Street art in Chiang Mai, Thailand by Juandres Vera.
I’m an art enthusiast, like many others. But art comes in many forms. While I love museums and viewing the great artists of the past, I recognize that museum and galleries aren’t the only places where great art can be found. One particular branch of art that I’ve taken notice of in my travels is street art; art that’s out there on the streets because then anyone can enjoy it, whether rich or poor. I’ve seen it most in international cities and am convinced it’s one of the best ways for an artist to get their work seen by a large audience today.
Some street artists have gained international recognition and been asked to display work in museums and galleries. Other artists achieve commercial success after being hired by companies to do graphics or by starting their own merchandise line.
The mindset behind street art is to display art in a non-art context, to challenge the environment using– art. It is helpful to distinguish between street art (or more specifically ‘post-graffiti’ movement) as contemporary public space artwork versus territorial graffiti or what’s known as vandalism.
Here are a few of my favorite works of street art that I scoured off the internet:
Frankfurt, Germany
Some skillful cartoonist replicated Spidey perfectly on this cement wall near Frankfurt. That artist is named Julian Schweitzer and she rivals the Marvel comic book version in my opinion.
Gorzow, Poland
The personal responsible for this display of genius is unknown, though the photographer named it “Another Brick in the Wall.”
Sao Paulo, Brazil
This reminds me of that lovable elephant Babaar, though this one looks so sad. The artwork is by Rica and photograph taken by Ricardo Targa–not sure if that’s the same person.
Milano, Italy
I just find this so terribly amusing and anti-industrialist. I’m assuming NemO is a bit of an environment enthusiast; either way, the artist’s website is worth a look. Photography credits go to Goupil de Renard.
Penang, Malaysia
I guess someone left their bike and never bothered picking it up, because now it’s part of this endearing wall mural. The innovator here was Ernest Zacharevic who also took the photo and posted it on his blog.
As you can see, street art is about adding whimsy and interest to what would otherwise be a boring landscape. It’s designed to make you smile or at least take a second look. The best street art is done cleverly using the environment as an inspiration. What is your take on street art? Is this a welcome beautification method or an unwelcome act of vandalism?
There is more street art here if you enjoyed looking at these!
Dr. Sam Sadati is the owner and practitioner of The Sadati Center of Aesthetic Dentistry in West Palm Beach and a leader in the world of cosmetic dentistry and smile design. He is the only accredited cosmetic dentist in all of South Florida and is one of only forty dentists in the world to receive an Accredited Fellow honor from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Apart from creating beautiful smiles, Dr. Sadati enjoys photography, travel, and the opportunity to tell a good joke. If you have a question or comment, dental-related or otherwise, connect with us on Facebook orTwitter. We always reply to our fans and followers!
