Do you like street art? Are you interested in a new decorative trend? Is it present everywhere you look, or do you already see it in your friends' living rooms? Want to know who created Street Art?
The graffiti that appeared on walls and train carriages in 1926 is a prime example of Street Art. It was created by New York gangs in the 1920s and 1930s.
We are experts in this field if you want to know more about this universe. We will cover the following in this article:
- Where was Street Art born?
- Its origins: A brief explanation of the appearance of Street Art in France.
- Street Art: How can we define it?
- What are the techniques? Graffiti, Stencil, etc.
You will be able to read all about this new decorative trend, Street Art, after you have finished reading!
I) When and where was Street Art created?
In this part, we will discuss the origins of Street Art and its appearance in Europe. The first elements will be focused on the United States. Then, we will see how and who gave birth to Street Art in France.
A) The origins and evolution of Street Art
We often speak of graffiti to designate works of art found on city walls or on subway tracks. This movement was popularized in the late 60s and 70s. "tagging" is one of the first forms of graffiti. This is an elaborate typography used to tag the artist's name and address on the walls of buildings or subway cars.
Artists received extra points for tagging difficult places, often at great heights. The taggers competed to be the best. This group of islanders tested their mastery of spray paint and created their own typographic marks.
This art form was transgressive from the start. In a world largely dominated by global brands, graffiti threatened the power of commercialism as well as government infrastructure. Gang culture was often associated with street art. Politicians and wealthy communities were therefore skeptical of him. Importantly, art was used by disenfranchised citizens to express their dissatisfaction with society.
B) Who is the father of street art in France?
Blek le Rat is partly responsible for Banksy, the anonymous star of street art in England and around the world. Yes, the famous Banksy was indeed inspired by Blek le Rat, a French street artist.
Xavier Prou is his real name. He was 69 years old when he created a stencil style and used "the characteristic image" of his art to adopt the rat. Blek, who was born and raised in the western suburbs of Paris, shared his story with us in an interview about how his street-art career began.
"I was in New York in 1972 when I saw the first graffiti on the streets and in the subway. I was immediately impressed."
At the time, he was studying art and architecture. It was not until 1981 that he "digested" what he saw. He was involved in creating an adventure playground for teenagers as part of his architecture degree. He explains that this installation was created for young people from the suburbs in the post-war period, so that they would not play in unsafe places, such as bombed-out buildings.
"Children took paint and brushes from the supermarket and painted the walls in the park. They didn't know how to paint, but they painted anything. It reminded me of New York. I was already painter, and I loved art, so I decided to make a name for myself by painting the same thing on the walls of Paris."
His first attempts were made in a vacant lot, where he tried his hand at New York-style tag. It was difficult because I didn't know the technique and it was difficult to get spray paint. I was using car paint.
Later, he started stenciling rats. This earned him his nickname. He says Paris has always been full of rats. “And at that time, there were a lot of them in the 14th arrondissement, so I thought it would be fun to paint them all over there.”
"Blek the Rat " is his name. He got it from Blek le Roche, a character he liked in a series of comics from the 1950s and 1960s.
II) How to define Street Art
Street art is a form of art original, that can only be found on the street. This art is often not recognized as such by many people, and people sometimes associate it with vandalism. The following words are found in the world of street art as we know it: stencil, sticker art and yarn bombing.
The various street artists try to defend their ideas through this art. We can see their ideologies and emotions in their art. Street artists are often committed artists. They choose to "express their art" because it is the best way to reach as many people as possible. Some of the most well-known street artists have chosen to remain anonymous, such as Alec Monopoly and Banksy.
III) What techniques are used in Street Art?
In this last part, we are going to learn together how to define the different techniques the most famous of street art.
A) Tagging
"Tagging" is the simple act of putting a "tag", or signature, on a surface. However, these signatures can be quite complex in terms of content and calligraphic aspects. Jean-Michel Basquiat is a famous example of someone who used the SAMO tags to sign his works.
B) The Throw-up
A throw up is a tag larger than a tag. It is usually painted quickly using only two or three colors.
C) The stencil
The "Graffiti stencil", which uses cutouts to quickly create complex shapes, was created by Parisian graffiti artist Blek le Rat in the early 1980s. , it was copied by the great Banksy!
D) The masterpiece
A "piece (masterpiece), is a more complex tag with a greater number of colors and complexity. These "pieces" can be easily erased by a rival graffiti artist using a simple vomiting product.
E) The blockbuster
A blockbuster or roller is a large blockbuster work that is often done with a paint roller. It is used to cover large areas to prevent other street artists from painting on the same wall.
F) Top-to-bottoms
Top-to-bottom graffiti are works of art that cover an entire subway car. They were popularized by New York City subway graffiti artists in the 1970s.
G) Wildstyle
Wildstyle" A more complicated form of graffiti, often marked by intersecting letters or connecting dots, creating a more complex "tag" or image, sometimes difficult to decipher
Bring street art into your home
This new trend in decoration is obvious to you. You can probably understand why she's so exciting!
Urban art is the best way to add joy and meaning to your home decor. You don't have to spend a fortune on authentic art or buy it at auction to enjoy the artwork we offer.
