www.artsy.net: Most people still think of spray paint, tags, and murals when they hear the term street art. But increasingly, the genre can encompass everything from miniature wooden sailors set afloat in a river of urban rainwater, to rainbow-colored origami radiating across the facade of a centuries-old French church. Here are 10 examples of artists whose creativity and unique vision pushes the boundaries of what we consider street art or, more broadly, the expanding field of “urban intervention.”
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Street art is a field in the world of art that I feel needs to be explored more and more as it doesn't always get as much attention as it might warrant. Street art has gotten a bad reputation from those who use the craft not as art but as vandalism and harm towards others. But what street art should ultimately be thought of as something that can change everyone who interacts with its everyday. The ability to add to the world around us and create stories that we can see and share with others in their everyday lives is something that really makes an amazing piece. The freshmen line and form projects for Basic Design have tried to do this with their form of "Street" art as they are placed around Purnell in order to add to everyone's everyday lives and provide them with something that they can stop and think about or just look at to brighten their day. Street art still has a long way to go but I think that this display of different art and artists shows the diversity in opportunities and potential for just how amazing street art could become.
These are stunning. I’m a big fan of street art of all variety’s those with the spray cans and murals as well as those that interact with the world in new ways and places. This kind of street art brings a bit of whimsy and joy into the every-day life while at the same time being able to bring some commentary into the environment they interact with or as the article so cleverly states intervene with their urban boundaries. They cause one to see the things around them differently, things that they might often take for granted. I love people who are have this ingenuity and have the ability to see the world beyond the limits that they are presented. Which is also something that draws me to theatre artists who as a whole are always looking for ways to push their boundaries and limits to share their perspective with the world in new ways that haven’t been thought of before.
I have seen similar street art in the past, and I think it really is incredible. Small little works of art are so interesting in the public like this, because chances are, most people will walk right by and not notice, however those that do will have a very personal connection to it. Often graffiti is looked at as a tags done by individuals or groups looking to claim territory and disrupt what they paint on. These little art installations I don't think would ever fall on that scale because their is an innocence to it. I do wonder if social media has helped these kind of artists make a decent living. With the ease of sharing this kind of work and having it seen by so many online, rather than maybe a passerby, their is a lot of potential for the artists to become more recognizable and have more opportunities to make income.
It is so incredible to see different forms of street art that vary from the stereotypical, Banksy-esque graffiti street art. These are so unique in so many ways, because of the ways they demand attention, like the work showcased in the article by Bordalo II and Mademoiselle Maurice, and the ways they subtly seek recognition, like the work showcased in the article by Juane, Michael Pederson, and Wang Yue. The way art can be established in different ways as various forms and styles is incredible. It is refreshing to see new ways of developing new forms of media and how even in a world where everything feels like it has already been established, there is so much more art to be made, so much more forms to create, and so many more boundaries to be pushed.
I absolutely love street art. It transforms the streets of any location into a public art gallery and ads art into everyday life. It's one of my favorite things to be just walking g down the street or driving and stumble upon a piece of street art. The arts sometimes can seem exclusive because of the price patrons have to pay sometime for entrance to a performance or to an exhibit. Street art is free for all views. I love how street art is inherently political as well. Technically you are vandalizing due to the location of the art, but it is beautiful way to break the law. Street art can be used as a form of non violent protest Banksy and Shepard Fairey. They have created amazing works of art and images that have inspired political resistance and discussion using purely public art as their medium. Then there is the street art that just there to make an area beautiful. Art makes people stop and step out of the busy and stressful lives to be present and in the moment to observe another persons work.
There are two notable aspects to this movement. The first is that the street art movement has begun to prize an ingenuity of thought and a high caliber of execution that I believe makes the work more acceptable in the public eye. Second, I think the public perceptions of and interactions with the notion of authority that would take issue with such street art are changing. There seems to be less regard for authority structures than previously present, and growing support for those who bend the rules. I think the level of thought and quality has almost begun to serve as a kind of justification to buck authoritarian norms, and erect street art.
These pieces are thought provoking, and more often than not, crafted with society in mind. It feels as though because these are high-quality pieces that reflect on the public, the public eye is inclined to look more favorably on these installations, irrevocably changing what we understand street art is and can be.
I was first seriously introduced to street art in the seventh grade when I was selected for a special day program for leadership training. In this program we studied famous musicians and artists who made social impact via public art and performance. I think street art is a lovely form of communication between artists and the population at large. Even the ones like Iurato, who have smaller, niche-y pieces hidden around the city, they are there to connect with people and give them something interesting and fun to think about as they go about their everyday lives. Even bigger works like the turbaned woman in Boston or some of Banksy’s pieces can be subtle but effective. Think about it, everyone on the bus wears headphones because the sounds of the bus and the real world are infinitely less pleasant than that of your own soundtrack, and street art is the same thing, a more pleasant take on the otherwise not beautiful views of everyday life.
I adore all street art, especially graffiti. However, it was really interesting to me to look at these other types of street art around the world. I love street art because it is everything I think art should be: fleeting, for the people, and willing to test boundaries. All of the art pieces mentioned in this article are little pockets of joy and beauty inserted into someone's walk to school or work. The world can be such a harsh place to live in and street art is a great way to brighten up anyone's day.
My favorite piece included here was that of Maurice. The rainbow and texture that is achieved with origami really brought the piece to the center stage of the viewers eye on the triangle. The easy flowing movement of the shapes is very calming. The piece feels like a tranquil meeting place in the middle of an industrial space.
Street art has always been one of my favorite mediums of art, mostly because I have never felt that I could create any well enough to stand up against the truthful and evocative works that we find all around us in urban centers. Using found spaces and multimedia out in the open where it can decay and interact with the landscape and the humans that inhabit it is alive in its own way and becomes part of its ebb and flow. Pederson's work is also really interesting, though. Creating structured, almost gallery-like spaces out in open public spaces without being large or disruptive yet still engaging takes talent and craftsmanship. It also causes the viewer to think about what they deem important, interesting, and worth their time and viewing. My favorite street art, however, are pieces that bring in nature into urban spaces in creative ways. The molding of opposites, the hard and soft, organic and inorganic is breathtaking and a perfect avenue for street art.
Most of these artists have something really beautiful in common: they want to highlight the world around them, rather than vandalize it. I absolutely love Michael Pederson's choices to put a dandelion on display and create a little entrance to the void. There are so many little things around us that we do not take the time to notice in a day, and it's lovely to see them being called out in creative ways. I also really appreciated Paige Smith's attempt to "fill the cracks and holes in the city [of Los Angeles]" with paper geodes. Paige is clearly one of those people who likes to leave a room looking better than she found it, and she gives that gift to others with her art as well. I personally love street art, when it's creative. I think it's just a reminder that the world we live in is for all of us to shape (and respect).
Street art, to me, is one of the most intriguing and engaging forms of social commentary. Often, it feels like street art is the public equivalent of the doodles I draw in the margin of my notebook, generating commentary that simultaneously engages a relevant subject and follows the whims of my imagination. In my experience, street art can leave some of the sharpest social commentary there is. For example, passing the little street cleaner exemplified in the article every day on my way to and from work would probably catch my attention each and every time, as it stands out from its environment in such a way as to make passerby actively consider it as they observe. Yet, while poignant, street art also brings a little fun and beauty into the everyday world. Take, for example, the big origami sculpture in the article, It adds immense beauty to the wall it is installed on, brightening the days of passers-by quite literally with vivid colors and sharp geometry. This particular cocktail of traits makes street art an subtly powerful force that we should all try to make use of.
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