National College of Art & Design Department,

School: Fine Art / Education

Title of research project:

The Rise of Street Art

Name of student:

Lia McCanny

Submitted to the School of Visual Culture in Candidacy for

the Degree of BA Fine Art and Education, 2023

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School of Visual Culture

I declare that this Critical Cultures Research Project is all my own work and that all sources

have been fully acknowledged.

Signed:

Programme / department: Fine Art / Education

Date: 3/1/2023

Acknowledgements

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Thank you too my tutor, Maebh O’Regan for providing your excellent guidance and feedback

throughout this project from the beginning. EPL Lecturer in Visual Culture in the National

College of Art and Design.

I would also like to express humble gratitude to the rest of my professors, supervisors, who

assisted me to complete the project in any way.

Table of Contents

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1 Introduction : ……………………………………………………………………….. 6

2 Chapter 1: History of Street Art …………………………………………………… 7

2.1 Where Street Art originated from ………………………………………………. 7

2.2 Categorization within Street Art ………………………………………………… 7

2.2 Who creates street art and why ………………………………………………….. 9

3 Chapter 2: The Audience and location …………………………………………….. 9

4 Chapter 3: Legal or Illegal ?

4.1 Is street art a state crime? ……………………………………………………….. 10

4.2 Criminological Analysis …………………………………………………………. 11

5 Chapter 4: The evolution of street art

5.1 Digital technology …………………... ………………………………………….. 12

6 Chapter 5: Carlow Case Study ………………………………………………………13

6.1. Ben Jelliman ……………………………………………………………………….14

6.2. My personal analysis ………………………………………………………………16

6.3. Paul Byrne …………………………………………………………………………17

6.4. My personal analysis ………………………………………………………………19

7 Conclusion: ……………………………………………………………………………20

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 Illustrations:

1. Unknown Artist, no title (Graffiti Hate Symbol), 1/05/2021,

aerosol spray paint, , 50cm x 40cm, Paupish Bridge county Carlow, page no. 16

2. Ben Jelliman, Turning Hate into Love, 26/05/2021, aerosol

spray paint, 50cm x 40cm, Paupish Bridge county Carlow, page no. 16

3. Wall before mural transformation, 15/04/2021, 49′ x 28′,

Tullow Rugby Football Club county Carlow, page no. 18

4. Paul Byrne, Tackle your Feelings , 29/04/2021 , Hand

Painted with durable outdoor paint, 49′ x 28′ , Tullow Rugby Football Club county
Carlow, page no. 19

THE RISE OF STREET ART

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 1. INTRODUCTION:

Wall markings and sketches have been around for nearly as long as humans

have. From cave art to ancient Roman curse words scribbled across walls, street art

has been accepted for thousands of years as a form of expression and communication,

a way for ordinary people to mark their lives, their problems and their interests known

to the world. Lately, we might associate street art with the likes of Banksy, KAWS

and pieces that retail for millions at auction . While these names are strongly

cemented as some of the most desirable blue- chip artists in the world, their demand

among collectors and dealers alike has also worked to spotlight street art as a valid

asset class for investors and opened up exhilarating breaks in this up in coming

market. (Sulley, S. 2022, n.p.) The meaning of street art is found in the intention of

the work. Street Art is by its very nature democratic; a form of culture and socio-

political expression that was, at its origins, communicated through the urban area.

More recently of course, it has transcended its original environment. It frequently

challenges expectations, blurs the line between high and low art, and offers subversive

social or political criticism. Street art includes a wide range of pieces, including

murals, chalk art, sticker art, stencil graffiti, street posters, and graffiti art. Some

people find it challenging to define street art as a legitimate art form because of its

associations with graffiti and tagging in particular. (Eden Gallery, 2021, n.p.). This

essay will examine the rise of street art through the topics of; history of street art,

how it evolved as a genre of art, and a case study of two very significant street artists

who stick out to me in my neighbourhood.

