Illegal art in my opinion, is one of the coolest forms of art there is. Illegal art is obviously art that breaks legal boundaries but at the same time speaks volumes about who the artists are, their beliefs, opinions, stands, interests, self-assurance and creativity. It tells the world that they are not limited by boundaries, or afraid of what society may think or do because of their need to express themselves artistically, in ways that are not necessarily honorable.
Different forms of illegal art consists of street art and graffiti art. Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. Street and graffiti art became big and well-known in the early 1980’s, and even though it has been illegal since its start, graffiti artists continue to grow; graffiti art has remained a constant form of expression in the art world for decades. Street and graffiti art are one in the same in most instances referred to in the art world, when in actuality are quite different. Graffiti limits an individual to what he or she can do with a spray can, on the spot. Street art, on the other hand, while employing some of the application techniques of graffiti, often involves a finished product that is ready-made and brought to the location -think stickers, wheat paste prints, and stencils. Street art can also be sculptures displayed on the street; an example of this is Banksy’s phone booth.
The most well-known graffiti artist is none other than Banksy. Banksy also incorporates street art in his work as well. Banksy is an England-based graffiti artist, political activist and film director of unverified identity. His art combines dark humor with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. Personally, I enjoy Banksy’s work and believe that he is an art genius, and his way about going with his career is very intriguing and interesting. I bet whatever his reasons are for masking his identity are very intuitive and intellectual, justifying it in a very valuable light. Here are some examples of the art legend’s work. You can also take a look at this video giving you more of a scoop on exactly who he is.
Even-though I would never participant in street art or graffiti art, or become a street artist or graffiti artist, I can see why people and/or artists do it. It can be very liberating and the adrenaline from executing the task without getting caught can cause quite a bit of excitement.
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