Street art emerged in the 1960s when fans of jazz artist Charlie Parker tagged "Bird lives" in Philadelphia after his death. It reemerged in 1970s New York as tagging by artists like Taki183 and Tracy168 who wrote their names across the city. Street art is a form of self-expression and symbolizes freedom for those without other means of expression or travel. It challenges societal norms through provoking thought and breaking people from accepted values. Street art is influenced by politics and social trends, using techniques similar to pop art in appealing to common people rather than elites. It impacts society by sharing bitter truths and realities not seen in mainstream media, while technology has made creating and sharing street art easier on

1. Street art
http://jolowesgraphics.blogspot.co.uk

2. What is the history of street art where and why did it start?
It's had its place throughout history as drawings on walls but it emerged the 1960s when a jazz artist Charlie Parker also
known as “bird” or “yard bird” died and the people of Philadelphia tagged ‘Bird lives’ across town as an ode to him. It re-
emerged in 1970’s New York when it was established as tagging. Artists such as Taki183 and Tracy168 would tag their
names on the subways and overground trains so their names would travel the city and they would become known. It started
as a way of self expression and voicing yourself. With the case of “bird’’ it was his fans making his legacy live on. With the
likes of tracy and Taki they just wanted to be known across new york and the surrounding area’s and it was to symbolize
their freedom as they didn’t have the means to travel to out of the impoverished sides of new york.

3. What is the characteristics of street art – define it what counts as street art
and what doesn’t?
Street art can be anything from satire to politics to freedom of expression and
general art. Street art however is not random scribbles of vandalism and gang turf
marking marks.
A defining characteristic of street art in my opinion is that it forces people to think
and it breaks people away from the norms and values society has set upon them.

4. What has it been influenced by?
Street art is widely influenced by politics and defining movements in the world. But
can also be influenced by satire and general trends in society. Such as the artist
Blu who make people aware of social issues through his work.

5. What relationship does it have to other art forms?
One of the relationships it has to other art forms is its use of colour and difference in style much like pop
art or renaissance art. Also the presence of important figures in society such as political figures and/or
community leaders/scholars.it's also very much like pop art in the way that's it’s intended as the art of the
common people and is an art form that challenges traditional art methods. It's very much like pop art in the
way that it's the people art and it's centred around the middle class and is widely available for common
folk rather than the elites.

6. What impact has it had on society and art?
The impact it’s had on society is that is held vital truths for society like bitter pills
for them to swallow and they receive it for free on a large scale. It opens up the
reality of certain things that general society might not be aware of. It's a way to
show the people reality that they may not get from mainstream media.

7. How has technology had an impact eg the design and printing process?
Technology has made it easier to gain insight and knowledge on the street art
scene and the methods as to how to do it. It's also made it easier to find a place
that will print on the large scale and to share design work with other creatives and
create a recurring audience for your work.

8. What is the wider cultural context? Think how it documents significant events
wars, social change, politics, migration, freedom of speech, individualism
The wider cultural context of street art is that it's gone from a taboo art that works alongside anonymity and hiding
and trespassing to something that influences change and inspires like the examples of Shepard Fairey’s 2008
Obama Hope poster which can be argued helped him become President. Works like Banksy’s art on Bridge farm
primary school where he showed gratitude to the people of his home town his piece still had wider cultural
context as it showed a childlike doodled girl playing with a stick and tyre but the tyre was in flames. It's not a
casual sight in Bristol but it showed a dim reality and held irony in a primary school.

9. How is it used and created around the World and in other cultures?
Around the world it's used in different ways to reflect the places themselves and their art styling and
culture like for example spray paint street artist who does arabic calligraphy style work did a large
perspective piece in Egypt in the city of Zaraeeb. Street art being the people’s art has been used as a
symbol of resistance in countries of oppression like the art along the apartheid wall in Palestine.