Street art

Street art is a kind of visual art that people create in public locations for everyone to see. It’s different from art in a museum because it’s on walls, bridges, and buildings.

In the past, street art came from graffiti, which was often done without permission. Today, street art has changed. It’s not just about writing names; it’s about sharing messages and ideas. Sometimes artists work with building owners, but other times they create it without asking first.

Street art is special because the place where it’s made is part of the artwork. This makes each piece unique and connected to where it is. Street art helps people express themselves and share important thoughts.

Background

Street art is a type of art shown in public places like buildings, streets, and trains. Artists use these spaces to share messages or beautiful designs with everyone. This art form began with simple graffiti but has grown into many different styles. Some artists use street art to talk about important ideas, while others just want to show their creativity. They often enjoy creating art in public places without permission.

Street artists might use many different materials, such as spray paint, LED lights, mosaics, stencils, stickers, and even yarn bombing. With today’s technology, artists can also create video projections on big buildings. This lets them make art that stands out next to ads from companies. Many artists feel that using public spaces helps them reach more people than traditional galleries ever could.

Commercial crossover

Some street artists have become famous and now show their work in galleries and museums. An early example is Keith Haring from the 1980s. Today, ideas from street art are used in advertisements, and some artists work for companies. For example, Haze made designs for music groups like the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Shepard Fairey made posters for Barack Obama when he was running for president, and these posters appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Many street artists also sell products like t-shirts or prints to their fans.

Street art is so popular that many cities, like Berlin, London, and Paris, offer tours. Visitors can see famous pieces and learn about the messages behind them. These tours are led by artists or art experts who share their knowledge and passion for street art. This interest has sometimes changed neighborhoods, making them more expensive for people to live in.

Street art, guerrilla art and graffiti

Guerrilla art, a humanist mural by Fasim in Alcoi, 2018, Valencia, Spain

Graffiti often shows stylized words for a group or community. It aims to share messages publicly in a way that may be hard for others to understand. Street art, on the other hand, usually includes images, illustrations, or symbols to share messages clearly with everyone. Though different, both graffiti and street art share many similarities.

They are both ways for artists to express themselves publicly. Artists often want to be seen and recognized, and to share thoughts or ideas with others.

Street art and guerrilla art are often used to describe public artworks placed with purpose and meaning. These artworks can be created anonymously to challenge rules or norms, or by well-known artists. A key feature of street art is that it is often made in public spaces without permission. It can focus on small community issues or big global topics. The term "guerrilla art" comes from a type of warfare where actions are sudden and uncontrolled, much like how street artists may surprise people with their work.

Public acceptance

Street art is found everywhere around the world and has only recently become popular and accepted in many places. Though it is now respected in some public spaces, putting art on private or public property without permission is still against the law.

At first, graffiti was seen as a naughty way to mark territory and send simple messages. Over time, the line between true street art and simple tagging has become less clear. People who love street art understand that these pieces often change or get removed because they are made on surfaces not owned or approved by the artist. This idea of change and public placement is part of what makes street art special and has helped it grow in popularity. In the 21st century, some cities in the United States started putting poems into sidewalk cement, sometimes even holding contests to pick new poems.

Interestingly, some street artists who once opposed museums and ticket sales now have their work displayed in exhibitions. For example, an exhibition called 'Urban' opened at the Peterborough Museum in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2021. The show celebrates famous artists like Banksy, Damien Hirst, My Dog Sighs, the Connor Brothers, Pure Evil, and Blek le Rat. Street art and sculpture have also been on display at Bristol Museum since Banksy showed his work there in 2009.

Beautification movement

Street art can make neighborhoods brighter, safer, and more colorful. Groups like Beautify Earth help cities use art to turn empty or old walls into beautiful places for everyone to enjoy.

One study found that when crosswalks are painted with murals, there are fewer accidents there. This shows how art can help keep communities safe and inspiring.

Main article: Asphalt Art Safety Study

By region

Street art scenes differ greatly around the world, influenced by local culture, laws, and city development. Each region has its own unique style and famous artists.

North America

Canada

In Montreal, many murals have been created since the MURAL Festival began in 2013, making Le Plateau-Mont-Royal a key spot for urban art. Other areas like Villeray, Downtown Montreal, Le Sud-Ouest, and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve also have growing street art scenes. The Under Pressure festival, North America's largest graffiti event, celebrated its 25th year in 2021.

Toronto has a strong graffiti scene. Calgary recently started the Beltline Urban Mural Project, bringing artists from around the world to create large murals in the city center.

United States

New York City draws artists from everywhere. In Manhattan, street art grew in the 1980s in areas like SoHo, the Lower East Side, and parts of the East Village. The Chelsea art district also showcases street art. In Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Dumbo are well-known for their street art, especially near the waterfront. Bushwick, Brooklyn is the city's unofficial mural district, supported by The Bushwick Collective.

Chicago features many street artists like Matthew Hoffman and his You Are Beautiful project, along with Sentrock, Jc Rivera, and Hebru Brantley. Programs in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh help fund street artists to decorate city walls. The Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia, started in 1984, has made the city famous for its murals.

