Street art is a contemporary art movement which includes all forms of art created in the street or more generally in public spaces. Key to this movement is the use of public spaces as a means of expression and a way of addressing a message to a large number of people.
Far from being something new in history, modern graffiti marked the beginning of street art. It was born in the 1960s in the United States, in the city of Philadelphia. One of the city's inhabitants started to write his name on the city's wall to catch the attention of the one he loved. Many others copied him across the city. By the end of the 60s, it had spread and reached New York, at a time where urban traffic was dense, when the city was becoming increasingly engulfed by concrete, suburbs were starting to appear and advertising was omnipresent. At the same time, the commercialization of spray-paints also encouraged its growth. The beginning of street art was linked to a spirit of vandalism. Among the most famous graffiti artists of the time were Quik, Futura 2000 and Phase 2.
Graffiti can take numerous forms, such as tagging (signatures) and frescos, large-scale works which use decorative schemes, patterns and lettering. Little by little, street art spread to a global scale and new urban methods of expression appeared, such as stencilling or stickers. Each artist established themselves with their own trademark that can be recognized thanks to a unique signature or style… the rat by Banksy, the mosaics by Invader, the little white men by Jérôme Mesnager…
In France, street art made its debut at the start of the 1970s but didn't really take off until the 80s with artists like Blek le Rat and Jérôme Mesnager. New dynamics appeared and most notably, the works began to be created with their perennity in mind. This can be explained by various different factors.
Increasing numbers of artists wanted to conserve their artworks and paint with a greater peace of mind, especially as police repression against street artists became more severe in the 1980s and 90s. Street art caught the attention of gallery owners and the first exhibition of a graffiti artist's work took place in 1972 in New York. The shift from the street to the art market questioned the movement's very essence and divided artists, many of them fearing its institutionalization.
Today, many artists combine street art and works created in a studio, which are then exhibited in some of the biggest contemporary art galleries. The street has become a springboard for achieving recognition. The most expensive street artists on the art market continue to work in urban areas legally, in authorized spaces. The biggest names in street art today use this medium: JonOne, Shepard Fairey, Blek le Rat, Jef Aérosol, Banksy and Miss Tic.
On Artsper, you can find a large selection of contemporary paintings by well-known and emerging street artists alike. Explore the works of famous contemporary artists such as the legendary M. Chat but also discover minimalist works by L'atlas, striking portraits by Jef Aerosol or colourful geometric works by Okuda.
Street art refers to art created in public outdoor locations, and can take a variety of forms, including graffiti and mural. It is usually unsanctioned, often being referred to as "independent art".
What is street art called?
Street art can be referred to by a number of other names, including "independent art", "mural", "post-graffiti" and "guerrilla art".
What is an example of street art?
An example of street art is graffiti. Graffiti has existed since the ancient Greek and Egyptian period, and can serve different functions, such as to convey a message or to be purely aesthetic.
