This page will introduce you to the complex and fascinating world of "street art".
Born in the Bronx, in New York City, street art has not always been recognized as an artistic movement. It is only recently that it conquered Europe and reached the heart of Londoners.
How did this happen?
Well... this is what we will try to explain.
But before, we may have to clarify a few things...
And if you're interested in discovering our favorite street art works...
Scroll down the page to see the pictures and listen to our recordings!
Born in the Bronx, in New York City, street art has not always been recognized as an artistic movement. It is only recently that it conquered Europe and reached the heart of Londoners.
How did this happen?
Well... this is what we will try to explain.
But before, we may have to clarify a few things...
And if you're interested in discovering our favorite street art works...
Scroll down the page to see the pictures and listen to our recordings!
I - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEn GRAFFITI art AND STREET ART?
- Since graffiti art appeared before street art, we can say that graffiti artists were the precursors of street art.
- But while a graffiti is an inscription made on public or private spaces, street art is an artistic movement which regroups all types of art made in the street.
- Another major difference is that very often street art tries to convey a relevant social message in an aesthetic way while the goal of graffiti art is to write a name with visible letters in order to be seen.
- Some journalists say that in the UK it was Banksy who, by painting concepts, pictures and images, made the jump from graffiti art to street art.
BY MELISSA
ii - IS STREET ART A FORM OF COMMUNICATION OR IS IT PURE VANDALISM?
Some people think that street art is a form a vandalism because it is done illegaly. It's the case of this Los Angeles funiture business owner interviewed in the above video. According to him, street art is not "art", and he thinks that if people like it they should do it on their own house, not on other people's buildings.
But other people like street artists (or artist in general) and are in favour of street art because they think it's a means of expression.
We should perhaps make a difference between two things:
1. Artists who make real works of art (artists like Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Blek le Rat...) and try to convey a message
2. And thugs who just want to leave their mark and damage the city and who don't care about other citizens
Today more and more people want to make us discover this art through exhibitions. But in spite of these exhibitions some people still hate street art. The Los Angeles police for example confess that they fear that a street art exhibition will cause a new rise in vandalism in the surrounding neighborhoods.
According to us, street art is a real form of communication, a very good means of expression because it allows to share a message (to the governement or to society for example). It allows to share an information or opinion inplicitely..
We don't agree with tags when they involve the degradation of private properties, but we agree with street artists like Banksy who share a real message.
This work, for example, which was made by Shepard Fairey, conveys a real message:
It denounces the fact that the United States has become a surveillance society, that there are too many controls and that people feel oppressed.
To conclude, we think street art must be in museums, like Mona Lisa.
BY LOUIS, FLORIAN, QUENTIN, CEDRIC & ISABELLE
But other people like street artists (or artist in general) and are in favour of street art because they think it's a means of expression.
We should perhaps make a difference between two things:
1. Artists who make real works of art (artists like Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Blek le Rat...) and try to convey a message
2. And thugs who just want to leave their mark and damage the city and who don't care about other citizens
Today more and more people want to make us discover this art through exhibitions. But in spite of these exhibitions some people still hate street art. The Los Angeles police for example confess that they fear that a street art exhibition will cause a new rise in vandalism in the surrounding neighborhoods.
According to us, street art is a real form of communication, a very good means of expression because it allows to share a message (to the governement or to society for example). It allows to share an information or opinion inplicitely..
We don't agree with tags when they involve the degradation of private properties, but we agree with street artists like Banksy who share a real message.
This work, for example, which was made by Shepard Fairey, conveys a real message:
It denounces the fact that the United States has become a surveillance society, that there are too many controls and that people feel oppressed.
To conclude, we think street art must be in museums, like Mona Lisa.
BY LOUIS, FLORIAN, QUENTIN, CEDRIC & ISABELLE
IIi - WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES USED BY STREET ARTISTS?
Generally when we think of street art we think of murals (wall paintings). But street art includes various forms of art and street artists use different techniques to do their works. They can use for example:
- Spray paint cans:
This technique is often used to write a pseudonym. It's the best technique because it's simple and profitable.
- Stencils:
The stenciling technique consists in creating a stencil with a cardboard. The image is then reproduced on the wall using the stencil and spray painting. It is used because it's fast and accurate (Banksy often uses this technique …)
- stickers:
Sticker art consists in drawing on a paper and stick it in the street. Stickers art is considered as a subcategory of postmodern art.
- mosaics:
Mosaic tiling consists in creating an image with an assemblage of small mosaics to form a single giant piece of art. "Space Invader" is known for using this technique.
But painting or sticking something on a wall is not the only form of street art that exists. Video projection, wood blocking, flash mobs and street installations can also be considered as forms of art since they are forms of expression which take place in an urban environment.
- video projection:
It consists in projecting a computer-manipulated image onto a surface via a light and projection system.
- street installation:
It consists in taking a surface of the street like a phone booth and adding your own installation. Like graffiti, it is not authorized and once the object or sculpture is installed it is left there by the artists.
BY ALEXANDRE AND THIBAULT
- Spray paint cans:
This technique is often used to write a pseudonym. It's the best technique because it's simple and profitable.
