Some of the first expressions of street art were undoubtedly the graffiti that began to appear on the sides of wagons and train walls. This was the work of gangs in New York in the 1920s and 1930s. The impact of this subversive culture was felt in an extraordinary way in the 1970s and 1980s. The desire of people to leave their mark on walls has existed for thousands of years.
Archaeologists have found striped graffiti on the walls of the city of Pompeii. However, in terms of contemporary street art, we can trace its beginnings to labeling or scratching initials or a name on public property in New York in the late 1960s. It also originated with graffiti artists of the 1970s and 80s who were looking for new places to make art, reacting and rebelling against the rules of society. A big change occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when street art ceased to be considered property damage and vandalism and began to be accepted by the public.
Street art is deeply rooted in the revolutionary practices of those who identified themselves with diverse subcultures linked to class, race or gender. There are some incredible examples of street art in ancient Roman and Greek cities that can still be seen today. In addition, authorities have installed commemorative plaques throughout the city, used them as a civic symbol during the celebration of New Year's Eve 2000 on the famous Bay Bridge and, a few months later, during the inauguration of the Olympic Games, demonstrating the lasting impact that street art can have on a community. The invention of the spray can at the beginning of the 20th century was definitely an important event in the history of street art.
The current styles and media used in street art vary quite a bit compared to murals. Although some street artists create installations or sculptures, they are best known for their use of unconventional artistic media, such as spray paint, stencils, wheat pasta posters and stickers. Specialized computer programs allow artists (such as MOMO, born in San Francisco) to better plan their graffiti works and prepare their templates and posters of wheat pasta, while digital photography used together with the Internet and social networks allows them to document, share and immortalize works of street art, where before most of the pieces tended to disappear when municipal authorities removed them or painted them by other artists. Street art is often created in public spaces and usually evokes a strong political or social message.
The move to more elaborate works is a significant advance in the history of street art, since it meant a change in the style of graffiti from hit and run, which was illegal and caused artists to be arrested, to a more legitimate form of artistic expression. But it did lay the groundwork for the outdoor murals and the glued images that define current street art. Let's Roam offers walking tours that give you everything you need to find street art and learn a little more about the city you're exploring. Street art can also be done with templates, in which the creator repeats the image all over the surface to make a statement.
Renowned contemporary artist Barry McGee is considered one of the most important members of the street art movement. Street art is historically linked to the break with traditional practices, either in terms of themes or artistic styles. There are no rules about what can or cannot be used, which is part of what makes street art so special.
