists. However, city officials assert that they have no intention of stifling the street art scene. The city selected 29 murals which would not be painted over including those commissioned as part of the BeltLine and works created during the Living Walls conferences. But the list did not include the most famous street art space in the city, the Krog Street Tunnel. Many street artists and members of the arts community interviewed by Creative Loafing believe the city's efforts are misdirected or futile.
  • Los Angeles: influential art and intriguing graffiti pieces throughout the city. Key locations include Sunset Boulevard, La Brea, Beverly Boulevard, La Cienega, Melrose Avenue, and Hollywood to name a few. On May 13, 2011, LAB ART Los Angeles opened the world's largest art gallery dedicated to street art on La Brea. Spanning 6,500 square feet (600 m2) of space, [[edit]LAB ART Los Angeles]] features over 300 works of art and installation from over 30 street artists including Alec Monopoly, Thank You X and Smear.
  • Miami's Wynwood is home to Wynwood Walls, an outdoor mural permanent exhibit featuring some of the world's most renowned street artists. Additionally there are hundreds of other street art and graffiti murals around the district curated yearly by Primary Flight, making it one of the biggest street art districts in in the world.
  • New York City is considered the home of modern graffiti. In the early 1980s, the first art galleries that started to show street artists to the public were Fashion Moda in Bronx and Now Gallery in East Village, Manhattan.^{[citation needed]} The city has a thriving street art scene.
  • San Francisco's Mission District is renowned for its densely-packed street art along Mission Street, and all along both Clarion Alley and Balmy Alley.

South America

• Argentina: Buenos Aires has an active street art seen throughout the city. A fundamental difference with the scene in Buenos Aires is the implicit co-operation of the police, who rarely bother street artists.^{[citation needed]} Some companies offer tours to explore the street art in the city and learn more about the artists and their work.^{[citation needed]} Ever is a Buenos Aires artist whose work has gained an international recognition, including at the Living Walls conference.
• Brazil: São Paulo has an internationally recognized street art scene in addition to pichação, rune-like black graffiti which many creators say expresses feelings of class conflict.

Australia

• Melbourne (see Street art in Melbourne) is home to one of the world's most active and diverse street art cultures and is home to pioneers in the stencil medium. Street artists such as Blek le Rat and Banksy often exhibited works on Melbourne's streets in the 2000s. Works are supported and preserved by local councils. Key locations within the city include Brunswick, Carlton, Fitzroy, Northcote, and the city centre including the famous Hosier Lane.

Festivals and conferences

Living Walls is an annual street art conference founded in 2009. In 2010 it was hosted in Atlanta and in 2011 jointly in Atlanta and Albany, New York. Living Walls was also active promoting street art at Art Basel Miami Beach 2011.

Gallery

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  Sociopolitic Street Art from Skore183 - "Freedom" in Munich

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  "The naked truth" by street artist ABOVE. Site specific stencil, installation, and word-play in Copenhagen, Denmark. 2009

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  A street art installation by anonymous LONDON PJN in Amsterdam, 2008

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  A street art mural in São Paulo, Brazil

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  "Drive-In" by AVANT, 1983, wheatpasted paintings in SoHo, NYC

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  "Exact Change" by AVANT, 1982-3, bus stops in NYC

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  "Triad" by AVANT, 1983, sheet-metal paintings bolted to NYC signposts

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  Street art in Melbourne

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  A painted store front gate with Above's arrows in New York City, 2010

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  "Astronaut Cosmonaut" by Ash, Berlin, 2007

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  Poster art, Melbourne

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  Large stencils, Melbourne

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  Stencil art, Melbourne

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  Stencil art, Melbourne

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  Street art in Buenos Aires

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  Child labour for profit street art By Kakos in Brighton UK

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  Political street art mural from SKORE183 - "in Greed we Trust" in Munich Germany

See also

Graffiti
Graffiti terminology Screen-printing Spray paint art Stencil

• Public art
• Father Pat Noise
• Guerrilla marketing
• List of street artists
• Mission School
• MONU - magazine on urbanism
• Reclaim the Streets
• Street art in Melbourne
• Street installation
• Street poster art
• Wooster Collective