Street art in Atlanta is centered in areas like the Old Fourth Ward, Reynoldstown, the Krog Street Tunnel, and along the BeltLine railway.

Sarasota, Florida, holds the annual Sarasota Chalk Festival, started in 2007. Los Angeles's Arts District is famous for its murals, with neighborhoods like Hollywood and streets such as Sunset Boulevard being key spots. LAB ART Los Angeles, opened in 2011, focuses on street art.

San Francisco's Mission District has dense street art along Mission Street and Balmy Alleys. Other areas like Hayes Valley, SoMa, Bayview-Hunters Point, and the Tenderloin are also known for street art.

San Diego's East Village, Little Italy, North Park, and South Park have works by artists like VHILS, Shepard Fairey, and Os Gêmeos. Chicano Park in the Barrio Logan neighborhood features over 80 murals celebrating Latino culture.

Richmond, Virginia, has over 100 murals, many by students or graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts. Denver has the River North Art District (RiNo), dedicated to local artists.

South America

Buenos Aires is known for its large murals and artworks in public spaces. The first graffiti artists began painting in the mid-1990s. Influential Brazilian street artists include Claudio Ethos, Os Gêmeos, Vitche, Onesto, and Herbert Baglione.

Bogotá has many walls dedicated to street art, with the Distrito graffiti area featuring over 600 pieces by Colombian and international artists. Caracas saw street art evolve from political messages to cultural themes.

Europe

Street Art in Manhattan, New York City, 15 September 2017

London became very welcoming to street art in the 2010s, with artists like Stik gaining popularity. Dulwich Outdoor Gallery, working with Street Art London, showcases street art based on traditional paintings.

Bristol has a strong street art scene, partly due to the fame of Banksy. Ostend, Belgium hosts an international street art festival called The Crystal Ship.

Paris is home to artists like Space Invader and Jef Aérosol. The 13th arrondissement promotes street art through the Street Art 13 project.

Street art on the Berlin Wall was common when Germany was divided and continued to thrive after reunification. Areas like Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, and Friedrichshain are known for their street art.

Tartu, Estonia, is called the Estonian street art capital, known for the Stencibility festival. Athens, Greece, saw street art grow during the 2011 financial crisis, with artists creating works of resistance.

In Spain, Madrid and Barcelona are the most active cities for graffiti, with Valencia, Zaragoza, and Málaga also having scenes.

Italy has been active in street art since the late 1990s, with famous artists like BLU and Sten Lex.

Amsterdam has a long history of street art, with the 1960s provos movement using streets as canvases. The 1990s saw a new generation emerge, and the city became a center for the graffiti movement.

Bergen, Norway, is seen as the street art capital, with British artist Banksy inspiring locals. Stavanger hosts the annual NuArt Festival.

A vibrant mural of colorful "You Are Beautiful" stickers brightens a city street as pedestrians walk by.

Street art came to Sweden in the 1990s and is now very popular in public spaces. Helsinki, Finland, had a zero-tolerance policy for street art from 1998 to 2008 but has since established legal walls and art collectives.

Copenhagen, Denmark, saw wheatpaste and stencil art grow after visits from artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey.

Asia

India

In India, street art was popular from 1960 to the 1990s but has declined due to the rise of digital posters.

Malaysia

In George Town, Penang, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created murals depicting local culture, now celebrated landmarks.

South Korea

In Busan, South Korea, German painter Hendrik Beikirch created Asia's tallest mural at the time in 2012.

Mural by Vhils at Parque La Ruina (Hermosillo, Sonora), produced for ACC Global Series

Middle East

Israel

Areas of southern Tel Aviv, like Florentin, evolved from industrial zones into street-art districts in the 1990s, with artists creating political and cultural works.

United Arab Emirates

In Dubai, several famous painters created urban murals, starting with StreetArtNews naming it the Dubai Street Museum.

Oceania

Australia

Melbourne is known for its diverse street art culture, with pioneers in stencil art. Key areas include Brunswick, Carlton, Fitzroy, Northcote, and the city centre, especially Hosier Lane.

Sydney has a street art scene in the Newtown area. Brisbane supports graffiti on traffic signal boxes, with the Brisbane Street Art Festival running annually since 2016.

New Zealand

Dunedin started "official" street art in the 1980s with murals on bus shelters. The city has since added many murals, especially around the Warehouse Precinct and Exchange areas. Christchurch, after earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, hosted the Rise Street Art Festival, which helped the city rebuild with over 40 murals created since then. Auckland allowed street art on electrical boxes in 2009, with local groups like TMD gaining recognition.

Exhibitions, festivals and conferences

In 1981, the Washington Project for the Arts had an exhibition named Street Works. It showed early urban art by artists like Fab Five Freddy and Lee Quiñones.

Many cities have festivals for street art. The Sarasota Chalk Festival, which began in 2007, brings artists to make public drawings and murals. The Pasadena Chalk Festival in Pasadena, California is the biggest, with many artists and visitors each year. Other festivals are the Streetart Festival Istanbul in Turkey, Living Walls in Atlanta, and the London International Pasteup Festival in London. These events let artists show their work to everyone.