JACK: Ah yes, a bit more here and a touch more red there. Too much red. I think it's finished, I'm a genius. Let me present, street art, art of a street.
LEELA: I don't think that's what street art is?
JACK: Oh really, because it's a street and it's art. So why would they call it street art?
LEELA: Because it's art in a street.
JACK: Oh, well that makes sense.
Street art if you haven't worked out yet is indeed a form of art that is displayed in public spaces. On streets, duh, as well as buildings and other publicly viewed surfaces. Most people reckon that street art evolved from graffiti. Which, fun fact, has been going on for thousands of years, look ancient graffiti. That doesn't mean it's good. In fact, most people would agree that graffiti is a bit of an eye sore. But street art is another matter. Over the years some street artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring have become famous for their work which started on public walls.
And then there's this guy or maybe this guy or is it this guy? I don't know. In fact, no one really knows who Banksy is. But everyone knows his work. Banksy started spraying his political themed pieces in the UK in the 90s and since then his work has appeared around the world, attracting thousands of tourists, and sometimes selling for a lot. Although you never know when this is going to happen.
Just last week Banksy published a video owning up to a bunch of new artworks which have appeared on England's east coast during what he called a Great Spraycation. Of course, the way he does his art can be controversial because, well, it's illegal. I mean you can't just go around spraying on walls guys. But there are a lot of other street artists who are making a name for themselves by painting on walls with permission. Like Leah. If you're from Adelaide you might recognise some of her murals.
LEAH: I was always fascinated by street art, and I was interested in it. But I kind of felt like I wasn't allowed to be because I didn't know how to practice with permission.
She said she started working with other artists to learn the tricks of the street art trade and now business is booming.
LEAH: We've come full circle, we had councils were trying to stop graffiti and strop street art. And now they're the ones that have the biggest budgets to create, and commission artists to come and add colour and vibrancy to the street.
She also runs workshops teaching aspiring artists some of her techniques, legally of course and she says thanks to the medium's booming popularity there will be plenty of opportunity for the next generation of street artists.
LEAH: Every mural that I've done has led to the next mural, which has been really exciting and fun. It's publicly viewed, and it makes you see it in a different perspective, often from a scale that is just so much bigger than what you can do inside a gallery or inside on a canvas or paper.
JACK: There we go. Now it's street art.
LEELA: Uhmmmm.
JACK: It's art in a street.
LEELA: Yeah, I guess you're right.
