In 1965, Darryl “Cornbread” McCray, now considered the world's first modern graffiti artist, was a 12-year-old troublemaker living at the Youth Development Center (YDC) in Philadelphia. As you might have guessed, McCray loved cornbread.
Street art is
visual art created in public places for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms independent art, post-graffiti, neography and guerrilla art.Street art has received artistic recognition with the outstanding status of Banksy and other artists. One of the most respected names in the field of street art documentation and artists, who would gladly testify to this, is photographer Martha Cooper. With this commercial angle, they can bring people into the world of street art and give them a better idea of where they came from. The current styles and media used in street art vary quite a bit compared to murals.
Street art demonstrations in Mexico began in the late 80s in Mexico City, inside multifamily buildings in the north of the city and also in the subway. Street art often seeks to provoke thought rather than rejection among the general public by making its purpose more evident than that of graffiti. Street art has evolved from the first forms of challenging graffiti to a more commercial form of art, since one of the main differences now lies in the messages. Later, at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, street art became complex interdisciplinary forms of artistic expression.
Soon enough, photographs were not the only way to capture and “move” street art to different contexts. Franco the Great, also known as the Picasso of Harlem, is another world-famous street artist also known internationally for his new art form. Street art was also deeply rooted in the revolutionary practices of those who identified themselves with various subcultures linked to class, race or gender during this era. Street art is often related to activism that raises awareness of pressing social and environmental issues.
Often fun and thought-provoking, street art encompasses an extremely wide range of interesting topics and techniques that go beyond traditional graffiti and spray painting. In addition, authorities have installed commemorative plaques throughout the city, used them as a civic symbol during the celebration of New Year's Eve 2000 on the famous Bay Bridge and, a few months later, during the inauguration of the Olympic Games, demonstrating the lasting impact that street art can have on a community. Artists from all over California and around the world will paint murals and create street art during a week-long festival. The move to more elaborate works is a significant advance in the history of street art, since it meant a change in the style of graffiti from hit and run, which was illegal and caused artists to be arrested, to a more legitimate form of artistic expression.
