Urban Art

The World as a Canvas

Garry Hunter

• Publisher: Arcturus
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781784043407
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

Urban art - the decoration of public spaces - combines street art and graffiti and is an international creative practice. Many urban artists address issues such as human rights, the environment and lifestyle choices by challenging and confronting established thinking. Some artists feature heroes or icons in their work, others use illusions to lure the viewer into examining the art and trying to figure out what is real and what is not. Others still pay homage to less wellknown people who have worked for the good of humanity. Along with the urban landscape, this art form is evolving all the time, reflecting the zeitgeist, asking questions, and grabbing the attention of the passing city dweller.

ICONS

There is a burgeoning trend for artists to produce work featuring their heroes. This may be in the shape of a single piece of urban art or a whole wall of interlinking portraits, like this mural of the Beatles by Mr Brainwash. While many artists offer personal interpretations of legends such as Yuri Gagarin, Jimi Hendrix, Frida Kahlo and Sergio Leone, some are increasingly rendering family members as icons in a kind of personal homage. American cartoon characters, manga heroes and computer gaming avatars also feature as icons, inviting viewers to identify with the artist’s passion, whether for an obscure subcultural magazine or a globally recognized figure. Spiritual legends, ranging from Native American leaders to early Christian prophets, are also popular iconic subjects, gazing down from their elevated positions on high walls and viaducts.

Kate Moss by Mr Brainwash, London

Biker art by Maria Vergine Augusta, Rome

Muttley by an unknown artist, Rome

A Native American icon by Idi1 Red Power, Marseille

The British monarch realized by Mr Brainwash, London

German politician Erich Honecker and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sten & Lex, Rome

Kent Twitchell’s Steve McQueen Monument graces a Los Angeles suburb.

In the late 1960s, some of the most striking largescale iconic works were produced by American artist Kent Twitchell. During the earlier years of the decade Twitchell had served in the US Airforce; a posting to London had enabled him to absorb the revolutionary visual art being produced in the city at that time. Back in the USA, he took advantage of the GI Bill to study at California State University in Los Angeles, where the city’s sprawl would become his enduring focus. Twitchell’s use of folk art motifs harks back to his boyhood on the family farm in Michigan. His murals often transpose famous actors onto clapboard buildings. However, Freeway Lady and many more of Twitchell’s most lauded works no longer exist in their original locations. A recent reassessment of their significance has resulted in repeat commissions b...

Table of contents

• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1: ICONS
• CHAPTER 2: ILLUSIONS
• CHAPTER 3: ISSUES
• CHAPTER 4: HOMAGE
• CHAPTER 5: NEW IDEAS
• Acknowledgments
• Copyright