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Street art
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Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to art of an illicit nature, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, 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.
The motivations and objectives that drive street artists are as varied as the artists themselves.
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Encyclopedia
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to art of an illicit nature, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, 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.
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. 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.
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;
Traditional graffiti also has increasingly been adopted as a method for advertising; its trajectory has even in some cases led to its artists' working on contract as graphic artists for corporations. 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.
Street artists
The first Street art artist was Gérfrom Zlotykamien from France. He was born in 1940 in Paris. Street artists such as Banksy, D*Face, Swoon, Twist, 108, Ellis Gallagher, Neck face, Os Gemeos and have earned international attention for their work and in turn migrated the showing of their works to the museum or gallery setting as well as the street. It is also not uncommon for street artists to achieve commercial success Shepard Fairey, Faile, WK Interact, Kaws, Ash and Buff Monster doing graphics for other companies or starting their own merchandising lines.
Key locations
While practically every large city in the world and some of the larger regional towns, host some form of street 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 street artists who travel to these locations to exhibit their works. The following is an incomplete list of a few of the most notable locations;
- Berlin, Germany - has attracted attention to international street artists since the reunification of the city making it one of Europe's street art strongholds. A lot of 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.
- Bristol, U.K. - also is part of a vibrant street art scene due in part to the success of Banksy.
- Sao Paulo, Brazil - generally viewed as one of the capitals of street art, and particularly murals. The lively and colourful atmosphere of the city is reflected in the street art scene, quickly evolving into one of the biggest and best in the world, drawing in many artists from around the world to collaborate.
Gallery
Documentary Films
- RASH (film) (2005), A feature length documentary film which explores the cultural value of Melbourne street art and graffiti.
Festivals
- The first ever street art festival was held in Melbourne in 2004.
See also
List of street artists Mission School Reclaim the streets Street installations Street Poster Art Wooster Collective Father Pat Noise Street Art in Melbourne Guerrilla marketing
Further reading
- Street Art in Berlin. Street art examples from Berlin. ISBN 978-3-89773-579-8
- PEEL: The Art of the Sticker by Dave & Holly Combs. Mark Batty Publisher (2008). ISBN 0979554608
- Claudia Walde: Sticker City: Paper Graffiti Art (Street Graphics / Street Art). Thames & Hudson, 2007. ISBN 978-0500286685
- Street Art by Allan Schwartzman, The Dial Press, 1985
- Street Logos by Tristan Manco. Thames and Hudson (2004). ISBN 0500284695
- Stencil Graffiti by Tristan Manco. Thames and Hudson (2002). ISBN 0500283427
- Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture by Christian Strike and Aaron Rose. Distributed Art Publishers, Aug 2005. ISBN 1933045302
- Street Renegades: New Underground Art by Francesca Gavin. Laurence King Publishers (2007). ISBN 9781856695299
- The Art Of Rebellion: The World Of Street Art by Christian Hundertmark. Gingko Press (2005). ISBN 9781584231578
- The Art Of Rebellion 2– World of Urban Art Activism by Christian Hundertmark. Gingko Press (2006). ISBN 9783980990943
- This Means Nothing, a book of photography on New York City street art by Le Bijoutier (2008). ISBN 9781576874172
- A book of New York City and Barcelona street art and graffiti by Louis Bou. ISBN 9780061210044
- Jerry Goldstein, Athens Street Art, Athens: Athens News, 2008. ISBN 9789608920064
- Street Art Chile by Rod Palmer. Eight Books (2008). Covering all parts of Chile, from Arica to Punta Arenas.. ISBN 9780955432217
- E Pluribus Venom by Shepard Fairey (2008) Gingko Press.
- Philosophy of Obey (Obey Giant): The Formative Years (1989 - 2008), edited by Sarah Jaye Williams (2008), Nerve Books UK.
- Obey: Supply & Demand, The Art of Shepard Fairey by Shepard Fairey (2006), Gingko Press.
Bombing Babylon by Michael A. Gonzales: blogs.uptownlife.net/michaelagonzales/?p=84
External links
- : A comprehensive photo blog dedicated to both Irish and International Street Art.
- : A comprehensive site dedicated to European and international street and graffiti art.
- : A comprehensive site dedicated the UK street art scene, prints, exhibitions and much more.
- - a user-created pictorial map of street art across the United Kingdom
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