There are many different forms of urban / street art and the nature of the medium is such that the types and forms vary and evolve every day. There is no set limit or definition for what constitutes ‘urban art’, and as such there is a huge variation of media used.
Perhaps the most well known form of street art is graffiti art (as different from vandalism or territorial graffiti). Artistic graffiti can be freeform or stencilled, and can be done on any surface which will allow for the adhesion of paint. Walls, windows, pavements, roofs, public transport – you name it, graffiti of any variety can be found on their surfaces. The difference between artistic and stencil graffiti and vandalism is unclear, though most agree that it is the intent of the artist and the amount of time they put in to the work which separates the artistic from the malicious. Some street artists will spend hours working on designs before applying the final product, and in general the creations are eye-catching and often quite beautiful. Some councils and governments are now providing ‘Graffiti Walls’ for artists to use rather than defacing private property, although some street artists feel that this devalues the art form.
Stencil art is similar to freeform graffiti art in that it uses paint to apply a design to a surface. The key difference is that a stencil allows more detail and it can be mass-produced, thus making a further statement on modern-day society’s reliance on consumer products. The most well-known British stencil artist is Banksy (Robert “Banksy” Banks), whose political stencil art can be found in countries all over the world.
Perhaps the most well known form of street art is graffiti art (as different from vandalism or territorial graffiti). Artistic graffiti can be freeform or stencilled, and can be done on any surface which will allow for the adhesion of paint. Walls, windows, pavements, roofs, public transport – you name it, graffiti of any variety can be found on their surfaces. The difference between artistic and stencil graffiti and vandalism is unclear, though most agree that it is the intent of the artist and the amount of time they put in to the work which separates the artistic from the malicious. Some street artists will spend hours working on designs before applying the final product, and in general the creations are eye-catching and often quite beautiful. Some councils and governments are now providing ‘Graffiti Walls’ for artists to use rather than defacing private property, although some street artists feel that this devalues the art form.
Stencil art is similar to freeform graffiti art in that it uses paint to apply a design to a surface. The key difference is that a stencil allows more detail and it can be mass-produced, thus making a further statement on modern-day society’s reliance on consumer products. The most well-known British stencil artist is Banksy (Robert “Banksy” Banks), whose political stencil art can be found in countries all over the world.