Unconventional urban art is one of the most beautiful forms of expression that we can appreciate for free if we are paying attention to the details. Most of the time, we disregard street art as a form of graffiti and vandalism and don’t take the time to truly look closely. However, if we raise our comprehension standards a few notches, we may appreciate a great deal of beauty, especially if we are hunting down the masterpieces of renowned street artists in our cities. The public became increasingly interested in street art in the twenty first century as explained by Kooness. Most of the street artists are complex individuals who want to share their art in order to make a statement or display their creativity in a public outlet. Others are looking to put out there some sort of reminders about unequal social conditions. All of them want to express the way they perceive the world.
The following is a list of five street artists and the things they have accomplished to get their messages across:
Banksy
No one can hold a candle to Banksy when it comes to metaphorical terms of art. The man is known for two things: covering certain locations with his powerful art during specific seasons and being the literal man of mystery in the world of art. Banksy has remained popular because the people who admire him have built an endless flow of folk tales about him on social media. The artist, however, does not create commissions and has explicitly stated that his art is not for sale. This is a bold statement that he backed with action in 2018. He hid a portable shredder in a framed print of his art which was being sold in a famous auction house. After the winning bid claimed ownership of it for $1.3 million, Banksy activated the shredder and destroyed the print.
Roa
This street artist is known for creating some of the most detailed art pieces inspired by his love of animals and rodents. Like Banksy, very little is known about Roa other than the fact that he was born in Belgium and he was a child of the eighties. He was well-versed in American culture and western art expressions such as hip-hop music. Unlike other famed muralists, Roa doesn’t seem to have social networks of his own, and his followers are the ones doing a great job at promoting everything he creates. His personal obsession with the depiction of mistreated animals without using gore and x-ray art is a clear indication of his sensibilities, but it’s all speculation since the man doesn’t grant any interviews.
Ralph Ziman
Ralph Ziman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1963. Unlike the other two entries in the list, he has a reasonably public persona and is very popular among mainstream artists. He has utilized his talents to direct hundreds of music videos featuring his unique aesthetics. He is also a very proficient muralist and is known locally for his public art work of five murals in Venice Beach. The man is also a full-time activist with most of his art dedicated to spreading the message about the complicated politics keeping Africa from reaching its full potential as a superpower in the world.
Vhil
Maybe one of the most complex mentions on the list, Vhil is an artist who expresses himself through near-endless layers of his customized sculpting technique using posters, dirt, and plaster. His figurative imaginary is full of feeling, and the relief portrait is his most popular form of media. While he has collaborated with mainstream artists such as U2 in the past, he’s not fond of the spotlight, preferring anonymity to do some of his best work. Born in Lisbon in 1984, Vhil is an artist who expresses himself through destruction. He firmly believes that for something new to come forward, something old must disappear. Most of his work can be seen in the street, on derelict buildings in London and Portugal.
El Mac
Very little is known about El Mac other than the fact that he is of Latin American heritage and was born in Los Angeles. His signature style is a photorealistic take on images he only sees in his mind from his everyday life. He captures the essence of individuals and spreads them out in some of the most massive murals ever to adorn storefronts in L.A. His street art is full of shading and detail. El Mac has many pieces credited to him, and his exhibits can be found in magazines and galleries as well as the free art he creates for buildings. Like most artists on this list, he’s a private person, and the only means to contact him are through a blog and a website that are set to showcase his creations.
