The grit of urban and metropolitan areas has inspired creatives to produce a different form of art. The streets of the cities have inspired the evolution of art, dance, and fashion. And this development does not only shape the culture of an area but also helps boost the economy.
This is why cities Like New York, London, and Budapest continue to attract talented people from across the globe: arts and culture is its selling point, and this rose from the streets.
Street Art
Graffiti and street art are described as forms of art that are done in a public or privately owned space without permission. Street art can be done by using different mediums. It can be in the form of painting, sculpture, installations, and a lot more.
The most important thing about street art is that it is uninhibited and gives the artist freedom to choose which medium, form, or message they want to use. More often than not, street art, especially graffiti, has a strong subversive message.
Origin
Street art started with graffiti artists in the 70s and 80s. But street art isn’t strictly graffiti; the essence of street art is that it contradicts what is prevalent in the current society.
Street art has become popular in the urban context because artists built their identity back when the Internet did not exist. Artists like Shepard Fairey and Space Invader had to repeatedly recreate their art in different cities so that people would recognize their identity as artists. Later on, the Internet came, and this has helped many artists popularize their art.
Currently, one of the most popular street artists is Banksy. His identity is still hidden; Banksy has made artworks that have controversial political statements. Thanks to the internet, his work has been reshared and is known all over the world.
Street Dance
Hip hop is one of the most popular styles of street dance, and several hip hop classes are available across the globe. Hip hop culture is said to have begun in the 70s in New York City. From the 70s to the 80s, breaking was the most popular style of hip hop.
However, breaking required upbeat music, and as the music changed in the 80s into a slower tempo, hip hop freestyle became the new popular style. Different dance styles such as robocop and running man became popular during this era, too.
As years progressed, hip hop developed different umbrella styles, including popping and locking and krump. Krump is the latest addition to the hip-hop umbrella. It’s a form of dance used to express feelings of aggression and anger instead of expressing these feelings through violence.
Currently, what we know of hip hop combines all the styles that have evolved throughout the years.
Street Style
Street style has always been around, but it was only during the 50s that it penetrated popular culture. During this time, street style was brought down from high fashion to a fashion that was affordable to the masses. But by the half of the 20th century, the upper class seemed to have lost its grip as the authority in fashion.
Fashion inspiration started to come from the working class. Denim, for example, is a popular street style material nowadays. But before, it was only limited to male laborers until department stores made it available to children and women in the late 40s. Though not necessarily copying the manual laborer’s style, denim was used to copy cowboys in the “Wild West”; cowboys can be considered working-class heroes of America.
The emergence of street style inspired by the working class has been a refreshing, exciting turn in the fashion industry. By the 50s and 60s, younger generations looked at street style as an authentic, hip fashion style. Street style also encompasses different looks that fit different personalities. Such styles include biker, mod, rockabilly style, and a lot more.
Street style capitals
There’s no surprise that the fashion capitals of the world are also street-style capitals. This includes New York, Paris, Japan, and London.
The city of Paris has a lot of streetwalkers carrying the city look. These street walkers carry an urban-chic style, carried well with a bit of class and Parisian sophistication. In Japan, high school girls are extremely influential when it comes to style and trends. What they wear is what dictates that current Japanese fashion trend.
On the other hand, London is a multi-ethnic city that combines royal tradition with a mix of different cultures, creating a unique European street style. Last but not least, New York City, known as the greatest city in the world, is a go-to destination when it comes to fashion and big dreams.
Art is everywhere, even in big cities such as the ones mentioned here. You don’t have to look far to witness art, so consider going out. You might see the street as an art form as you walk along.
