The line between graffiti and street art is a topic of constant debate. Some say that graffiti is limited to ugly, brutally simplistic, monochromatic tags, while others say that graffiti and street art are virtually synonymous. The oldest example of something being scrawled on the side of a building was found in Pompeii, in Italy, and dates back to roughly to the First Century AD. People hated politicians even then.
Other ancient vulgar slogans have been found at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and elsewhere. The origin of contemporary street art as we know it, while also debated, is usually credited to Brooklyn, New York. From this epicenter, street art and graffiti spread to major cities in the U.S. and Europe and, more recently, Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America.
I was in London over Spring break, widely considered to be the location of one of the biggest and richest street art cultures in the world. Walking around the Shoreditch area, I saw works by more famous artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairy of OBEY, along with the work of lesser-known artists like Thierry Noir, Stik, ROA, and Mighty Mo. All of it was new, and all of it was good.
Wall with various artists (Mom for scale)
Child Soldier by Endless Street Art Collective
Normski and Ronnie Biggs by Paul Don Smith
Mona Lisa with London and Paris, For Blek-Le-Rat by Paul Don Smith
Rodent by ROA
Hog by ROA
East London by James Cochran (AKA Jimmy C)
Close up - peep the brushstrokes!!
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