Urban Narratives

Kiss of Friendship – Berlin Wall, on graffitinetwork.it

Today, I would like to invite you on a journey with me. It won’t be a long trip; we will leave in the morning and return in the evening, immersing ourselves in the vibrancy of the nearest metropolitan city. Our exploration will encompass the busiest neighborhoods and the quiet suburbs alike, places where we usually study, work, or unwind with friends. However, this excursion will offer us a fresh perspective, allowing us to perceive these familiar environments through a new lens, uncovering the artistry hidden in plain sight."

Exploring Street Art Origins

At this moment, we are at the station, waiting for the train that will take us to the big city, about an hour's journey from here. Here it appears: it makes its way onto the tracks and, before it stops to let us get on, we notice a painted writing on one of the carriages: it looks like a signature, all colorful, large, and artistic, which also decorates the windows.

This is our first encounter, on this journey, with street art: whether it is from the street or in the street, it is nothing new for us. It has been part of our daily life and human history since ancient times (remember the graffiti and frescoes of Pompeii?).

But how many times do we really observe what we have before our eyes, every day? The purpose of our journey will be precisely this: to observe the art that is found around us, in the places most accessible to our sight, for which we do not have to pay the ticket.

Because this is precisely what Street Art (also called Urban Art) wants: that we (the public) can enjoy it and its messages freely; because art belongs to everyone, it does not need to be locked up within the walls of museums and galleries to be enjoyed. And it doesn't even need critics to be explained.

Now you point out to me more clearly the painted writing on the entire side of the train carriage, the one we saw at departure, asking me if that too can be considered Street Art. So let's try to answer the question.

We know that Street Art has returned to the fore in the suburbs of large cities such as New York and Philadelphia, for example. In poor neighborhoods like the Bronx, it developed as a product of the Hip Hop culture of the late 1950s (but also 60s and 70s). The writing we noticed on the train is defined as graffiti, and it is precisely Graffitism that constitutes the origins of this free art, even if Street Art later distanced itself decisively from it.

Graffiti vs. Street Art: Key Insights

“Street Art is everything that is on the street that is not graffiti” (Jhon Fekner)

The answer to our question comes to us—perhaps in a somewhat crude way—from the famous street artist Jhon Fekner, who distances himself decisively from graffiti. We can therefore say no: the writing on the train, however beautiful it may be, is a "simple" graffiti, which does not fall within Street Art.

Going backward, we see what the points of contact between the two artistic techniques are and what the points of difference are. Therefore, let's see the criteria according to which we can recognize and differentiate them, answering our question.

Connecting Graffiti and Street Art

Both Graffiti and Urban Art are created by the artist in a public place (squares, streets, trains, bridges, various buildings, walls of public and private buildings), without paying attention to the laws that punish acts of vandalism. (i.e., those acts aimed at defacing or damaging material goods, without any apparent logical reason). This occurred at the birth of these free art forms, considered "without rules" and attributable to the type of vandalism, according to the law. The only rule for a street artist was (and is) this: do not cover a work already present, created by another artist, with your own.

In both cases, these are drawings, carefully studied on an urban surface, executed using colored spray paint (a liquid contained in an aluminum can, which is sprayed through the gas contained therein, giving the effect of an aerosol). Furthermore, other meeting points between the two artistic forms lie in the media origins of the terminology with which we still know them today (graffito or writing; urban or street art); and also in considering the mural as a privileged form of execution.

Distinguishing Graffiti from Street Art

Street Art presents itself as an evolution of Graffitism: it has differentiated itself both in terms of execution techniques and motivations.

First of all, the street artist's motivation is profoundly different from that of the writer: that of the latter is more linked to aesthetics, lettering (the style of writing) and tag (the author's signature and also belonging to a specific group, called Crew). The motivation of the former, however, is closely connected with the expression of a message of a political, social nature, of rebellion against conventions, and of revolt against the establishment. In short, in Street Art, artistic technique is used as a weapon, with the aim of counteracting mass communication and reaching an increasingly larger number of people.

Another very important point of difference: the artistic technique. While the graffiti artist or writer is linked to the spray paint, lettering, and tags, the street artist is not at all tied to all of this. In Street Art, in fact, we have the use of artistic stickers (sticker art), which can contain political and social messages; stencils and normographic art, sculptures and installations, markers, acrylic colors, and acrylic markers with various effects, painter's rollers. Furthermore, in Urban Art the artist usually operates more independently from a Crew, unlike the writer.

Good: we are ready to get off the train and continue our journey. We now have all the elements to go to the busiest or peripheral neighborhoods of the city and look around. We have the right knowledge to observe what is around us, aware of being able to recognize Urban Art when it appears before us.

Urban Canvas: Local Street Art

We arrive by bus at the city center: a very busy place, with continuous passage, where countless activities take place and also where there is intense traffic. On the side wall of an old building, which was previously completely grey, there is a large, colorful mural, giving life to the building itself. It represents the gaze of an innocent child, with the reflection of the destruction of war in his eyes. An intense example of Street Art that we can admire, effective both for its artistic execution and for its message against war and violence.

Again, walking along the main street we can find various sticker art, attached to walls and side columns, which bear messages of social impact. The first artistic sticker used is generally recognized in Andre The Giant has a Posse by Shepard Fairey, from 1989. From then on, this Urban Art technique became increasingly used and had endemic diffusion, not only in large city centers but even in small towns. The objective, even for artistic stickers, is always the same: to make the political or social message they carry reach the largest possible audience, thus promoting general awareness of a problem.