Further reading

• Bearman, Joshuah (October 1, 2008). "Street Cred: Why would Barack Obama invite a graffiti artist with a long rap sheet to launch a guerrilla marketing campaign on his behalf?". Modern Painters (artinfo.com). http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/28602/street-cred/. Retrieved 2008-10-01. 
• Le Bijoutier (2008), This Means Nothing, Powerhouse Books, ISBN 978-1-57687-417-2
• Bou, Louis (2006), NYC BCN: Street Art Revolution, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-06-121004-4
• Bou, Louis (2005), Street Art: Graffiti, stencils, stickers & logos, Instituto Monsa de ediciones, S.A., ISBN 978-84-96429-11-6
• Chaffee, Lyman (1993). Political Protest and Street Art: Popular Tools for Democratization in Hispanic Cultures. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313288089. 
• Combs, Dave and Holly (2008), PEEL: The Art of the Sticker, Mark Batty Publisher, ISBN 0-9795546-0-8
• Fairey, Shepard (2008), Obey: E Pluribus Venom: The Art of Shepard Fairey, Gingko Press, ISBN 978-1-58423-295-7
• Fairey, Shepard (2009), Obey: Supply & Demand, The Art of Shepard Fairey, Gingko Press, ISBN 978-1-58423-349-7
• Gavin, Francesca (2007), Street Renegades: New Underground Art, Laurence King Publishers, ISBN 978-1-85669-529-9
• Goldstein, Jerry (2008), Athens Street Art, Athens: Athens News, ISBN 978-960-89200-6-4
• Harrington, Steven P. and Rojo, Jaime (2008), Brooklyn Street Art, Prestel, ISBN 978-3-7913-3963-4
• Harrington, Steven P. and Rojo, Jaime (2010), Street Art New York, Prestel, ISBN 978-3-7913-4428-7
• Hundertmark, Christian (2005), The Art Of Rebellion: The World Of Street Art, Gingko Press, ISBN 978-1-58423-157-8
• Hundertmark, Christian (2006), The Art Of Rebellion 2: World of Urban Art Activism, Gingko Press, ISBN 978-3-9809909-4-3
• Jakob, Kai (2009), Street Art in Berlin, Jaron, ISBN 978-3-89773-596-5
• Lewisohn, Cedar (2008), Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution, London, England: Tate Publishing, ISBN 978-1-85437-767-8
• Longhi, Samantha (2007), Stencil History X, Association C215, ISBN 978-2-9525682-2-7
• Manco, Tristan (2002), Stencil Graffiti, Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-28342-7
• Manco, Tristan (2004), Street Logos, Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-28469-5
• Marziani, Gianluca (2009), Scala Mercalli: The Creative Earthquake of Italian Street Art, Drago Publishing, ISBN 978-88-88493-42-8
• Mathieson, Eleanor & A. Tàpies, Xavier (2009): Street Artists, The Complete Guide.Graffito Books, London. ISBN 978-0-9560284-1-9
• Palmer, Rod (2008), Street Art Chile, Eight Books, ISBN 978-0-9554322-1-7
• Palmer, Gary (1996), Carpet of Dream, RJD Enterprises, ISBN 0-9632862-9-3
• Schwartzman, Allan (1985), Street Art, The Dial Press, ISBN 978-0-385-19950-6
• Strike, Christian and Rose, Aaron (Aug 2005), Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture, Distributed Art Publishers, ISBN 1-933045-30-2
• Tarantino, A (2011): Seattle Street Art — A Visual Time Capsule Beyond Graffiti, Createspace, ISBN 0-615-45190-X
• Walde, Claudia (2007), Sticker City: Paper Graffiti Art (Street Graphics / Street Art Series), Thames & Hudson, ISBN 978-0-500-28668-5
• Williams, Sarah Jaye, ed. (2008), Philosophy of Obey (Obey Giant): The Formative Years (1989–2008), Nerve Books UK.

Documentary films

• Rock Fresh (2004), a documentary film about the challenging world of the graffiti artist
• RASH (2005), a feature length documentary film which explores the cultural value of Melbourne street art and graffiti
• Bomb It (2008), a documentary film about graffiti and street art around the world
• Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010), a documentary created by the artist Banksy about Thierry Guetta
• Roadsworth: Crossing the Line (2007), a documentary film about the legal struggle of Montreal street artist Roadsworth
• Street Art Awards (2010), opening of the street art festival in Berlin

External links

• Street Art at the Open Directory Project