Artists Bring the Streets To Life with 3D Art

2D street art, such as graffiti and stencil art, is nothing new. For decades street artists have been transforming cold concrete streets and allies into feasts for the eyes. But a brand new army of artists is bringing streets to life with 3D art that dazzles the eye and stirs the imagination.

To a child, 3D street art can easily be misconstrued as having been created magically. While there is a supernatural feel to such art, it is mere human artists, not magicians, who create the magnificent displays.

If you have not seen 3D street art, you are missing out on something special. Allow this article to take you from the roads of Tehran, Iran’s capital, to the buildings of Miami, Florida, and experience the magic of 3D art for yourself.

Street Art Makes the Common, Extraordinary

When an artist fashions 3D art, he or she expands on a 2D art display, extending the creation beyond the perimeters of the 2 dimensional world. 3D art literally reaches out to touch you, and begs to be touched and experienced in return.

Here are some locations where the streets have been graced with 3D art:

Tehran, Iran – Artist Medhi Ghadyanloo has transformed Tehran with his brilliant artwork. In the CNN index, “What’s the secret behind these eye-popping street art illusions,” it says, “Ghadyanloo has painted over 100 murals across the Iranian capital, giving unsuspecting drivers good reason to do a double take, as the fantasy blends in with the real.”

Paris, France – A once-plain underpass in Paris has been rendered exquisite by a hovering anamorphic image created by TSF, a French art crew. The crewmembers used paint and a chopped-down tree to create the artistic effects they wanted.

Miami, Florida – One of the most moving displays of 3D street art is titled No Art for Poor Kids, and can be found near the Jose De Diego Middle School in Miami. Artist MTO created a statue of a child standing with his face toward a building, wearing what appears to be a dunce cap. This is both ironic and significant because, as explained on the CNN website, it “highlights the plight of [the] middle school, on the edge of Miami’s Wynwood gallery district, where this year’s Art Basel parties kicked off. There, on the doorstep of the glitziest art-buying festival, a tight budget means there’s no money to hire an art teacher and the 600 students are denied access to art.”

3D Street Art Fosters Change

The 3D art display near the Jose De Diego Middle School proves that 3D street art can be both controversial and transformational. It is in-your-face and refuses to be ignored. It’s safe to say that this genre of art has the potential to change culture as we know it.

Check out more astounding displays of 3D street art here.

Is there a 3D street art display in your locale? If so, how have people responded to it? Do you think such a display would enrich your community?

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Street Art Affects Major Cities Across the World

What do the art communities of Paris, New York and London have in common with those of Rio de Janiero, Bethlehem and Philadelphia? For starters, they all appear on the Huffington Post’s notable art cities. However, the art that is honored on this list does not hang in galleries. It covers city streets. Inspiring street art can be seen in critically acclaimed art cities as well as those that exist far from mainstream. But what makes street art good and how is its presence affecting major cities?

Graffiti No More

Street art is commonly referred to as graffiti. In many parts of the world the artists who are behind these works could be confronted by law officials. Illegal as it might be, artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey have become emblems of the street art community throughout the world. Their work is rarely seen as vandalism. More often, it is celebrated as public artwork that draws attention and notoriety to major cities.

An online publication from Brooklyn New York, BrooklynStreetArt.com claims to “…track the new creative spirit that runs in the streets… new hybrids, new techniques, and new mediums are expanding the definition of public art, street art, graffiti, and urban art; each vying for the attention of passers-by.” They stress that street art has contemporary allure that evokes emotion in citizens and tourists of cities all over the world.

Street Art is Creative and Sophisticated

The bar for street art, however, is being set at new heights. Tagging train cars with spray paint is not the type of graffiti that is being recognized in cities around the world. The murals that are being painted onto the sides of buildings have reached new levels of sophistication and creativity. They are often used to make a point, whether political or personal, and to remove them might take more than a simple pressure washer. Some of the art is larger than life, tracing the heights of multi-story buildings.

Years ago, before street art became socially acceptable, completing such a work would be impossible. Only able to produce art under the guise of night limited what graffiti artists could do. Today, even though it is illegal to vandalize public property in many parts of the world, street art is still tolerated. Building owners are giving permission for street artists to tag their walls, which is a good investment. Tourist and residents alike appreciate the flavor of street art and are often seen snapping photographs of the nontraditional artwork.

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The Graffiti Artist and Street Vendor

The streets of New York City are littered with street artists. Those who succeed at this trade often combine unique artistic ability with marketing efforts. Beyond taking time to create numerous works, they have to sell them too. This is not always easy. In fact, it is downright hard, even for a world famous artist.

Banksy is a world famous graffiti artist.

While Banksy is not his birth name, art featuring this “tag” can be found decorating cities throughout the world. Beyond this talent, Banksy uses film and traditional canvas paintings to advance his position as a political activist. His satirical style, stenciling technique, and creativity lead to priceless masterpieces.

Of course “priceless” is an exaggeration. His work sells quite well, considering those who purchase it usually have to assume responsibility for cleaning it off the walls of city property. Yet the sliding scale of his work is drastic. A piece that sells for $249,000 in one venue may only sell for $60 in another.

Banksy’s Street Vendor Experiment

This was the case when Banksy arranged for an anonymous sidewalk art booth be erected in New York City’s Central Park. A piece titled, “Love is in the Air,” was on the table, listed at $60. This summer, a limited edition of the same work sold in auction for a quarter of a million dollars.

Banksy hired a man to sit in front of the booth and sell art work. He recorded the day’s happenings and created a two and a half minute Youtube video. Throughout the course of the day, only $420 was earned.

Regardless of sitting in front of a sign that read, “Spray Art,” (which was painted in Banksy’s signature stencil print) no one knew the vendor was selling original artwork signed by Banksy.

The Value of Art

What can be gained from the experiment in Central Park? Nothing, according to Banksy. He does not admit any motivation behind this stint. Instead, he describes the act with the following statement:

“I know street art can feel increasingly like the marketing wing of an art career, so I wanted to make some art without the price tag attached. There’s no gallery show or book or film. It’s pointless. Which hopefully means something.”

But this display was not pointless. It says something about the value of art. More so, it reinforces the saying, “you better shop around.” A few lucky people got one heck of a deal that day.

Image found on Opticalspy.com http://www.opticalspy.com/high-speed-photography-gallery.html.

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