A street artist can be anyone. A street artist is a person who creates or exhibits art in public places. Street art frequently contains a subversive element. Although street artists are frequently involved in political protest groups, street art is not always political. A street artist may be motivated the desire to promote free expression, provoke thought, or draw attention to a particular issue.
It is possible that a street artist’s work is illegal, or that it has been commissioned privately or publicly. The vibrant street art scenes in some cities are well-known. Although some street artists achieve commercial success as artists and designers as a result of their previous street art, it is difficult to make a living as a street artist in general.
A street artist can use a variety of mediums to express themselves. Graffiti, which is done with aerosol spray paint, is a traditional form of street art. Graffiti is usually illegal unless it is done on privately owned surfaces at the request of the owner. Graffiti artists are notorious for working in the dark, in places that are difficult to access and dangerous. Murals, also known as wall paintings, are a form of street art. Murals are frequently commissioned artworks because they take a lot of time and effort to create.
On public sidewalks, chalk is frequently used to create pavement or sidewalk art. Julian Beever, for example, recreates famous paintings and complex 3D drawings in public spaces using chalk. Chalk street art has the advantage – and disadvantage – of washing away in the rain.
Stickers and wheatpasting, which involves pasting posters or other emblems in public places, are examples of other types of street art. Street artists frequently use stencils, as well as mosaic tiles and video installations. A street artist may also put on shows or organize “flash mobs,” which are spontaneous crowds of people who perform specific acts. A flash mob in San Francisco, for example, involved hundreds of people converging on a downtown plaza for several hours to pillow fight.
If you want to learn more about your local street art scene and meet other street artists, street artists often have local networks you can tap into. The internet, as well as local art schools, are excellent resources for this. New York, USA; Melbourne, Australia; Bristol, UK; Berlin, Germany; and Sao Paulo, Brazil are just a few of the cities with thriving street art scenes.
The fact that some forms of street art are illegal may be an important aspect of the art. If a street artist does not want to break the law in order to display his or her work, he or she should check the city or town’s municipal codes on vandalism and what is allowed in public spaces, as these vary greatly location.