Empowering street art.

Summary/Overview

Street art is such a beautiful and empowering tool that can inspire local communities. It is often a celebration of a distinct aspect of the local area but can also touch upon complex themes and ideas that embolden new generations.

Empowering street art taps into many styles and takes visual cues from across the art world. There’s an authenticity to street art that can enhance your designs and represent who you are as a creator. Street art is about identity and expression.

But what is empowering street art and how can you apply it to your designs on Adobe Express UK? Read on to learn more.

The origins of the movement.

Street art is almost as old as the concept of art itself. Drawings have been found in caves thousands of years in the past, where our ancient ancestors created public art to entertain and tell stories. In each major civilisation there is evidence that humankind created art in communal spaces, on the walls and pavements.

Modern graffiti art, as it is viewed today, can be traced to Philadelphia in the 1960s, but there are examples of graffiti in New York from the 1920s and 1930s, which connects to the gang territories of the era. The role that street art has played in human history has continued to evolve, and today, there are amateur artists and creators from all walks of life contributing their own style to this movement.

Key characteristics.

You might be familiar with what street art is, but there are a few characteristics that really help to define this gorgeous art style.

Strong messaging.

Empowering street art celebrates local heroes and builds a sense of community, can make strong political points, or could represent rebellion and resistance.

Bright colours.

Just like other art forms such as Afrofuturism, street art graffiti and the general street art movement utilise bright colours and attention grabbing visuals. It’s common to see great contrasts and unusual colour palettes within the form.

Abstract shapes.

Street art often takes from the expressionism of abstract art, allowing the artist themselves to explore their own interpretation of the muse they are depicting. Unusual shapes and bizarre combinations promote a sense of identity in the work.

No rules.

Although empowering street art and street art graffiti might boast a few key characteristics, one of the most important lessons of the medium is that there are no rules. The artist can express themselves on this platform however they wish.

Editable templates for your street art projects.

How to implement it in Adobe Express?

Promote strong messaging in your presentations.

Use strong messaging to get your point across in your presentations. Take advantage of Adobe Express UK’s free presentation templates and draw together visuals that help promote your brand identity, linked to important themes from sustainability to accessibility. Use Adobe Express’ easy to use merge video features to bring movement to your presentation messaging.

Use bright colours in your posters.

Stand out from the crowd and grab your audience’s attention with bright colours. The digital landscape is becoming a crowded space, but you can stand out with bright, empowering palettes in your posters, which you can create with no experience required using Adobe Express UK’s poster templates.

Experiment with abstract shapes in your Instagram posts.

Abstract imagery, as seen in empowering street art, encourages your target audience to think about your design and engage on a deeper level. Bring abstract shapes into your Instagram posts using Adobe Express UK’s easy to use templates, to create that consumer connection.

Break all the rules with your collage designs.

It’s easy to follow all the rules of design when creating a collage. However, empowering street art teaches us that there are no rules. Some of the best art comes from experimenting with the unknown. Use Adobe Express UK’s free collage templates to create an unusual combination of images, that don’t follow conventional compositions.

Build your own street art designs with templates from Adobe Express.

Examples of previous work.

It’s vital to look back at past examples of empowering street art to inspire your next project.

Flower thrower.

Banksy might be one of the most famous street artists in the world. His provocative Flower Thrower from 2007 touches upon themes of protest and peace, with the dark figure of the rioter contrasted with the yellow flowers he throws.

Etnias.

Eduardo Kobra’s stunning mural created in 2016, is colourful, vibrant, and culturally significant. The artwork depicts representatives of native tribes from across five continents.

Tuttomondo.

The 1989 piece, Tuttomondo, created by Keith Haring can be found in Italy and is an abstract and rule-breaking concept which symbolises community and world peace. It depicts vague figures relaxing and connecting with one another, in an experience that can be shared by all those that gaze upon it.

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Useful things to know.

Can anyone try street art?

Of course. While it’s important to get the right permission to practise street art in public places, the principles of street art can be applied to all areas of the art world.

Who are some notable street artists?

Banksy, Swoon, Vhils and Dondi are just a few street artists who made an impact in the medium.

Do I have to stick to street art’s key characteristics?

Many of us will be asking, what is street art? Well, it’s whatever the artist wants it to be. The lack of rules means that street artists don’t have to conform to the usual characteristics of the medium.

Is Adobe Express UK free to use?

Absolutely, you can jump straight into Adobe Express UK right now and explore its many easy to use templates.

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