Street art is art, specifically visual art, developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or the more specific post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art.

Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. ‘Street’ artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them.^[1] John Fekner defines street art as "all art on the street that’s not graffiti".^[2]

Techniques

Whereas traditional graffiti artists have primarily used free-hand aerosol paints to produce their works,^[3] "street art" encompasses many other media and techniques, including: LED art, mosaic tiling, murals, stencil art, sticker art, "Lock On" street sculptures, street installations, wheatpasting, woodblocking, video projection, and yarn bombing.

Traditional graffiti also has increasingly been adopted as a method for advertising; its trajectory has even in some cases led its artists to work on contract as graphic artists for corporations.^[4] Nevertheless, street art is a label often adopted by artists who wish to keep their work unaffiliated and strongly political. Street artists are those whose work is still largely done without official approval in public areas.

For these reasons street art is sometimes considered "post-graffiti" and sometimes even "neo-graffiti."^[5] Street art can be found around the world and street artists often travel to other countries foreign to them so they can spread their designs.

Motivation

The motivations and objectives that drive street artists are as varied as the artists themselves. There is a strong current of activism and subversion in urban art. Street art can be a powerful platform for reaching the public, and frequent themes include adbusting, subvertising and other culture jamming, the abolishment of private property and reclaiming the streets. Some street artists use "smart vandalism" as a way to raise awareness of social and political issues.^[6] Other street artists simply see urban space as an untapped format for personal artwork, while others may appreciate the challenges and risks that are associated with installing illicit artwork in public places. However the universal theme in most, if not all street art, is that adapting visual artwork into a format which utilizes public space, allows artists who may otherwise feel disenfranchised, to reach a much broader audience than traditional artwork and galleries normally allow.

Controversy

Some people consider street art a crime; others consider it a form of art. It is a borderline issue.^[7] Street artists may be charged with vandalism, malicious mischief, intentional destruction of property, criminal trespass, or antisocial behavior and there different legal restrictions depending on whether it’s private or public property.^[8] In some cities, it is unlawful for landowners to allow any graffiti on their property if it’s visible from any other public or private property. A 2012 research paper^[9] from Hacettepe University tried to define street art as a type of crime, then examined it using criminological perspective with criminological and deviance theories, in order to understand and explain it better using an example.

Street artists

Many street artist have earned international attention for their work and have shown their works in museums or galleries as well as on the street. It is also not uncommon for street artists to achieve commercial success doing graphics for other companies or starting their own merchandising lines. Other street artists have transitioned away from street art to traditional gallery and museum exhibitions.

In 1981, Washington Project for the Arts held an exhibition entitled Street Works, which included John Fekner, Fab Five Freddy and Lee Quinones working directly on the streets.^[10] Fekner, a pioneer in urban art, is included in Cedar Lewisohn’s book Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution, which accompanied the 2008 Street Art exhibition at the Tate Modern in England, of which Lewisohn was the curator.

The 1990 book Soho Walls – Beyond Graffiti by David Robinson^[11] documents the paradigm shift in New York from the text-based precedents established by graffiti artists toward art in the streets such as the shadow figures by Richard Hambleton and the group of five young New York artists working collectively under the moniker AVANT.^[12]

Key locations

While practically all large cities in the world, and some of the larger regional towns, host some form of urban art or graffiti, there are a few locations that are considered to harbour forerunners of particular mediums or foster a pioneering street art culture in general. Such locations often attract internationally known artists who travel to these locations to exhibit their works. The following is a partial list of the most notable locations.

Africa

• South Africa: Johannesburg - Although not as ubiquitous as in European cities, the central Newtown district is a centre for street art in the city.^[13] The "City Of Gold International Urban Art Festival" was held in the city's Braamfontein civic and student district in April 2012.^[14]