- Stencils:
The stenciling technique consists in creating a stencil with a cardboard. The image is then reproduced on the wall using the stencil and spray painting. It is used because it's fast and accurate (Banksy often uses this technique …)
- stickers:
Sticker art consists in drawing on a paper and stick it in the street. Stickers art is considered as a subcategory of postmodern art.
- mosaics:
Mosaic tiling consists in creating an image with an assemblage of small mosaics to form a single giant piece of art. "Space Invader" is known for using this technique.
But painting or sticking something on a wall is not the only form of street art that exists. Video projection, wood blocking, flash mobs and street installations can also be considered as forms of art since they are forms of expression which take place in an urban environment.
- video projection:
It consists in projecting a computer-manipulated image onto a surface via a light and projection system.
- street installation:
It consists in taking a surface of the street like a phone booth and adding your own installation. Like graffiti, it is not authorized and once the object or sculpture is installed it is left there by the artists.
BY ALEXANDRE AND THIBAULT
Iv - How AND WHEN DID STREET ART REACH NEW YORK AND LONDON?
If we consider that street art means the practice of painting pictures on walls, then street art already existed in prehistoric and ancient times. In towns like Pompeii or Athens, we have found many inscriptions and illustrations on the walls of churches and castles. Very often these inscriptions tried to convey political, religious, and sexual messages.
But street art as we know it today (that is to say a phenomenon related to “urban environment”) and more specifically graffiti art was born in the United States in the 70's in poor districts of New York like Harlem or the Bronx. It became associated to hip-hop and the invention of the spray paint can. It started with tags in the streets and in the subway and it progressively gained in prestige and influence. Among the first graffiti artists, we should remember the names Taki 183, Tracy 168 or Seen, often refered to as "The Godfather of Graffiti" (for more information on Seen you can watch his interview below). They were all born in New York and highly contributed to the development of the graffiti movement.
It was in the 80's that street art reached Europe. In1983, an important community ot graffiti artist was constituted in Bristol and London. Banksy, a famous British street artist based in Oxford and London, was probably the one who made the jump from graffiti art to street art.
BY AXELLE, AURELIA, DYLAN, MELAINE & THIBAULT
But street art as we know it today (that is to say a phenomenon related to “urban environment”) and more specifically graffiti art was born in the United States in the 70's in poor districts of New York like Harlem or the Bronx. It became associated to hip-hop and the invention of the spray paint can. It started with tags in the streets and in the subway and it progressively gained in prestige and influence. Among the first graffiti artists, we should remember the names Taki 183, Tracy 168 or Seen, often refered to as "The Godfather of Graffiti" (for more information on Seen you can watch his interview below). They were all born in New York and highly contributed to the development of the graffiti movement.
It was in the 80's that street art reached Europe. In1983, an important community ot graffiti artist was constituted in Bristol and London. Banksy, a famous British street artist based in Oxford and London, was probably the one who made the jump from graffiti art to street art.
BY AXELLE, AURELIA, DYLAN, MELAINE & THIBAULT
IV - WHO IS BANKSY? why is he so famous?
Banksy is a graffiti artist, born in 1974 in England. He is a political activist, film director and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stencilling technic. He creates himself his stencils and but he mixes different technics (for example street installations or pop art techniques).
His work often provide a political and social commentary. They are displayed in the street, on walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. They try to be provocative and to make us think.
One of Banksy's most well-known motif is the rat. He uses it to represent mankind and also as a kind of mascot.
Here is an example of work showing a rat
Some people said that Banksy uses a "rat" because it's an anagram of "art" but Banksy was apparently not aware of this. He said:
"I'd been painting rats for three years before someone said, 'That's clever, it's an anagram of art,' and I had to pretend I'd known that all along."
Other people say the rat embodies all of Banksy’s belief as a graffiti artist. As rats multiply in retaliation to society’s attempts at pest control, the graffiti underground grows in response to government’s attempts to cleanse the city of street art.
Banksy has also painted many graffiti on the wall which separates Palestine and Israel to give hope to the Palestinian people. Here are some examples:
His work often provide a political and social commentary. They are displayed in the street, on walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. They try to be provocative and to make us think.
One of Banksy's most well-known motif is the rat. He uses it to represent mankind and also as a kind of mascot.
Here is an example of work showing a rat
Some people said that Banksy uses a "rat" because it's an anagram of "art" but Banksy was apparently not aware of this. He said:
"I'd been painting rats for three years before someone said, 'That's clever, it's an anagram of art,' and I had to pretend I'd known that all along."
Other people say the rat embodies all of Banksy’s belief as a graffiti artist. As rats multiply in retaliation to society’s attempts at pest control, the graffiti underground grows in response to government’s attempts to cleanse the city of street art.
Banksy has also painted many graffiti on the wall which separates Palestine and Israel to give hope to the Palestinian people. Here are some examples:
BY LAURA, ANAIS, CELINE & ELODIE
VI - A few works we like
- Here are some of our favorite works.
- Play the recordings if you're interested in listening to our interpretation of these works.
Olympic rings by Banksy
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Florian
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Follow your dreams by Banksy |
Isabelle: |
Work by Lush