Street art can be controversial. Some only see it as vandalism and graffiti even if they might enjoy it presented in a magazine or gallery. Others laud it as a pure art form, given its ephemeral nature, resistant to commercialism. Most new art movements have been seen as transgressive at their inception.
Do you see a difference between street art graffiti and vandalism graffiti? And if so, what is it? Is it only a function of bourgeois values? This is how one graffiti artist, Lush, sees it (from streetgiant.com).
Of course no one wants ordinary tagging on their property.
New York has had many famous street artists, most notably Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, Paris has more than its fair share. In fact, even Banksy admits his debt to Blek, the granddaddy of Paris graffiti artists. Good street art is mainly an urban phenomenon.
Some street artists sign their work:
Is this an art form for the young that those of us of “a certain age” just don’t understand?
Should we dedicate public space to it?
Is street art a form of public speech?
“Borrow – Consume – Work – Die”
Browse the Paris Street Art Gallery and decide where you stand on this.
Cynthia Tuttelman (aka "Tut") is a writer, family doctor and quilter who lives in Northern California and part-time each year in Paris, France. Follow along and explore the wonders of Paris.