Mindful Vandalism Via Street Art – These Walls Can Talk

Jiji Ugboma

7 years ago

Street Art in some ways perhaps will always remain infamous. Its divisive nature is quite unbalanced in the sense that the creators of street art love what they do more than those against street art hate it. Some of the best art works are the ones that evoke an intense emotion, send a message, are subversive or just deeply expressive. A lot of artists start from the streets with murals and graffiti. They are usually driven by a need to express, a wanting to share a story, activism, an indignation or maybe just art students wanting to practice.

Mindful vandalism is not writing “I love Chris Hemsworth” in a bathroom stall or spray painting a misspelled vulgar word on a gas station wall. Mindful vandalism is artists expressing themselves through drawing and leaving an imprint in their neighborhood or community. Street art is free from conformity, debilitating order and it shows the character of a neighborhood, of a city, of an artist.

In many cases these murals and urban art have historic significance, are political statements, activist movements and serve as tourist attractions. They tell a story, they embody a voice, they are a story. Through it walls indeed do talk.

The Madrid Street art project is an example of a city embracing street art by giving artists a platform display their art while beautifying the city in the process.

Street Art in cities around the world