These past few years marked the appearance of a new way of doing arts. It is not about museums and boring galleries anymore. It is all about what is surrounding us. Art is everywhere : in the street, in your office, in the forest… Everywhere you want it to be ! The street artists realized it soon enough and offered us the possibility to see our life in a new way.
Street art : the definition of a new perspective
Street art is visual art created in public locations. Other terms for this type of art are urban art, guerrilla art, independent public art, post-graffiti or neo-graffiti, but I definitely prefer to call it street art. This can be done thanks to spray paint graffiti, stencil graffiti, wheatpaster poster art, sticker art, street installations and sculpture. Plus, we see more and more video projection and yarn bombing coming in the street.
The original origins of the movement
Street art started as a sign of protest by the painting of enigmatic symbols. One of the most famous symbol was the “Kilroy was here” during the World War II. However, what actually marked the beginning of the movement happened in New York City from the 60’s to the 80’s. The cradle of the graffiti boom is centered in the Bronx. Ever since, the movement kept on expanding everywhere in the world with iconic artists such as Banksy, Keith Haring or René Moncada.
Some artists you should know
Endless : Endless is a London-based street artist. His has a provocative and radical way of creating and conveying a story about our world which is bold and intense. Find him here
Banksy : He is one of the most famous street artists in the world. Nobody knows who he is but some rumours say that he would be from Stoke in the UK and would be around 40 years old. The mystery surrounding the artist has given him a huge reputation in the graffiti movement.
Manyoly : Manyoly is a French street artist who has started her career 7 years ago. She has never taken an art class. In 2013, she decided to travel the world and ended up in Asia. Back to France, she got into the urban art movement. Ever since, her portraits of faces have traveled all around the world. Find her here
Hyuro : The Argentinian Hyuro is based in Valencia, Spain and paints with Escif. She creates dramatic, introspective scenes of characters exploring their thoughts and emotions. Find her here
Trollux2Luxe : It is a Belgian street artist specialized in stickers. His pieces were firstly found in the city of Mons where he started his career. It was at first a hobby until it became something way much bigger. Ever since he often works with various organizations and has recently launched his first clothing line. Find him here
Some places you should visit
Chicago, US
London, UK
Lisbon, Portugal
Brighton, UK
New York, US
Street art has finally gained recognition into the art world and starts to find its place in famous galleries. What do you think of this movement? Tell us in the comment section below !