Suraj got us tickets for a guided walking tour about street art recently, and I wanted to tell you about it because I thought it was awesome!
I knew we were in for a treat when I found out who the organisers were because we’ve been on their guided walking tours in Barcelona and Paris.
What I liked about the guided walking tour
- our guide, Ivo.
- he kept us interested
- he was happy to answer questions
- he shared the background to street art
- he talked about the art we saw in terms of the motivations behind it, what it meant to the artist, to Ivo himself, to the community and how it can be interpreted
- the pace of the walk was good
- we saw a variety of methods including brushwork, the use of stencils and 3D pieces
- coming to the realisation that there’s a lot that I don’t notice
Some of the key things I learned during the tour
- the difference between graffiti and street art
- how street art came about
- the fact that some of the artwork is commissioned
- the artwork on shutters is usually done with the permission of the owner of the store
- the various methods that artists use
- that some pieces remain for months whereas others are painted over quite quickly
- many of the artists shared a similar journey in terms of how their work developed but this isn’t the case for all of them
Some of the street art that we saw during the walk
The photos you see below had very different effects. Some of them made me smile, others made me appreciative of the work involved, some reminded me about how we can look at the same thing but think and feel completely different things, whilst there were a few that resonated me because of the artist’s message behind it.
My favourite pieces
Ivo asked us what our most favourite piece was. Within seconds, I had come up with two which really resonated with me.
I loved this piece by Dreph for various reasons. I was told that he draws unsung heroes, which I think is awesome! This gorgeous woman is the mother of their children and she has done and continues to do, some amazing work to help those who are vulnerable. I was captivated by the painting.
I don’t know the name of the artist who created this but wow! What an amazing piece of art! It made me think of the Safari that we went on only a few months ago. The painting is so subtle and yet so bold and powerful. If it wasn’t for Ivo, we would have missed it, but once spotted, we were all drawn to it and spent quite a few minutes looking at it, thinking about how he created it, discussing what the animals were and sharing what we liked about it.
What are your thoughts about street art?
Did you have an opinion about street art before reading this article?
After reading this, have your views changed?
If you had to choose from the pieces above, which would be your favourite and why?
Information about some of the street artists behind the work we saw on the tour
Unfortunately, I can’t remember the names of all the artists that we discussed, and some of the artwork isn’t tagged with their name, so here are a few links which will shed more light on some of them.
Dreph’s biography
Dreph’s profile on facebook
Stik’s website
Stik’s profile on facebook
Clet’s profile on facebook
ROA’s background and noteable pieces of art
ROA’s biography
