A perspective about Street Art

For how it looks to a layman, it's just some bird, a portrait or some colours splashed on a wall. And for others it's images in their heads of vandalised bus stops, tagged alleyways and ‘yoofs’ with spray cans on the side of train tracks.

So Mr. Average Joe, if you’re reading this, that’s so not what street art is. It's bigger than an ugly bubble font and bigger than what you consider as a painting on a wall.

It's a whole process of expressing and impacting. It's making the expensive art available to a layman out in the streets which he/she generally would never have access to. Along with it's purpose to beautify, it is often a symbol of awareness and has been used to give out political statements whenever people have felt lack of power or influence but wanted to express their anger, hatred or defiance towards political injustice. And from what I learnt from history it has been used every now and then for the same.

You don't need to be a legitimate artist or have fans or followings. You can just put your work on the streets as and when you wish. It's an expression of creativity, freedom, asking and raising questions, protesting, analysing, and for the creative type to get things out of their system.

Artwork by Sam Lo

Art in the street makes people happy; it makes their day and their commute more interesting. It adds character to what would otherwise just be grey and boring. Art reminds people to feel alive. It wakes people up. It inspires, motivates and sometimes makes people think. And for a layman living in the vicinity, the whole process of completion of a mural is way too overwhelming. With an awe he sees the transformation of an empty lot to a well known landmark within days. Although from afar it looks like a controversial gig but from my experience these people always support the good work throughout the process.

Also from what I know about the artists, nothing would mean more to them than if their artwork on the streets has inspired or even made a single soul question something or the other in their head on their way back home.

Street art is diverse from every way you look at it. There’s so many types of street art, from paste-ups to murals; stencils to tags and so, so many more.

There are street artists in nearly every country in the world who are influenced and inspired by a multitude of cultures and styles, resulting in a wide and expansive body of urban art that can be found all over the world. New pieces pop up by the second as other pieces get removed or erased. You could never keep up with the changes! Not only that, but there really are no limits on what an artist can put in the street. Sometimes it may require a little law-breakage, vandalism or trespassing, but that’s how it goes (but that doesn’t mean all of them break the law, as a lot of work is legal or commissioned).

There is always something intriguing about it and that is the mystery associated with the identity of a lot of street artists.

Why did someone put this work there? What does it mean? Does it even mean anything? Who did it? Why?!

But with the invention of Instagram it’s now easier than ever to find artists’ official profiles and learn more about their work and why they do what they do, but still, a lot of street artists prefer to remain anonymous for both privacy and legal reasons. There still are loads of artists who don’t even tag their work so the intrigue and mystery lives on.

I don’t know what I love more; meeting the person behind the art and putting a face to the name, or not knowing at all and loving the mystery…!

Street art isn’t just limited to painting on walls. It’s about interaction within the public space. And so many different types and styles of street and urban art come under that umbrella. It's also about being creative with what public space and elements that you come across; and that can vary from huge and complicated pieces to very simple yet eye-catching interpretations.

With so much diversity within the street art title there really is something for everyone.

Don’t like stencils? Not fond of installations? Couldn’t care less about paste-ups? Don’t worry, there’s still a thousand other ways of putting art in the urban space. Just keep looking and you’ll find something you like. Trust me.

So, I hope you got my point here Mr. Average Joe. If I were you, I probably would have started with some muse of mine on some street right away with a spray can in hand. See you around Joe.

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