Street Art

Did you ever wander down an alley, and instead of passing by, you turned and rejoiced with a splash of vivid color and creativity? Or have you ever had this sensation, you and your weary feet, the incomplete thought hanging in your mind as you drown in the art piece that wonderfully brings life into a lifeless drywall? The wonder of street art lies in its ability to turn the trivial into the sensational, as it stamps a unique mark into the consciences of those whose path crosses its way.

In a report published by Statista in 2020, it is stated that the worldwide street art market is estimated to be around $10.4 billion. With the rise of street art excursions that attract people towards art in the form of tours and festivals and more acceptance of the street as a valid form of art, this number has grown to a considerable degree in 2023-2024.

Street art is a powerful message. It is a vivid art form with an arc of history, multiple techniques, and an impressive flashlight.

street art

May 20, 2024

Daryna Markova

contributor DOM Art Residence

For us to be able to fully comprehend graffiti, we will have to start with its origin. Street art arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a form of art that was aggressive and intimate, frequently linked to urban subcultures and those who were into the graffiti movements. To begin with, graffiti was seen as vandalism only, but with each passing day, it transformed into a unique art form and transcended all boundaries to spread the charm and appeal of the art across the globe.
While street art might not be casually referred to art kind of entire history. However, it still has been using spaces on streets as the main medium to turn into those spectacular murals. From political statements to social comments, every artwork acts like a window into a unique play of perspectives that are never the same.
Whether in a big or small city or village, street art exists everywhere on the different continents of the world. It now takes social activism, the platform for expression, and the major revenue source for the cities of the world, which has resulted in billions of dollars coming in.

Unlike conventional art, which tends to be conservative and promotes stagnation, street art emerges as a bold move that celebrates new creativity. This is a place where there are no restrictions, such as studios or art galleries.

Sidewalks, walls, and streets simply meet with these artists as a blank canvas and a toolbox full of various techniques through which they unveil their dreams.

With the use of spray paint, artists can acquire wide-brimmed outlining and various colors and can create astonishing murals and street art as well. One brilliant thing that spray paint provides is its huge variety. You may use it for realistic and photorealistic portraits as well as abstract splatters.

Thanks to stencils, artists can create multiple copies of intricate images, mostly with a political or satirical intent behind them. Banksy, a renowned street artist, is a guru of stencil art. Scale giant, photocopied, and printed posters and put them on the walls. One of the advantages of wheat pasting is its ability to create highly complex and thought-provoking pictures.

With broken tiles, ceramic stuff, or even found objects, artists design eye-catching multicolored mosaics that enhance underutilized urban areas. The mosaics add touches of texture, colors, and a community's participation.

One of the many ideas that is always supported by street art is the use of visuals and images for social change. Artists deal with a plethora of problems, such as poverty, war, pollution, and agendas for dictatorship. These artistic genres promote dialogue, encourage thinking ahead, and help hold people in power accountable.


The world was taken aback in November 2022 by the secretive graffiti artist Banksy's seven murals he had painted in war-torn Ukraine. The capital city of Kyiv, the severely devastated suburbs of Irpin, and Borodyanka were among the places where these murals could be found.

The paintings were not immediately verified as Banksy's work, but speculation arose online due to their unusual style and emotive messages about the war's impact on people. Finally, in November 2022, Banksy verified the murals' existence on their Instagram account, cementing their reputation as significant creative reactions to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine

Graffiti is the annoying, naughty kid who does not follow the rules, both directly and indirectly. It is always stylized in the form of letters and digits and comes from subcultures that are down-to-earth and use tagging to represent them. In apparent contrast, street art preferably involves more diverse styles and methods, such as murals, stencils, and installations.

Vandalism is how graffiti is often seen by some, while street art is, in many ways, the expression of a legit art form. It also takes down the barrier for both public and private places, thus turning ordinary streets into multi-dimensional image galleries.

Street art can be the result of an agreement between the property owners or even the scenarios of such projects where it is public art. By all that we have said earlier this includes murals, stencils, wheat pasting and installations.

While the difference is not in technique or style, street art involves a greater variety of techniques, styles, and messaging. It can be performed for social commentary, political satire, or just for the heck of it, which is usually majestic and inspiring. There is a bigger emphasis on aesthetics and getting the visual effect that transcends just the territory demarcation.

No discourse about street art would be complete without including some of the famous figures who contributed a lot to the growth of this art.

Banksy, a famous American street artist whom we probably know regarding stencils and his thought-provoking artworks, has retained his anonymity as the pinnacle of street art.

Painted faces that speak of his deep preoccupations. Issues, like themes and social challenges, challenge even artistic conventions based on Western patterns.

Yet another bright name among the most influential street artists of our time is Shepard Fairey, famous for his Obey campaign and Barack Obama Hope posters. Fairey, who is an icon of the street art movement, is synonymous with his heavy graphics and words charged with politics.

He replaced billboards with "Obey" posters and used the face of wrestler André on them to promote a message of rebellion against established authority patterns and uplifting self-discovery

Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose works, influenced by graffiti, have changed the face of the art world. His street artist-like paintings with such extreme color hues and powerful brushstrokes depicted the power and richness of colorful New York in the 1980s.

Basquiat's artistic style mostly covered subjects such as race, identity, and urban culture for an extensive period, which made people mad at him.

Among all the ways art changes the way we live, one of the most significant influences is the capability of artists to popularize street art and bring it to the masses. Through an elevated dose of playfulness, colors, and pulse, Keith Haring paved the way for street art to tremendously influence the masses.

He produced his own "radiant baby" and dancers all over the city which defined the era’s invigorating spirit of New York City from that decade. Haring used his art as a weapon against social justice issues and AIDS consciousness.

Armed with a pixel art style that is as geeky as it is effective and with a passion for retro gaming, Invader is conquering the globe, mosaic again and again. Walking through the city, the pixel art of old arcade games is embodied in the Invader's creative tiles made of ceramics.

His mosaics have become an icon and are now a common sight in urban areas worldwide, hidden from view and encouraging people to go on an adventure of secret-seeking detection.

For us to be able to fully comprehend graffiti, we will have to start with its origin. Street art arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a form of art that was aggressive and intimate, frequently linked to urban subcultures and those who were into the graffiti movements. To begin with, graffiti was seen as vandalism only, but with each passing day, it transformed into a unique art form and transcended all boundaries to spread the charm and appeal of the art across the globe.

While street art might not be casually referred to art kind of entire history. However, it still has been using spaces on streets as the main medium to turn into those spectacular murals. From political statements to social comments, every artwork acts like a window into a unique play of perspectives that are never the same.
Whether in a big or small city or village, street art exists everywhere on the different continents of the world. It now takes social activism, the platform for expression, and the major revenue source for the cities of the world, which has resulted in billions of dollars coming in.