What is the difference between graffiti and Street Art

…Street Art: Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield Can graffiti be regarded as street art ever? Does it depend on where it is, artistic value to beholder or materials used? If there is just text does that make it graffiti for example; tags where people just write their name albeit in a stylised way? Or for example NOP which it has been suggested is a gang name or not for profit. Does it depend on what the intentions of the artist is?

https://wonderwall360blog.wordpress.com/2017/02/13/what-inspires-graffitti-artists-street-artists/

Technically street art is art that prior permission has been granted for or has been commissioned. However, some of what is technically graffiti is artistic and on the street therefore surely that then makes it street art? It can of course be considered vandalism if created without permission. I would not want someone’s name scrawled on my house, so agree with that view in terms of functioning buildings. But there are spaces where it seems relatively harmless like underpasses and wooden boards around building sites. I say relatively for example, compared to the vandalism for example;of putting bricks through bus shelters; which I really do not understand.

This article  makes several interesting points about grafiiti and street art including mentions that tagging uses just marker pen or spray whereas street art can use more material such as stenciling, mosaics or even LED light. There is also some great photos of Louieville street art in the post.

Louisville Street Art

An example of an UK artist that uses stencilling is Banksey.

Banksy in Hull?!!

Or what about, this? Surely a face captured this well, is art? By the way, I love the blog this post has come from; it is all all about street art, so if you want to see some fabulous street art, mostly from Toronto, check it out!

http://graffitiluxandmurals.com/2018/03/22/facing-an-alley/

For more Sheffield street art, that I have seen, check out these links!

Street art / graffiti???, you decide. If you fancy, let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Anyone in London, seen clitoris street art?

Street art: Brown Street / Sylvester street Sheffield

Wonderwalls: Berlin

In the 13th century Berlin was a city enclosed by a wall; to separate it from neighboring Colln. By 1730 Berlin had grown beyond the city walls. There were alterations to walls locations and purpose. Walls were used for the collection of taxes and were known Exercise walls. Within the walls were gates (tors in German). An iconic gate, that was part of these walls was the Brandberg gate. When the Berlin wall was erected in 1961,  was obscured behind the wall. Consequently in 1989 when the wall separating East and West Germany was demolished the gate was the backdrop to many media reports. Nowadays crossing the road from the Brandberg gate there is a metal strip that indicates where the wall ran; which shows how close the wall ran to the Brandberg gate.

Following the line of the wall, after 5minutes there is the Holocaust Memorial.

Another day to remember the holocaust and some places dedicated to remembering (Boston, Prague, Austwich, Laxton)

It seems very natural to walk through Brandberg gate from East to West and vice versa and indeed cross where the wall formally ran without even noticing; it would be oppressive if the wall topped with barbed wire was still present. Some parts of the wall have been preserved for prosperity including plain rather ugly concrete sections as a reminder of the oppression but also some have preserved with added artwork. I did not get much chance to view the artwork as at the time it was raining. This blog has captured some of the images on the wall.

Wonderwall: Someone else’s thoughts on Berlin including mentions of the wall.

I sheltered from the rain in the Checkpoint Charlie museum which documents the attempts made to cross the wall. What I don’t have a clear understanding of having visited this cosmopolitan, vibrant city is what life was life for average people living either side of the wall.