Europe

• Bulgaria: Sofia - In the night between the 17th and the 18 June 2011 the monument of the Soviet Army in Sofia was painted by anonymous street artists. The Soviet soldiers depicted in the monument for a few days turned into Superman, Ronald McDonald, Santa Claus and others. It was a controversial subject and there were many supporters of the monument staying painted and many against it. In the early morning of June 21, 2011 the monument was cleaned.
• Finland: Helsinki - The street art scene in Finland had its growth spurt from the 1980s onwards, until in 1998 the city of Helsinki began a ten year zero tolerance policy which made all forms of street art illegal, punished with high fines and enforced through private security contractors. The policy ended in 2008, after which legal walls and art collectives have been established.
• France: Paris is also a very active street art scene with artists such as Space Invader, Zevs, Mosko et Associés, Mesnager, Zoo Project.^[15] It started with the Lettrism and then with a Situationist slogan painted on a wall in Paris.^[16] The nouveau realist, including Jacques Villeglé, Yves Klein and Arman interact with public space but stay, like Pop Art in a classic studio/gallery relation. On 1962, The Rideau de Fer (Iron Curtain) By Christo and Jeanne-Claude is an example of early uncommissioned art. The Same year sees the first can spray work by pioneer Gérard Zlotykamien. After the "chienlit" (expression coined by General De Gaulle to qualify the May 1968 mini-revolution, Paris, like New-York has major city works but no Factory as important as Warhol's. In the 1970s, the work of Daniel Buren appeared in the Paris subway. Blek le Rat and the Figuration Libre (including Claude Closky and Pierre Huyghe) became active in the 1980s.
• Germany, Berlin: Street art on the Berlin Wall was famous during the time the city was divided; since reunification Berlin has become of Europe's street art strongholds. Bizarre post-communist locations, cheap rents and ramshackle buildings gave rise to a vibrant street art scene. Hotspots include Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.
• Greece: Athens - The street art scene in Greece has been active since the late 1980s but had a tremendous boost in Athens right before the beginning of the financial crisis with a number of artists raising voices of resistance, making social commentaries and allegorical works in the historical center and the Exarhia district. On 14 October 2011, the New York Times published an extensive story about the crisis in relation to art and especially street art.^[17] Some of the well known artists are Alexandros Vasmoulakis,Woozy and more related to artivism Absent and Bleeps.gr.
• Italy: The country has been very active in street art since the end of the 1990s; some of the most famous street artists include BLU, 108, and Sten Lex.
• Netherlands: Amsterdam's street art hot spots include the Flevopark on the east side, as well as the Red-light District. Artist that have gained recognition include Niels Shoe Meulman, Ottograph, Mickey, DHM, X Streets Collective,^[18] Bustart, Mojofoto, Mark Chalmers and collective CFYE. The city is home to the Amsterdam Street Art group which promotes street art in the city and aims to bring it to the same level as that of London, Paris, and Barcelona.^[19]
• Norway: Bergen is looked upon as the street art capital of Norway.^[20] The famous artist Banksy visited the city in 2000^[21] and inspired many to start with street art. The street artist Dolk also came from Bergen.^[20][22] His art can be seen in several places in the city; in 2009 the city council choose to preserve Dolk's work "Spray" with protective glass.^[20] In 2011, the Bergen council launched a plan of action for street art in Bergen from 2011-2015 to ensure that "Bergen will lead the fashion for street art as an expression both in Norway and Scandinavia.^[23] JOHN XC, Aram, Argus, Snurre, and La Staa are other street artists who have used Bergen as their base. Stavanger is host to the annual Nuart Festival, one of Europe's leading events dedicated to promoting street art. Oslo, by contrast, has a zero tolerance policy against graffiti and street art; nonetheless, a couple of artists, including DOT DOT DOT and Ikkeno, have created work there.
• Poland: In September 2011 in Łódź, under the patronage of Mayor Hanna Zdanowska, a permanent city exhibition was financed called Urban Forms Gallery.^[24] The exhibition included work from some of Poland's elite street artists as well as some more globally known artists. Since the 1990s street art has been prevalent in Poland, which is most likely related to the collapse of communism in 1989. Street art is largely, though not exclusively, inspired by the hip-hop music scene. It is mostly accepted by the public, with the authorities occasionally giving licence to artists to decorate public spots. Despite this, public property is still illegally targeted in some cases. Warsaw and Gdansk are among some of the other Polish cities with a vibrant street art culture.^[25]
• Russia:

See also: Graffiti in Russia

In 2010 the New York Times reported that Moscow was increasingly becoming a stage for local and international graffiti artists. The Street Kit Gallery, opened in 2008 is dedicated to street art organizes nomadic events in galleries, pop-up spaces and streets all over Moscow. The 2009 Moscow International Biennale for Young Art included a section for street art. Active artists include Make, RUS, and Kiev-based Interesni Kazki (also active in Miami and Los Angeles).^[26] In February 2012, the BBC did a story on Moscow street artist Pavel 183.^[27]

• Spain: Major Spanish coastal cities such as Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza have a vibrant street art scene.^[28]
• UK:
  • Bristol is part of a street art scene, due in part to the success of Banksy.^[29]
  • London has become one of the most pro-graffiti cities in the world. Although officially condemned and heavily enforced, street art has a huge following and in many ways is embraced by the public, for example, Stik's stick figures.^[30]

Middle East

• Egypt: Cairo has emerged as the street art capital of the Middle East in 2011, according to the New York Times. The scene began with slogans calling for the overthrow of the Mubarak regime and has evolved into aesthetic and politically provocative motifs.^[31]
• Street art from Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, and Libya has gained notoriety since the Arab Spring, including a 2012 exhibition in Madrid' s Casa Árabe^[32]

North America

Canada

• Toronto has a significant graffiti scene.

