By Beth Rehman
Beth Rehman is filling in for Kelly Raftery this Tuesday on the topic of street art.
Beth Rehman lives with her family in sunny Singapore. She has already lived her fair share of nine lives—in the United States, the UK, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, and now along the equator. After a career in financial services, Beth is now working on a novel. She also enjoys being a mother as well as the new president of the German European School Singapore.
Beth Rehman is filling in for Kelly Raftery this Tuesday on the topic of street art.
Beth Rehman lives with her family in sunny Singapore. She has already lived her fair share of nine lives—in the United States, the UK, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, and now along the equator. After a career in financial services, Beth is now working on a novel. She also enjoys being a mother as well as the new president of the German European School Singapore.
My
friend, Judy, returned from London this summer with an interesting tale about street
art. She had visited her daughter for a weekend, and they decided to take a
different type of city tour. Judy’s daughter had booked a walking tour with an
outfit called Street Art London Tours. This group of street artists lead walking tours
around the streets of London’s East End.
The girl in this photo was painted by her parents. She carries on the family tradition, creating small works of her own. |
The group saw a number of unique and striking paintings, when they looked carefully enough.
Many
cities now offer such street art tours, and it is a lovely way to get to know a
new town in a different way. Not so much as a tourist, but as one of the
locals, familiar with the streets themselves but now taking the time to notices
their little treasures.
Street
art began as “tagging” in New York and other big cities. People wrote their
initials or gang signs inside unusual places such as subway cars to signify
their presence there. The movement evolved and began encompassing different
purposes—tagging for its own glory, graffiti to mark gang territory, street art
for self-expression and beautification—but all of these forms had their roots
in spray-painting walls, trains, and doorways.
A Belgian artist named Roa painted this crane in only nine hours. |
Now
cities are displaying street art in gallery exhibits, and such buyers as Wall
Street traders and officials with the City of London are buying street art on
canvas. Why? Because they are looking for a good investment. Or maybe, like
many of the artists, they too have come from these local streets and identify
with the artwork?
Judy’s
guide painted these screaming faces, which gave the tour a very personal feel. |
Perhaps
this movement indoors is a good thing. This change has given non-traditional
artists a way to break into the mainstream and be recognized as the talented
artists they are. But, somehow, I cannot help but think that the street art
movement may have lost a big of its edginess and spontaneity in the process.
The next time you are in a new city, see if
you can find a local street art tour. It may just give you a new perspective on
your holiday destination—or perhaps even of your own home town. Seeing the art
in its natural habitat is a bit like seeing a wild animal while on safari
versus in a cage at the zoo.
So,
take a stroll through new streets and look around you. Enjoy the show!
Interesting idea for a tour! Thanks for guest posting with us, Beth!
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