Walking through the streets of Barcelona and Amsterdam not too long ago, I began to realize that I had been seeing the same street art or at least work by the same artists, back in NYC. In case you had not noticed or do not live in an urban center, the face of traditional graffiti has changed over the past 15-20 years. We've gone from the spray-painted burners and tags, which originated in NYC and Philly in the 60's and 70's to a more socially and politically aware type of art form. I think three factors could be part of the reason for this evolution. Those earlier artists have grown up and their artistic philosophy has evolved with them, the globalization of the art-form has infused influences from all over the world into the genre and to put it bluntly...you don’t go to jail for stickers and posters.
Some of the artists who are prominent now are Shepard Fairey, who is famous for the Andre the Giant- Obey pieces that are everywhere. Fairey now has his own marketing firm, which is producing those popular Barack Obama “Progress” posters and stickers. Other modern street artist who have made names for themselves are Swoon, who is known for her painstakingly detailed drawings that she pastes up on walls from NYC to Europe, and the London Police who are known for their funny happy-face character that seems to pop up worldwide. My favorite is Invader. I have seen his space invader tile mosaics all over Europe and all over NYC this year, seemingly at almost every turn! The new graffiti uses everything from stop signs to manhole covers as canvases. The mediums are just as wide ranging. They range from pasted up paper to paint on photographs to wood cutouts, always adding something interesting to the urban landscape.
Above are some photos I took this weekend of work by Swoon and Invader.
Some of the artists who are prominent now are Shepard Fairey, who is famous for the Andre the Giant- Obey pieces that are everywhere. Fairey now has his own marketing firm, which is producing those popular Barack Obama “Progress” posters and stickers. Other modern street artist who have made names for themselves are Swoon, who is known for her painstakingly detailed drawings that she pastes up on walls from NYC to Europe, and the London Police who are known for their funny happy-face character that seems to pop up worldwide. My favorite is Invader. I have seen his space invader tile mosaics all over Europe and all over NYC this year, seemingly at almost every turn! The new graffiti uses everything from stop signs to manhole covers as canvases. The mediums are just as wide ranging. They range from pasted up paper to paint on photographs to wood cutouts, always adding something interesting to the urban landscape.
Above are some photos I took this weekend of work by Swoon and Invader.
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