Street Art

The Origins Of Street Art

Before modern street art and graffiti, slogans expressing social or political commentary were found written on public walls. Iconic graphics and simple text were the very earliest forms of street art although it is generally acknowledged that the true birth of street art occurred in New York City during the graffiti art boom of the 1960s. This art form matured during the decade that followed and peaked during the 1980s when subway train cars boasted fully spray-painted murals.

As the years went on, the text-based artworks of the early years of the 1980s gave way to visual concepts like the shadow figures created by Hambleton. Although street art of that time was not yet a realistic career for any artist, the popularity of these works of art led into many street art wheatpasted poster artworks being accepted as actual artworks and thus they became commonly seen in towns and cities around the world during the late 1980s. At this time, too, the Punk Rock movement also led to the evolution of street art thanks to its subversive ideology.

The Ethics And Legality Of Street Art

When it comes to legal issues, street art comes in a category of its own. The parties which are involved in this art form can include only the artist themselves, or the artist in conjunction with the municipal city or government. Alternatively, the artwork’s intended recipient or the building’s owner on which the art is displayed may also be involved. The result can be a complex blend of ethical, moral and legal questions.

One classic example of this occurred in 2014 in England when Banksy’s work “Mobile Lovers” was painted onto a public doorway. The plywood on which it was painted was then cut out by a private citizen who intended to sell the work as a way of raising funds for the Boys Club. The artwork was, in turn, confiscated by the city’s government. It was then put in a museum. When Banksy, the artist, heard about the problem, he bequeathed it to the citizen who had intended to sell the piece, believing in the genuine nature of his intentions.

This case proves that there is a controversy between public property and ownership of art, and these only add to the additional issues of vandalism and trespassing which are linked to street art. All of these are issues which need to be resolved when it comes to dealing with street art as a genre.

Street Artists Taking Corporate Work

The move towards companies harnessing the power of street art to promote their products has led to many street artists now turning to corporate advertising work so they can make ends meet. Yet they insist they are still working in the same creative way, just with a different medium. Many hope that with their commercial work they will be able to help clients to engage with audiences that they previously struggled to communicate with.

On the other hand, there are also plenty of street artists doing corporate work who are highly critical of companies which try to use stealthy street art style advertising campaigns. Companies which try to disguise their sponsorship on street art marketing artworks risk damaging their reputation according to many street artists.

For companies, street art often represents an especially tempting way of getting noticed in an overcrowded public arena. Even Time magazine has got in on the act, having previously paid graffiti artists to decorate walls in New York in an attempt to cut through the mess of marketing messages which New Yorkers were subjected to on a daily basis.

Street artists grasp the strategy, although not all are on board with it. Some decry the lack of any originality in street art-style campaigns however, at the end of the day, they mostly acknowledge that the decision really lies in the hands of the public. It is up to the beholder to judge the value of art, and therefore, the only way of determining what type of art is good is really to listen to public opinion.

Whether you love street art or hate it, the fact remains that it is still as valid art form as any other art forms out there. In fact, perhaps even more so than at any other time in its history. The main question is, if street art goes completely mainstream, can it maintain its edgy vibe and the motivation that makes it what it is?