User:HannahGillis/sandbox

In my article I plan to cover the positive effect that guerrilla art can have on the communities that they have around them.

I hope to cover the history of guerrilla art and the way that these artists are able to connect with their audience through powerful messages conveyed through their art.

I will also cover the definition of street art/guerilla art and the difference between those and graffiti.

ARTICLE LEAD SECTION DRAFT:

Street Art
Street art is a form of artwork that is displayed in a community on its surrounding buildings, streets, and other publicly viewed surfaces. Many pieces of street art come in the form of guerrilla art, which is a work that is composed to make a public statement about the society that the artist lives within. The work of street artists has moved from the beginnings of graffiti and vandalism to modern day guerrilla art where the artists are working to get powerful messages across to the viewers.

Street art can come in many forms as in recent years, the term has become an umbrella term for any work of art that is created or placed in a public area. Included within this term, are certain works of graffiti that have been decidedly labeled as works of art rather than works of vandalism. Due to the very subtle difference between street art and graffiti, it has come into debate for many whether certain works quality as art or not. While the difference between the two may be subtle, it is used as a differentiator for those who review and analyze the works everyday.

Street Art, Guerilla Art, and Graffiti
Graffiti is characteristically made up of written words that are meant to represent a group or community in a covert way and in plain site. The tell tale sign of street art is that it usually includes images, illustrations, or symbols that are meant to convey a message. While both works are meant to represent or tell a message to viewers, one difference between the two comes in the specific viewers that it is meant for. As stated earlier, graffiti displays a covert message in plain site by using terminology or messaging that is not made to be recognizable or understandable to viewers who are outside of the community or group for which it represents. One trait of street art that has helped to bring it to positive light in the public eye is that the messages shown in these public spaces are usually made to be comprehensible by all parties who consume it.

While both of these types of art have many differences, there are more similarities than their origins. Both graffiti and street art are works of art that are created with the same intent. Most artists, whether they are working anonymously, creating an intentionally incomprehensible message, or fighting for some greater cause are working with the same ambitions for popularity, recognition, and the public display or outpouring of their personal thoughts, feelings, and/or passions.

The term street art is described in many different ways, one of which is the term "guerrilla art." Both terms describe these public works that are placed with meaning and intent. They can be done anonymously for works that are created to confront more taboo public issues that will result in backlash, or under the name of a well-known artist. In any case and terminology, these works of art are created as a primary way to express the artists thoughts on many topics and more commonly, public issues.

One defining trait or feature of street art is that it is created on or in a public area without or against the permission of the owner. This is a trait which falls in line with that of graffiti. A main distinction between the two comes in the second trait of street art or guerrilla art, where it is made to represent and display a purposefully uncompliant act that is meant to challenge its surrounding environment. This challenge can be granular, focusing on issues within the community or broadly sweeping, addressing global issues on a public stage.

This is how the term "guerilla art" was associated with this type of work and behavior. The word ties back to guerilla warfare in history where attacks are made wildly, without control, and with no rules of engagement. This type of warfare was dramatically different than the previously formal and traditional fighting that went on in wars normally. When used in the context of street art, the term guerilla art is meant to give nod to the artist's uncontrolled, unexpected, and often unnamed attack on societal structure or norms.

Guerilla Sculpture
Guerrilla Sculpture has become a very famous aspect of street art from its and progression from street art in England in the late 20th century. In addition to the nontraditional setting of the works of art involved in guerrilla sculpture, there are also many different tools used in the creation of this art work. The artists tend to work illegally and in secrecy to create and place these works. Often, the sculptures will appear in the dark of night and cloaked in mystery of their origins and creators. The sculptures are used to express messages of the artist's views and to tap into audience groups that would not otherwise be reached through more traditional methods of displaying one's work to the public. In performing these acts of artistic expression, they are not working to gain acceptance of love of the people that they reach, but at times may even be successful in angering those who view their work.

Public Acceptance
Although this type of art has become a staple of most cities around the world, the popularity of this form of artistic expression was not always so apparent as it is today. In recent years, street art has undergone a major transformation in public opinion to even become a socially accepted and respected accent to the public places that they adorn. Even with this push for public acceptance, the act of defacing public property with any and all message, whether it is considered art or not, has yet to become permitted or approved by the government. Today's street art, while common and growing in acceptance, is largely placed in a middle ground between an act that is against the law and a beautifully respected act of artistic expression.

In the beginning, graffiti was the only form of street art that there was and it was widely considered to be a delinquent act of territorial marking and crude messaging. Initially, there was very clear devisions between the work of a street artist and the act of tagging a public or private property, but in recent years where the artists are treading the line between the two, this line has become increasingly blurred. Those who truly appreciate the work of famed street artists or street works of art, are in acceptance of the fact that this art would not be the same without the medium being the street. The works are subject to whatever change or destruction may come due to the fact that they are created on public or private surfaces which are neither owned by the artist or permitted to be worked on by the property owners. This acceptance of the potential impermanence of the works of art and the public placement of the uncondoned works are what contribute to the meaning of the piece and therefore, what helps the growth of street art popularity.

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