Street art is the display of art in public spaces, often with a subversive element. It can be political or motivated by promoting freedom of expression, humor, or drawing attention to something. Street artists work in various mediums, including graffiti, murals, sidewalk art, stickers, and flash mobs. Some cities are known for their thriving street art scenes, but some forms of street art are illegal. Joining local networks or researching municipal codes can help street artists navigate displaying their art legally.
Anyone can become a street artist. A street artist is simply someone who makes or displays art in public spaces. There is often an element of the subversive in street art. Street artists are often involved in groups that stage political protests, but street art is not always political. A street artist can be motivated by promoting freedom of expression, provoking thoughts, humor or drawing attention to something.
A street artist’s work may be illegal or may be commissioned privately or publicly. Some cities are known for their thriving street art scenes. Some street artists achieve commercial success as artists and designers based on their previous street art, but in general, it is difficult to make a living as a street artist.
A street artist can work in many different mediums. A traditional type of street art is graffiti, made with aerosol spray paint. Graffiti, unless done by request on privately owned surfaces, is generally illegal. Graffiti artists are known for working under the cover of darkness, in spaces that are difficult and dangerous to reach. Murals, or wall paintings, are another type of street art. Because murals take a lot of time and effort to produce, they are usually commissioned works of art.
Sidewalk or sidewalk art is often drawn with chalk on public sidewalks. Chalk street artist Julian Beever, for example, recreates famous paintings and complicated 3D drawings in public spaces. One benefit – and disadvantage – of chalk street art is that it washes away in the rain.
Other types of street art include stickers and wheat crunching, which involve pasting posters or other emblems in public places. Stencils are often used by street artists, as well as mosaics and video installations. A street artist can also stage performances or organize “flash mobs”, spontaneous gatherings of people performing specific acts. For example, a flash mob in San Francisco involved hundreds of people converging over several hours in a downtown square to brawl.
Street artists often have local networks that you can join if you want to learn more about your local street art scene and meet other street artists. The internet is a good resource for this, as are local art schools. Some cities, like New York, USA; Melbourne, Australia; Bristol, United Kingdom; Berlin, Germany; and São Paulo, Brazil; are known internationally for their vibrant street art scenes.
Some forms of street art are illegal, and that fact can be an important element of the art. If a street artist doesn’t want to break the law to display their art, it’s worth looking into the city’s municipal codes regarding vandalism and what’s allowed in public spaces, as they vary greatly from location to location.
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