Street art is usually painted with permission or on request. Graffiti (left) is based on words, while street art (right) is based on images. In terms of technique, street art tends to be based on images, while graffiti is more commonly based on words. Labeling, for example, is the most basic result of traditional graffiti writing, in which artists repeatedly use a single symbol, word or series of letters as their own signature or personalized “label”.
These “urban autographs” were first used by gangs seeking to mark their territory, but since then they have evolved and served as a stepping stone to newer and more intricate forms of graffiti. While graffiti is based on letters, street art is based on images. In other words, graffiti usually has a few letters, while street arts have a wider range of visual elements and are often similar to traditional murals. Street art is image-based and created with permission, while graffiti is based on words and is illegal.
The purpose of street art is primarily beautification, while graffiti is often associated with disfiguring public property and marking territory. Graffiti is usually word-based art, and street art is more commonly based on images. There are a million reasons why graffiti exists and many others for street art. Some people associate graffiti with gangs, vandalism and violence, so graffiti tends to have a negative image among people, while street art has a more positive perception than graffiti.
Unlike graffiti, street artists can create art with permission (from the building's owners) and even through commissions. Graffiti primarily uses spray paint, while street art involves a variety of media, such as spray painting, mosaics, stencil art, LED art, sticker art, and thread bombardment. Ironically, gallerists around the world are starting to appreciate graffiti writing and street art and are finding new ways to collaborate with artists. Graffiti culture permeates rivalry among writers, but street artists encourage other street artists and respect and admire their work.
As a result, while there are some truly impressive examples of artistic graffiti, much of the graffiti art seen on the street requires no talent and has little or no aesthetic appeal. Other times, small works of street art and guerrilla-style graffiti appear in the middle of the night in random places in the urban environment. Part of the visual surprise or fascination one receives from street art is due to its unexpected location in the public, where it is juxtaposed with functional signage or advertising. Therefore, graffiti can be said to be the father of street art, and most street artists are inspired by it.
Street art and graffiti overlap in many ways, but the key differences between the two lie in technique and intention. Another major difference between contemporary graffiti and street art is that graffiti writers take great risks by destroying public places. Graffiti is generally created without permission and is considered a form of vandalism, but street art can also be created with permission or on request. On the contrary, street art is created with a specific audience in mind, especially when commissioned by companies, local organizations or municipal officials.
He exhibited with other well-known street and graffiti artists in the Art in the Streets exhibition at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the first major U...
