Street Art
Wikipedia defines street art as “visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues.” When I was younger, I thought street art either meant graffiti or murals—there was not much else that I saw while growing up in Boston.There are many famous street artists: Banksy, Shepard Fairy, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Gaia to name a few. Banksy is probably the most well-known street artist, as I believe that even those who do not follow art, have most likely heard of him. And if you are from New England, you presumably have heard of the Rhode Island School of Design graduate Shepard Fairey, who created the Barack Obama “Hope” poster.The person who I am currently in awe of is British artist SHOK-1. After seeing his work on Instagram, I immediately began to follow him and I’m constantly blown away by his talent. While he has been creating street art for 30 years, I am just now finding out about him. (not sure what took me so long). The piece below by SHOK-1 is titled “Thorns” and if you can believe it—it is freehand spray paint! I have absolutely no idea how he can create such a beautiful and elegant piece with spray paint. If I ever go to London, I will definitely be looking for his work! Be sure to follow him on Instagram to see his latest creations and listen to a rare interview via Vantage Point. You can also view his earlier work on Flickr.