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 2. HISTORY OF STREET ART

Street art, as we know it, began with New York kids tagging their signatures on

abandoned buildings and the subway during the 1970’s, and evolved into a battle to

get noticed through bigger and better tags and would become the foundation for many

seminal styles today. Top graffiti artists were joining established New York City

galleries by the early 1980s, participating in exhibitions that included their works

alongside those of other young and alternative artists, and gaining more and more

positive attention, including in-depth articles in the Village Voice and other

publications, as well as a cover story in Art Forum. Hip hop graffiti had just begun to

take off at this point, not just in New York City's galleries but also in a number of

other cultural settings. As the exposure in video and film grew, it also spread more

widely throughout the American art worlds and was covered by both mainstream and

alternative media. (Ferrell, J. 1996, p. 9).Graffiti was spreading to places all

throughout the United States while also growing to be a global phenomenon. Claudio

Bruni, an Italian art dealer, acquired a number of Lee Quinones' graffiti-style

canvases in 1979 and displayed them in a show at his Galleria Medusa in Rome. Soon

after, art dealers and collectors in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and other European

countries started looking for New York City graffiti artists and promoting their

involvement in group and solo exhibitions in Germany, the Netherlands, and other

European countries. Graffiti was first brought into one European city after another as

a result of these international art exhibitions and the growing acceptance of street art

in Great Britain and across the continent. (Ferrell, J. 1996, p.10). New York’s Golden

Age of street art in the 1980’s produced some of the world's most famous street

artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Richard Hambleton. .Their efforts are

frequently credited with eradicating distinctions between fine art and street art, and

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the prices at which their creations are now sold regularly approach the million dollar

mark. The possibility for individuals wishing to invest in emerging names in the scene

has expanded as a result of street art's gradual integration into mainstream art circles.

(Sulley, S. 2022, n.p.). The early 1990s demonstrated street art's enormous potential

and energy. Numerous tags and murals covered walls in train stations, underground

platforms, apartment buildings, school buildings, bridge abutments, and other public

spaces in major cities like Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, as well as smaller cities

and towns throughout Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany. And while the

numerous tags and pieces undoubtedly featured unique inventions as well as the

common aesthetics of the local subcultures, they also expertly imitated the graffiti

style. ( Ferrell, J. 1996, p.11).

2 .2. Categorization within Street Art:

Graffiti artists and street artists together found themselves in the public eye as

political, economic, and media attention concentrated on a small group of artists in

New York. Even at this time, artists were resisting categorization, and the media was

generally content to conflate street art, hip hop, graffiti, and rap into one palatable

genre. The media, critics, and the general public should resist the seduction of

simplistic categorization while discussing contemporary street artists because the

majority of artists working in the postmodernist era often reject categorization. (Van

Poucke, B. and Luong, E. 2019, p. 15 - 17)

2.3. Who creates Street Art and why:

Contrary to popular belief, hip hop street gangs do not produce the majority of

graffiti and street art. Politicians, neighbourhood activists, law enforcement, and the

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media, particularly the news media, have all contributed to the perpetuation of this

narrative. Furthermore, some that create graffiti and street art do so for other reasons

than to gain notoriety or fame. They do so because they are enthusiastic about art and

require a different outlet for their creative impulses. Another myth about graffiti and

street art is that it is exclusively done by a select group of "celebrities" of the genre,

such as Banksy or Fairey. There are certainly certain people who work in this field

who have attained cult-like reputation, but there are many more who toil in the

background and need to be given the credit they deserve. Many different individuals

or groups create graffiti and street art. (Ferrel, J. and Jeffrey, I. 2016, p. 6)

3. THE AUDIENCE AND LOCATION

Since most individuals on the street do not regard the urban environment as an

outdoor gallery but rather as scenery on their route from point A to point B, street art

speaks less to those who frequently view art. They often have unwelcome art

experiences that are uncontrolled, unlike art experiences at museums. For instance,

