Street art, also known as guerrilla art, graffiti, urban art, and independent art, has been used to advertise businesses, spread socio-political messages or simply bring joy and color to different spaces. It has now expanded beyond public places and is often related to activism that raises awareness about pressing social and environmental issues. In Cambridge, for example, several murals have been erected on prominent walls in the bustling urban environment and utility boxes have been painted with murals. This explosion of color brings a sense of identity, unity and positivity that flows throughout the city.
Street art additions benefit urban environments by creating a safer community, building relationships between voters and businesses, and increasing economic revenues. Street art is historically linked to breaking with traditional practices, whether in terms of subjects or artistic styles. Artists often incorporate graffiti elements into their works, adding letters with large bubbles or smaller decorative letters. Scale and time are often important factors when creating street art, since many of these works are created illegally. Many artists use spray paint and stencils to paint large surfaces, such as walls, in a short time.
Others are interested in new approaches to the art form and, instead, use materials such as posters, stickers, yarn and even video projections to leave their mark on the urban environment. Although street art owes part of its glory to this type of artistic expression, it is a wonderful art form in its own right and it's incredible to follow the evolution and diversity of street art in the 21st century. Jean-Michel Basquiat began labeling his pseudonym SAMO in New York and, later, channeled these graffiti elements into his street art canvases. The evolution of street art became evident through artists such as Banksy, who transformed the vision of this art form with his documentary Exit through the gift shop. Keith Haring played an important role in the rise of the New York street art scene of the 1980s, creating paintings and drawings inspired by graffiti that broke the barriers between street culture and high-end art. Although there is still a debate about whether the practice is art or vandalism, street art has garnered a large number of followers today.
We offer art lovers and art collectors one of the best places on the planet to discover and buy modern and contemporary art. Although it remains subversive, and largely an illegal movement, thanks to enthusiasts and art professionals, street art has earned its place in the contemporary art world. In SoHo, a New York City branch, urban art scholars found that the rise of graffiti art caused relatively low crime rates compared to other neighborhoods in the city. From graffiti, stencils, engravings and murals, to large scale paintings and collaborative artistic projects, to street installations, as well as performance art and video art - there is no doubt that street art has become part of the core of contemporary art. During the 1980s, street art and graffiti reached galleries and museums at a time when artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat from the New York street scene gave credibility to that area and took their street works to the world of fine art. After his early death, Jean-Michel Basquiat's reputation skyrocketed and today he is considered one of the first and greatest exponents of visual arts in African-American history.
Thread bombardment - bringing colored knitted or crocheted yarn or fiber to the streets - is one of the fairly new phenomena in the world of street art. The power of street art lies in its ability to provoke discussion about pressing social issues while also providing a sense of identity for communities around the world. It has become an integral part of contemporary culture that continues to evolve with each new generation of artists.
