Art in the street
Street art, graffiti, vandalism. Whatever you want to call the art that appears in the streets it’s here to stay. Contemporary graffiti was born as a strong part of hip hop culture in 1970’s new york. Deprived communities creating art against all odds. Graffiti being illegal at the time gave this art movement a raw rebellious feel. This ‘anti-establishment’ context to the art left graffiti being frowned upon, still to this day. Despite that graffiti artist have still found their way into the art establishment. Jean-Michel Basquiat started his art career by painting philosophical thoughts on the streets of new york under the name SAMO©.
The popularity of his works increased until he found himself crossing paths with the likes of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Jean Michel was always connected to the art within the streets and the already established fine art world. The art that appeared on the streets helped solidify New York’s creative culture. This art in the streets culture grew much bigger than just New York.
Fab 5 Freddy hip hop pioneer and artist. Painted his own soup cans to illustrate the subway art wasn’t just mindless vandalism but they understood what was happening in the contemporary art space in new york at the time.
Paris 1980s saw its flare-up of art in the streets one of the most notable to be doing street-based art at this time was Blek le Rat he popularized the idea of using a stencil for spray can based art. On a trip to New York City in 1971 he saw his first art graffiti. ‘They were popping up everywhere, on the subway and around the basketball courts. I remember graffiti painted with a marker, like nervous signatures with a crown, allover NY, and big letters filled with spirals and many colours. These miniatures made me so curious’.
Now street art is growing in popularity with more breakthrough graffiti writers such as Banksy. It becomes less of a taboo and more a more widely accepted idea that the street is just another canvas. Subsequently blending the fine art space with contemporary graffiti.
Banksy has been accused of stealing Blek le Rat’s artistic intention or if you want to be hip hop about it, biting his style. Ether way Banksy’s postmodern approach on art now has mass commercial value. Just as Jean-Michel’s artwork is going up in value ever since his death in 1988 at the age of 27.