United States

See also: Graffiti in the United States

• Atlanta: (see Street art in Atlanta) small but growing street art scene in the Krog Street Tunnel, Old Fourth Ward and Reynoldstown neighborhoods, and along the 22-mile BeltLine path which circles the inner city along industrial and residential spaces. Host of the Living Walls street art conference. However, in May 2011 Atlanta established a Graffiti Task Force. In October 2011 the police arrested 7 persons that they designated as vandals and some regard as artists. However, city officials assert that they have no intention of stifling the street art scene. The city selected 29 murals which would not be painted over including those commissioned as part of the BeltLine and works created during the Living Walls conferences. But the list did not include the most famous street art space in the city, the Krog Street Tunnel. Many street artists and members of the arts community interviewed by Creative Loafing believe the city's efforts are misdirected or futile.^[33][34]
• Los Angeles: influential art and intriguing graffiti pieces throughout the city. Key locations include Sunset Boulevard, La Brea, Beverly Boulevard, La Cienega, Melrose Avenue, and Hollywood to name a few. On May 13, 2011, LAB ART Los Angeles opened on La Brea Avenue, the world's largest art gallery dedicated to street art. Spanning 6,500 square feet (600 m2) of space, it features over 300 works of art and installation from over 30 street artists including Alec Monopoly, Thank You X and Smear.^[35][36]
• Miami's Wynwood is home to Wynwood Walls, an outdoor mural permanent exhibit featuring some of the world's most renowned street artists. Additionally there are hundreds of other street art and graffiti murals around the district curated yearly by Primary Flight, making it one of the biggest street art districts in in the world.
• New York City's street art scene has its origins in the subway graffiti scene of the 1960s and 1970s, and New York continues to be a street art mecca in the U.S.^[37] Areas rich in street art include Chelsea, SoHo and the Lower East Side in Manhattan, and Williamsburg and Dumbo — especially near the waterfront — in Brooklyn.^[38]
• Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program is the largest street art program in the United States. I began in 1984 as an effort spearheaded by then Mayor Wilson Goode to eradicate the graffiti crisis plaguing the city. Muralist Jane Golden was hired to reach out to graffiti writers and to redirect their energies from destructive graffiti writing to constructive mural painting. Today, over 3,000 murals painted by local artists and artists from all over the world can be found throughout Philadelphia. The award-winning program has earned Philadelphia international praise as the "City of Murals".^[39]
• Pittsburgh's murals funded by The Sprout Fund were named the "Best Public Art" by the Pittsburgh City Paper in 2006.^[40]
• San Diego's Barrio Logan, East Village, Little Italy, North Park, and South Park neighborhoods have key pieces by artists including VHILS, Shepard Fairey, MADSTEEZ, Space Invader, Os Gêmeos. Chicano Park in Barrio Logan has several murals from various Mexican artists.
• San Francisco's Mission District is renowned for its densely packed street art^[41] along Mission Street, and all along both Clarion Alley and Balmy Alley. By 2010 street art was also being created in Hayes Valley, SoMa, Bayview-Hunters Point and the Tenderloin.^[42]

South America

• Argentina: Buenos Aires has an active street art scene throughout the city. Ever is a Buenos Aires artist whose work has gained an international recognition, including at the Living Walls conference.^[43]
• Brazil: São Paulo has an internationally recognized street art scene in addition to pichação, rune-like black graffiti, which many creators say expresses feelings of class conflict.^[44]

Asia-Pacific

• Australia:
  • Melbourne (see Street art in Melbourne) is home to one of the world's most active and diverse street art cultures and is home to pioneers in the stencil medium. Street artists such as Blek le Rat and Banksy often exhibited works on Melbourne's streets in the 2000s (decade). Works are supported and preserved by local councils. Key locations within the city include Brunswick, Carlton, Fitzroy, Northcote, and the city centre including the famous Hosier Lane.
  • Perth also has a small street art scene.
  • Sydney's street art scene includes Newtown area graffiti and street art.
• Malaysia: A project funded by the Penang State Government to liven up the streets and celebrate the recognition of Georgetown, Penang as a UNESCO site began in 2012. Street art is drawn onto the walls of 18th-century terrace houses and the Clan Jetty located near Weld Quay (Pengkalan Weld). Initially done at the center of Chulia Street, nearby Khoo Kongsi, the increase in the number of visitors wishing to take pictures with the wall paintings has encouraged the government to support the street art culture. Steel rod sculptures have been added to the walls of buildings scattered around Georgetown.
• New Zealand: In 2009 in Auckland, street art decorated corners of the city far and wide with sophisticated graphic imagery. Formats and themes include stencil drawings of aerosol-can characters, sharks, and angels; murals of muscle men to intergalactic space settings; and "throw-ups" of artists' signatures in elaborate, bubble-shaped characters. Auckland's city council permitted electrical boxes to be used as canvases for street art. Local crew TMD (The Most Dedicated) won the “Write For Gold” international competition in Germany two years in a row. Surplus Bargains is another local collective.^[45]

Festivals and conferences

Living Walls is an annual street art conference founded in 2009.^[46] In 2010 it was hosted in Atlanta and in 2011 jointly in Atlanta and Albany, New York. Living Walls was also active promoting street art at Art Basel Miami Beach 2011.^[47]