Banksy's early illegal stencils and other works of Street Art aim to convey a message

that is simple enough for a bystander to understand. Since the launch of the internet,

most people who examine street art do so online. Since that time, street art is

primarily created to appear its best in images and films for online users rather than to

draw attention on the street. (Blanché, U. 2015, p. 32 - 39) Despite appearances, most

street art is not for everyone. Theoretically, it might apply to everyone. The majority

of street artists place their work where it is expected, which is typically in gentrified

areas of the city, such as in London, New York, or Berlin. The relatively poor and

wealthy residential areas, as well as those that may need street art, are frequently

devoid of it. Online, it might be simple to overlook street art images if you aren't

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specifically looking for them. If a piece of street art is not a large, obvious mural,

most onlookers will not see it. They frequently disregard types of visual noise like

street art and graffiti for them. Even most internet users who frequently look for street

art tend to miss it since they aren't trained to notice it. (Blanché, U. 2015, p. 32 - 39)

4. LEGAL OR ILLEGAL ?

For the past 50 years, social scientists from a variety of fields have progressively

studied, interpreted, and discussed street art, a social phenomena distinguished by its

illegal nature. The concept's status as either a criminal or a kind of art is still up for

debate, despite the fact that it has been defined considerably more precisely

throughout time. (Alpaslan, Z. 2014, p. 53)

4.1. Is street art a state crime ?

State crimes are actions or lack of actions that violate a state's own criminal

code or public international law. Having said that, only if the State itself used street

art as a tactic to violate its own criminal law or public international law could it be

claimed to constitute a state crime. Unless this is the case, it can be argued that some

state measures, such as prohibiting street art or penalising street artists, violate or

repress personal freedom and/or freedom of thought and so might constitute a state

crime in and of themselves. (Alpaslan, Z. 2014, p. 54). It seems like there is simply

too much subjectivity when it comes to what Vandalism is and/or means, where the

line is drawn between what is considered to be common political dissent shared and

what is considered to be a threat to the State and/or the current regime, what gets in

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the way of social functioning and people's ability to function effectively, and even the

precise age of the majority of street artists.

4.1. Criminological Analysis

An attempt was made to examine street art from a criminological point of view,

employing criminological and deviance theories, in order to better understand and

explain it after failing to determine which category of crime street art would fit in.

(Alpaslan, Z. 2014, p.35). One distinguishing feature of criminological analysis is the

notion that "crime" is something that the law and its enforcement create as such. This

theory holds that equivalent human activities in particular historical periods, places, or

situations end up being characterised in fundamentally different legal terms. Graffiti

and street art have developed as prime examples of this criminological knowledge in

the current urban and economic context, which, as you may recall, combines stringent

surveillance and risk control with economics based on urban images and

consumption. (Ferrel. J, and Jeffrey, I. 2016, p. 6) While early, aggressive anti-

graffiti campaigns meticulously crafted graffiti and unofficial street art as crimes and

signs of more criminal activity, street art and some forms of graffiti have been

increasingly accepted as important indicators of urban desirability and vitality over

the past few decades alongside these ongoing campaigns. As a result, modern graffiti

and street art occur in both legal and unlawful contexts, straddling both the criminal

and artistic realms.This contradiction may sometimes come off as absurdly ridiculous

were it not so seriously penalised. (Ferrel, J. and Jeffrey, I. 2016, p. 6) Even though

street artists are generally regarded as criminals and street art is illegal almost

everywhere in the world—with a few notable exceptions—the fact that it cannot be

accurately categorised within any of the predefined crime categories begs the question

11
of whether it actually constitutes a crime. This means that, contrary to what their titles

imply, neither street art nor the person who creates it are crimes. The former is a type

of art, the latter is an artist. (Alpaslan, Z. 2014, p. 58)

5. THE EVOLUTION OF STREET ART

5.1. Digital technology :

Since the 1970s, when fly-by-night taggers spray-painted their work on bridge

abutments or subway cars and fled before the police could reach, graffiti has advanced

significantly to the place it is now in 2023 . It is now used by fashion brands in their

picture sessions. It is used in the advertising efforts of large corporations. It has been

marketed with a chic new label at museums and auction houses: aerosol art. (Van

Poucke, B. and Luong, E. 2019, p. 15 - 17). There have been subtle changes among

the artists in their subject matter, techniques, and the places where they have chosen

to do their work since graffiti first appeared on the streets of Philadelphia and New

York City and spread to other major cities in the United States and around the world.

