Melissa Deskins
Street art can be defined as something far more than just graffiti. It’s not just “vandals” spray painting on buildings and walls. In some areas, the building owners themselves come together with artists for the creation of artwork that can be viewed as not only visually appealing, but inspiring and meaningful.
It is not something that can be bought and placed in a gallery, whether private or in a public museum. It is there for the entire world to see. Some urban artists prefer to stay anonymous, while others take to social media to share pictures of their work.
Here are some examples of interesting street art in urban areas around the world.
- Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is working on a campaign that includes murals symbolizing forms of modern slavery, such as forced child labor and human trafficking. This series of images have been unveiled as murals in New York City by international artists.
This gorgeous Tiger Mural in SoHo has been viewed by tons of tourists and locals alike over the past couple of years. It’s by Sonny Sundancer and part of “Project Cat”. It’s more than just a pretty picture of a tiger – the idea is to serve as a reminder that these majestic animals are endangered and must be protected.
Nelson Mandela tribute art is not uncommon. He was a very influential and inspirational person whose wisdom still lives on today. This particular mural in Cape Town, South Africa is one of the more well-known pieces of street art dedicated to his memory.
The Istanbul Rainbow Stairs were originally painted by a local man named Hüseyin Çetinel in 2013. He spent 4 days painting approximately 200 steps of a public thoroughfare. The local government allegedly viewed it as a rebellious act driven by a political and social agenda and returned the stairs back to the original gray. There was immediate public outrage and, in the wake of the Gezi Park protests, began a trend. Rainbow colored steps began popping up all over the country. In 2015 the original steps were under reconstruction, and colorful tiles now top the rise of each step in the original stairway. Today, it’s a top tourist attraction in Istanbul.
These are just a few examples of how meaningful street art can be. It’s really hard to keep with it all since new murals and paintings are popping up all across the globe every day. #StreetArt is always popular on Instagram and Twitter.
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