The term street-art, or post-graffiti is used to distinguish public space artwork from territorial graffiti, and/or vandalism, and street-art usually conveys a message about socially relevant themes. In some countries even graffiti is considered art, and on the other hand, some countries consider street-art to be vandalism.
Nowadays organizations, businesses and even town/city councils commission street art to promote their products and services. Street-Art, which is usually carried out on a vertical surface, such as a wall, is not to be confused with street painting which is done on a horizontal surface such as the road or pavement/sidewalk.
Here we are featuring the work of 9 of the best and most well-known street artists around today.
Outstanding Art By Some of the Best Street Artists
Meggs
David “Meggs” Hooke is an Australian artist who graduated from university with a Bachelor of Design, and soon after became recognized for stencils and poster art on the streets of Melbourne. These days he is commissioned by companies and organizations from all around the world to paint his murals, and has had solo exhibitions in many cities including Sydney, London and Los Angeles. He has also collaborated with brands such as Nike, New Balance and Burton & Endeavor Snowboards.
Fintan Magee
Fintan Magee is an Australian street artist who uses his art to address Australian issues such as homelessness, the environment, waste and consumption. His art is recognizable through it’s sheer size and style, often incorporating cardboard boxes, balloons, teddy bears and other imagery, apparently inspired by children’s books.
Banksy
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique. Probably not one of the best artists in the world, Banksy is undoubtedly one of the more well-known street artists, and his work is still considered to be vandalism in the UK.
Patch Whisky
Patch Whisky is an American street-artist, his bio is very concise, and here it is, word-for-word: “Straight out of the woods of West Virginia with a degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. His work has been featured in numerous pubications including Juxtapoz Magazine and The New York Times. Patch’s studio is currently based in Charleston SC.”
Abingdon VA – William King Museum
Uri Green
Oriol Freixa, aka Uri Green is a Spanish street-artist with a degree in Fine Arts. Since 2000 he has worked professionally in the field of graphic and plastic arts (murals, graffiti, drawing, sculpture, etc). He is also involved in music and has been featured on many albums.
Parking a Comunidad de Vecinos
SmugOne
SmugOne is a photo-realistic street-artist from Glasgow, Scotland.
El Mac
Miles “Mac” MacGregor was born in Los Angeles began painting graffiti in the mid ’90s when his main focus became the life-like rendering of human faces and figures. In 1999 he began to paint portraits of his friends in public spaces throughout the American southwest, both legally and illegally. This led to being commissioned to paint murals across the US as well as in Mexico, Denmark, Singapore, Germany and the UK, to name but a few.
Eoin
Eoin is an Irish street-artist who creates art mainly in areas of decay. Many of these pieces are never seen in person, so a photograph attempts to capture the atmosphere in which the piece existed. “What drives me is the small glimmer of light that is sometimes so far out of reach. My aim is to bring people to that solemn, positive moment, when we reflect and dream.”
Roa
Roa is a Belgian street-artist who creates black and white animal portraits on walls in cities all over the world, in varying degrees of decay.
Conclusion
Everyone perceives beautiful art differently and have a different interpretation and appreciation for them. While some may find Calligraffiti, 3D street painting or drawing appealing, others might not be able to stomach them and find them distracting or even offensive. What we do know is that every art form has its own inspiration and unique way.
Do you like to see street-art? Do you think it enhances or defaces public spaces? How about grafitti… do you think it is art/design or vandalism? Please share your opinions with us in the comments section below.