(Ferrel, J. and Jeffrey, I. 2016, p. 6) The method that artworks may be shared with the

general public also underwent a significant transformation during the late 1980s and

early 1990s as the Internet slowly crept into society and has now exploded due to

accessibility of iphones and other technology advances from then. Street artists are no

longer restricted to the local community's audience, nor was it required to move

across the globe to gain recognition like it was back in the 90's . Artists discovered

how to become viral as the general public grew accustomed to seeing photos of

artwork from throughout the world. The most well-known street artists, Banksy,

Obey, and JR, have made street art more visible and a topic of societal discussion that

goes beyond the usual "vandalism versus fine art" debate. Artists are now at ease

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sharing their works with other artists and millions of spectators across the world

thanks to their explosion in the media and online, if only for a brief period of time.

This gently brings up the current production-related issues. Although artists have been

known to display their works in public spaces since the beginning of street art, street

artists today face very particular problems that are unique to today's world. Society

now views reality and the public sphere quite differently as a result of digital

technology. People exist virtually in addition to in the public and private realms. In

some ways, this has broadened the field of competition for artists, but on the other

hand, it may have rendered physical production unnecessary because context and

circumstance are so little taken into account. Whatever the case, street art has existed

continuously and globally, not as a defined movement but as a means of expression,

and there doesn't seem to be a reason why it will disappear anytime soon. We should

be grateful that artists from all over the world and in our communities are constantly

enhancing our visual environment by pushing the envelope in terms of technique,

concept, and shape. A powerful piece of street art can be transformative. Of course, it

has the ability to change the item on which it appears. But it can also change the town

in which it lives. (Van Poucke, B. and Luong, E. 2019, p. 15 - 17)

6. CARLOW CASE STUDY

A powerful piece of street art can be transformative. Of course, it has the ability

to change the item on which it appears. But it can also change the town in which it

lives. Street art is becoming more and more prominent in my hometown community

(county carlow), as it grows in popularity we're beginning to see a big rise in murals

around our town. Most of the street art we see in our community is done

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collaboratively as I live in a small town so artists often come together when creating

or designing a new artwork for the town. Participation like this is common in street

art. That is to say, anyone can paint over it, ruin it, enhance it, or finish ones piece.

However, the general public, the onlookers, can also become active players in a piece

of street art. Other graffiti artists or street artists, homeowners, and the council are the

usual suspects to change and remove street art. (Blanché, U. 2015, p.32 - 39)

6.1. Ben Jelliman:

In 2021 a racist hate graffiti symbol was turned into art in Carlow Town by Ben

Jelliman, a member of the Fringe Arts Festival crew. Near the Carlow Bus Station, on

the Paupish Bridge, is a modest new mural. The graffiti, according to Made in Carlow

representative Maurice O'Reilly, was found on an overpass close to the

neighbourhood Coach Park. He said on KCLR Live, “We've already done one little

bit, we covered up a nasty piece of hate speech with a more positive image.' Local

artist Ben Jelliman came up with the idea, which he titled Turning Hate Into Love.

Ben transformed it into a symbol of love by adding a giant love heart and a Rubix

cube because he wanted to give the sculpture a positive message, according to

Maurice. (McHugh, S. 2021, n.p.)

Ben is a resident here in Carlow that is an artist who works with the community.

