Beautiful Banksy Street Graffiti

Beautiful Banksy Street Graffiti

Beautiful Banksy Street Graffiti

Beautiful Banksy Street Graffiti

Beautiful Banksy Street Graffiti

Beautiful Banksy Street Graffiti

There exists a generation of artists who as students were continually bombarded with the rhetoric of French philosophers and conceptualists from the 1970s and 1980s. There was a lot of talk of signifiers and the nature of a surface reality, even the implosion of meaning. This was at a time when Urban Art was almost in its infancy, and wouldn't receive serious criticism let alone praise for at least another decade.

Living in a vibrant artistic community I have found that many artists who would describe their work as "urban" in influence share a similar opinion towards the change in direction for both creatives and art consumers.

One local artist is quoted as stating "In my final year at university I was told by the head of my course, which focused primarily on conceptual art, to ignore the opinions of an uninformed public, a public who had taken the time to come and see a small exhibition featuring my and my fellow students' artwork.

As the years passed by it has become apparent to me that I, as I am sure many many generations before mine, have experienced a collapse in faith. Not of a spiritual bent, but one steered by the tenets of perception and the contrivance of objectivity, which in it self is a subjective choice."

Urban arts has brought the fine arts market to the attention of a whole new audience, primarily younger, city-based, many being of a creative bent themselves. The phenomenon of trading art between urban artists is just one cited example of a classless and more liberal artistic "economy". I use that word cautiously however as this cultural practice refers as much to the place and position of art in society as much as monetary value. Much of urban art originating from the streets, made by the people for the people, with no social, economic or political leverage involved.