When someone thinks of street art, it's a common belief that the focus is on the creativity and humor involved. And while this can certainly be true, street art also touches on important current issues – making it educational as well as entertaining. This raises a question: do you think street art can make a difference?
Street art is a world phenomenon
You see it when you walk to the metro station. You pass by it on your way to work. It goes viral on Instagram, and even hangs in the Louvre. Street art is everywhere—and it’s not just graffiti!
There are no borders when it comes to street art, which is exactly why we can call it a world phenomenon. Banksy’s work has become iconic worldwide, but something else important happened as his popularity grew: people started to know there were also Bansky-like street artists on every corner of the globe. In Russia, we have P183 and Pasha 183; Argentina has Jaz; Spain has El Pez; Hong Kong has WT – street art is truly global.
What makes street art so universal? The reason is simple: street art represents a form of expression that anyone can understand regardless of their background or culture—it's an international language!
Street art is everywhere, from the smallest towns to the most bustling cities
Street art is everywhere.
In fact, you don't even have to be in a big city to find it.
Your neighbor's garage door might have a mural on it, or a little purple bird may be hiding on an alley wall waiting for you to find it. You may not think of street art as something you would see in your town, but either someone has already put it there or they will soon. Street artists are like the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. They create work that can't be ignored any more than Marley's chains could go unnoticed by Ebenezer Scrooge. The power of street art is undeniable—what started as an underground movement became the voice of society and has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry with its own museum wings and celebrity status for some artists such as Banksy. Nowadays street art isn't just in cities—it's in forests, deserts and oceans too!
Street art can convey a message for social good
It is clear that there are many ways in which street art can be used as a tool of expression, conveying a message for social good. Street artists are using their work to bring awareness to social issues around the world.
Below are some examples of how street artists have brought awareness to important causes through their art:
- Stock Exchange Stencil by Banksy in London - A stencil of a man spray painting the word "Greed" onto the side of the stock exchange building. The piece was created during Occupy London protests against corporate greed and corruption.
- New York City Water Tank with “Hope” on it - A design by Shepard Fairey (who designed Obama's “Hope” poster) was placed on top of a water tank in New York City because he wanted people to see the design from afar and think about the implications of water scarcity for those who don't have access to fresh drinking water.
Not all street art is graffiti
The first step is to distinguish between street art and graffiti. Street art isn’t necessarily the same thing as graffiti, though some people use those terms interchangeably. While both can be used add beauty to a space or make an artistic statement, graffiti tends to be private, whereas street art tends to be public; think of it as the difference between writing something on your bedroom wall versus painting something on the side of a building. Because of its public nature, street art often carries a message with it—whether that’s promoting social change, supporting a brand or product, or simply decorating a neighborhood.
Artists are using their art to make a difference in their communities, both local and global
Street art is powerful. This form of public expression can be used to teach, inspire and mobilize people. By using their skills as artists to create street art that moves people, artists are using their work to make a difference in their communities, both local and global.
Artists have created murals with the intention of raising awareness about social or political issues that affect our world today. They use their work to communicate a message to the public about something they feel strongly about. For example, Shepard Fairey created a mural for Amnesty International that depicts women’s rights activists dressed in bright colors and flowers as symbols of hope for change around the world.
If you want to bring street art into your space, there are websites where you can buy canvas prints of extraordinary street art pieces.
You can bring street art into your space by buying canvas prints of street art pieces. There are websites where you can buy canvas prints of extraordinary street art pieces. You can browse through hundreds of amazing graffiti and stencil art and urban artworks to decorate your home or office walls. Most of the time, these websites have a simple payment gateway that allows you to make the purchase online itself.
Buying a street art canvas print is quite easy. The first step is deciding on the type of piece that will fit in with your existing decor theme and also, what part of it do you want highlighted – such as whether it should be something inspirational or more playful. Once this is decided upon, choosing from available options becomes much easier. You can also narrow down based on color schemes if necessary; however, most websites offer filters for size and cost which makes browsing through even easier!
Street artists are making a difference in communities around the world by creating beautiful, thought-provoking public pieces of art.
Street artists around the world are using their art to help make the world a better place, both globally and locally. These artists create murals that are beautiful and eye-catching, and they also have a message that can change people’s hearts and minds. The murals give hope to the communities where they live by giving voice to those who might not otherwise be heard.
Sometimes these street artists travel around the world, sharing their messages with others through their art. For example, Ernest Zacharevic painted murals in Penang, Malaysia that were powerful enough to inspire other artists in Penang and beyond. Now, tourists come from all over the world to see these murals. People often stop for photos in front of them or pose as if interacting with them—these photos are then shared on social media sites like Instagram where tens of thousands of people will see them. Sometimes it is just a picture of you standing under a street art painting; but sometimes it can be so much more than that!
You don’t have to travel halfway across the globe to get your own piece of street art. You can buy a canvas print online so you can admire it every time you pass by it hanging on your wall at home or in your office at work!