Ben, who relocated to Carlow in 2006 and holds a degree in fine art from Sheffield

Hallam University. He focuses on abstract painting and his inspiration comes from the

natural world. His creative output illustrates how various components combine to

form a coherent whole.(McHugh, S. 2021, n.p.). When Ben discovered there was an

unpleasant swastika-shaped piece of graffiti he decided to make a rubik's cube design

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to replace it in order to tackle it by defending love in the face of hatred. One face of

this rubik's cube would have a red heart on it as the only thing that can defeat hate, of

course, is love, which was his justification for this design. He explains that the rubik's

cube stands for how groups can sometimes become "galvanised" around hatred of

others and that there is always the possibility of change, but it is ultimately up to us to

bring about that change. He kept track of his creation process by recording it on

youtube. In Ben's youtube video he mentions how …

‘there's a difference between just mindless graffiti and what we would call
street art so definitely to engage on that level even to get kids involved in
community groups where the kids themselves can do a proper piece of artwork
that represents you they are, where they’re from , what they believe in rather
than random provocative offensive symbols.’

Before he came up with the concept for the Rubik's cube, he had the desire to do

something about this particular piece of graffiti with simply a black permanent

marker. When he got down to the scene to paint over it, someone had already covered

the swastika by squaring it out to remove the symbol's meaning. Later on, someone

returned with purple spray paint and painted over that to strengthen the statement;

therefore, a story is already taking shape. There is already back and forth; new

initiatives are starting, and community involvement in art is beginning.

(O'Reilly, M. 2021, n.p.)

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1. Graffiti Hate Symbol 2. Ben’s rubik’s cube design turning hate into
love

6.2. My personal analysis

I do not think art should be used as a motive for hate or discrimination in any

sense. It clearly violates the ethics of graffiti art and is incredibly disrespectful. One

must always practise self-control and show consideration for the sensibilities and

beliefs of others. I believe the to and fro between Ben and the unknown artists is done

to promote discussion within the community. The community should be able to

express itself and have a say in what becomes a part of their surroundings once it

doesn't involve racism or any other discrimination of this sort to the people in Carlow.

I believe it would be great to create larger pieces that incorporate the community in a

more friendly, inclusive and considerate way. I would like to see the younger

generation have easier access to graffiti art. I think that the government can contribute

significantly to this by taking a more active role in helping them and inspiring the

next generation to discover and value street art in an appropriate manner. Dedicating a

monitored space for those interested in street art to express their thoughts on a wall or

the side of a building in our town would also be beneficial for teens and other

16
members of the community to express their feeling and feel like they've accomplished

something.

6.3. Paul Byrne:

Paul Byrne is another well-known street artist in Carlow. He is the Creative

Director of Good Idea Project, a multidisciplinary graphic design agency. Young

graphic designer Paul is passionate about innovation and working with brands to

maximise potential in every corner of their industry. The Good Idea Company

specialises in creatively inspired and incredibly effective design solutions for

branding, videos, websites, online and social media marketing, wall murals, and

interior design, supplying unique work of the highest standards while providing a full

range of services in the fields of visual communications and branding. (Pender, S.

2021, p. 1). In Carlow, Paul is well recognised for delivering a strong and highly

timely message of compassion and hope to the Tullow Rugby Football Club. The

club's new mural wall, which reads Tackle your Feelings, was proudly displayed on

the outer side of the clubhouse in 2021, urging everyone to talk about their mental

health. The proposal for Tullow RFC's slogan wall was brought to Paul by club

member Alex O'Brien, who encouraged the project from the beginning. The two then

started debating ideas. The idea was fully supported by the Tullow RFC board, and

the right phrase was chosen—"Tackle Your Feelings"—from the previous Rugby

Players Ireland mental health campaign. Over the course of three days last week, a

dull wall at the club was completely transformed by incorporating the club colour of

burgundy into an eye-catching colour pallet. (Pender, S. 2021, p. 1) The sponsors of

the wall, Little Trinity Crèche and Montessori, Thrive Together Coaching, and REL

Group, are acknowledged by everyone involved in the initiative. The purpose of the

17
slogan walls is to stimulate and promote good mental health, spark dialogues, and

encourage individuals to reach out. The response was wonderful; it has been viewed

and shared numerous times on social media, and many club members have gotten in

touch with Paul to express their admiration for his outstanding job. “It’s probably one

of the biggest reactions to a wall I’ve had yet,’ Paul told The Nationalist. Given

everything that people have been through, emotions are very strong right now as we

emerge from lockdown. The Éire og clubhouse in Carlow, Br Leo Park, Tullow, and

many other places in the county are examples of Paul's amazing work. (Pender, S.

