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In the late 90s and early 00s, a huge societal shift happened in regard to street art. With spray paint cans, street artists and graffiti artists were able to create larger works of art with much less effort. Street artists began using spray paint to paint art in public spaces as it was much easier than using a paintbrush. When Edward Seymour invented the spray paint can in 1949, urban art quickly followed. The invention of the spray can kickstarted modern street art in the early 1900s. Let’s jump ahead to the world of modern street art. Street art has been used as a form of expression and protest for thousands of years. Some would be in favour of religion, but others would mock religion, highlighting the public opinion of the time. For example, a mural in Rome (dated around 200 AD) depicted Jesus. Religion was a huge subject of street art in Ancient Europe. Some urban art of the time would also advertise services – for example, a piece of wall art in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus appeared to advertise a local brothel, depicting a foot, a hand and a number. You could find street art in Pompeii with a range of images depicting sex, religion and politics. This form of art was also prominent in ancient Europe – you could find urban art on the streets of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome – and some of which can still be viewed to this day.
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In fact, many cave paintings found around this time period were often ceremonial or religious, but unfortunately, we don’t know much about the meaning behind these paintings. Known as Cueva de las Manos, this painting was thought to be created for religious or ceremonial purposes. One of the earliest pieces of ‘urban art’ that has been identified was found in an Argentinian cave – and dates back to around 7000 BC. Graffiti and street art are not inventions of the 20th century. People may look at street art and assume it’s a modern creation however, you may be surprised that the concept of urban art has been around for as long as streets have existed. Street art has drastically changed the contemporary art scene.
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You can invest in art from the likes of Stony and Banksy at Grove Gallery.
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His expressive urban art depicted art and emotion in its rawest form, painting his life on a canvas. Stony signed with the UK Publishing House, DeMontfort Fine Art in 2016. For example, Stony’s work has been exhibited around the world, from The Louvre in Paris to New York and Dubai. Their work may end up framed in art galleries. Known for his political and social themes, Banksy’s identity remains anonymous – creating an air of mystery around his work.Īs famous street artists (like Banksy) grow their reputation, they often begin selling art prints. Contemporary street artist/ graffiti artist Banksy is arguably the most famous street artist alive today in the art world. When you think of street art, chances are, you automatically think of Banksy. In 2023, there are more street artists than ever. However, more and more urban areas are being gentrified which means that urban art is being destroyed or painted over. Murals are large-scale pieces of art found in urban areas, and can often span across entire buildings or walls.Īlthough there are still laws on graffiti and urban art, many artists are invited to paint in public places. Check out this blog to find out some of the best places to find street art in London. Street art can be found in all major cities – whether you’re in London, Liverpool or Leeds, you’re sure to come across several different styles of street art. Street art can include methods such as fly posting, stencilling, tagging, and drawing. This medium of art can’t be pinned down to a certain style – it can include a wide range of artistic styles and art forms. Street art refers to any artwork created on the streets – whether it be on the pavement, the sides of disused buildings or even on subway trains. In this blog, we’ll be exploring the history of street art and the differences between street art and graffiti art. Read on to learn more about the world of street art/ graffiti art. But what exactly are street art and graffiti? Are they the same art form – is graffiti considered street art? If you walk through the streets of your local city, you’re bound to come across a variety of different types of street art, from graffiti and tags to large-scale murals.
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