The Unconventional Art Path

We take another bus, and this time we move towards a peripheral area of the city. As we travel, we can admire some murals painted here and there: areas of color between perfectly identical buildings, which draw our attention. We notice how beautiful images are also represented by these artists, gifted with great talent. And we wonder why such a gifted artist chooses to undertake an unconventional path in art.

The answer is that this choice can be considered a criticism of "official" art, closed in museums and art galleries. Furthermore, there is also a form of criticism towards "academic" art, regulated by traditional technical and conceptual schemes. But the controversy of these artists reaches much wider areas, touching on the concepts of private property in reclaiming streets and squares, contesting society and politics, promoting one's independence and autonomy. Furthermore, they also have the awareness that street art offers the potential to have a much larger audience than they would find in art galleries. It is no coincidence that famous street artists have become, today, a point of reference in contemporary art thanks to the fact of being recognized by the general public "on the street".

Street Art: A Cultural Movement

We get off the bus and walk a little further away, into other neighborhoods on the edge of the city. Looking around, we can observe how this form of artistic expression is actually very widespread, even with small works. For example, along a viaduct we can admire wonderful murals that reflect the verses of a poet, or a song with a particular message of social equality. Another peculiarity of Street Art is precisely this: the collaboration with other artists (actors, musicians, writers, and poets) in the creation of works.

In fact, since the beginning of 2000, both in Europe and in the USA, numerous graffiti artists have abandoned their territoriality and, increasing their artistic and expressive techniques, have begun to try their hand at works on walls or posters. They demonstrate a constant tension towards mass communication. Thus they end up joining forces with other urban artists (photographers, poets, musicians), who are in turn critical of traditional artistic canons.

From that moment, Street Art became a socio-cultural phenomenon so powerful that it influenced all other visual arts, to the point of also contaminating advertising and fashion. Shepard Fairey, for example, created a very successful fashion line, known both in the USA and Europe. These outsiders and eclectic creatives manage, nowadays, to have a primary relevance in contemporary art, sometimes even accompanied by substantial economic income.

The Rise of Official Street Art

The notable public success meant that Street Art could grow further and officially emerge. This passage gave rise to numerous themed festivals and exhibitions, which are now organized in almost every city in the world. It is known that the biggest names in Street Art now operate almost exclusively within these events, which are organized by institutions or art galleries. An example above all? In 2018, UMA (Universal Museum of Art) organized a major exhibition entitled A walk into Street Art. We can now understand how this art form, at least in the most striking cases, has almost entirely lost its label of vandalism and has become a substantial part of recognized contemporary art. Although, ultimately, it must be underlined that Street Art cannot ignore its key principle: rebellion against the rules.

Iconic Artists and Works in Street Art

It's getting dark and, with it, the time to take the train to return from our trip is approaching. But first, we need to have an important meeting: so we choose to take the subway which will take us back to the station, giving us the opportunity to meet "The Wave", a popular local street artist, who will tell us who the most followed Street Art artists are and what the best-known works are.

“They call me The Wave because it's my stage name, I love representing ecological problems through the waves of the sea, so as to draw attention even in neighborhoods where they don't even know what the sea is,” he says with a wink. And he continues, in a sharp tone: “my real name is a secret, all of us street artists are outlaws because we go to paint where the law doesn't allow. Our message must reach everyone and in every possible place. This is the true soul of Street Art."

At this point, we ask him which artists inspire him and his colleagues, or the ones best known to ordinary people. “I adore Jhon Fekner, Richard Hambleton, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat if we talk about the USA. But there are also Jeff Aerosol, Blek Le Rat, and Ernest Pignon-Ernest in Paris, for example. Or, not to be forgotten are certainly Christo, Shepard Fairey, and Banksy, the most famous greats now."

All of us, in fact, smile and nod big: who doesn't know Christo or Banksy?

Having almost reached the end of our subway journey, we ask The Wave again what could be the most famous, most representative works to observe, to explain Street Art to those who don't yet know it. “Definitely Kissing Coppers, a stencil mural by Banksy; or even, again by Banksy, The Flower Thrower. But I would also like to mention Tuttomondo by Keith Haring, an acrylic on plaster from 1989 which is located in Pisa; Quel temps fera-t-il demain by Ella & Pitr in Paris, dated 2019; Kobra's Eisenstaedt Kiss in New York; La jeunesse de Tierry et Diana by Pixelpancho in Thaiti”.

We have reached the metro terminus: we thank The Wave for helping us learn about Urban Art and its protagonists. We say goodbye to him, promising to go and see one of his works soon, feeling relieved because we appreciate the fact of feeling close to us an art that will always be at our disposal, free, whenever we want it.

Tuttomondo di Keith Haring

Reflecting on the Street Art Journey

Once we arrive at the station for the exact time, we take the train that will take us back home. What are your feelings? How did you spend the day? I feel happy and "full": I was able to see with my own eyes and understand, finally, what Street Art really means. I was able to appreciate the differences with Graffitism and know how to recognize the styles. I was able to meet a real street artist in person. I still have before my eyes and in my heart the intense sensations that those artistic images, masterfully created on every corner of the street, transmitted to me. Their sharp messages impressed upon me the ethical, political, and social issues to which we should all pay more attention. In short, I feel enriched: contemporary art has never been so close, so free, and so effective.

I thank you very much for keeping me company on this journey: I hope it has left a mark on all of you too.