2021, p. 1)

3. Tullow RFC’s wall before transformation

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 4. Tullow RFC's slogan wall Tackle your feelings

6.4. My personal analysis:

Although both Ben and Paul strive to unite and improve the community through

their work, they do this by using very different approaches. Ben solely uses

illustrations, while Paul mainly uses text in his work to communicate his ideas. I

believe both methods are effective when attempting to connect with the public,

although illustrations and imagery may appeal more to younger children and visual

learners. Text also has its benefits as it is direct and clear in what the message is

conveying. Paul, in my opinion, has used his visual art to remind all of us to think

about our own mental health, check in with how we're feeling, and also serve as a

starting point for an honest discussion about our emotional wellbeing, reminding us

that it's important to talk. Paul has also worked with several local community

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organisations on visual art projects throughout the county in order to reach creativity,

produce ideas, and access emotions and sentiments. He has managed to successfully

spread a message that encourages others to take care of their own mental health and

also highlights how crucial it is to speak up no matter how they are feeling. Projects at

Hacketstown, Tullow Town Park, and the Tullow Road in Carlow Town have also

been enormously successful. It can be challenging to bring up the subject of mental

health and to know whether or how to seek professional help. Teens in Carlow and

around the country deal with a variety of issues that can lead to poor mental health,

such as academic expectations, social pressures, social media, and family difficulties.

These are the causes of the rise in mental health difficulties among teenagers which is

why I think it crucial to encourage teenagers to open up. Street art is a great way to

connect with teenagers nowadays especially the location of Paul's mural being in the

rugby club, is a key factor as every teen, adult or child who visits the club to play or

as a supporter will get to see this vibrant message which makes it accessible for

everyone.

7. CONCLUSION

Whether we like it or not, street art plays a significant role in the identity of cities all

over the world. The sense of belonging and personality that a city exudes can be

enhanced and defined by street art. As I've stated above , there's no doubt that street

art has advanced along the way and is continuing to rise at enormous rate across the

world, because of its social, political, touristic, and even commercial relevance, it is

impossible to deny that this type of modern art has become so well-liked. Each of us

have recently developed a greater awareness of our environment and how it affects

20
our daily lives when faced with lockdown in the past and I believe the street art made

by Ben and Paul has certainly made my small town a happier place in dark times.

After conducting my research for this essay, I've come to the conclusion that our

ecosystem depends on art, which has integrated itself into many metropolitan places.

High quality public art is required to provide the kind of environment that is necessary

for decent quality of life. We must also acknowledge that, as subjects of study, graffiti

and street art are moving targets. (Ferrel, J. and Jeffrey, I. 2016, p. 1-8). Practitioners

are continuously exploring new techniques and surfaces, and we owe this

development to both their creativity and to their adaptability against those who wish

to control their efforts. We can see the evidence of this evolution in Carlow, a few

years ago we wouldnt of had half the number of beautiful murals in our town that we

have today. Street art is more than just a collection of striking murals painted on

various walls and structures. It is a tremendous means of expression, and it has the

power to unleash the potential of those who have previously felt ignored or unheard.

Consider stopping to admire a piece of street art the next time you pass one. (Ferrel, J.

and Jeffrey, I. 2016, p. 1-8).

21
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criminology, Advances in Applied Sociology’, 2(1), pp. 53-58.

Blanché, U. (2015) ‘Street Art and related terms’, SAUC - Street Art and Urban

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Eden Gallery (2021) What is street art? Eden Gallery. Available at: What is Street

Art? - Eden Gallery (eden-gallery.com) (Accessed: January 5, 2023)

Ferrell, J. (1996). Crimes of style: Urban graffiti and the politics of criminality. New

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McHugh, S. (2021) Top carlow artists use new mural to hide Nazi symbolism,

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