The use of public space as a canvas for artistic expression is a human tendency that dates back to the beginning of our existence. Thinking back to cavemen carving their stories on their walls that have revealed to us a culture thousands of years away, we have gained a unique understanding of the way in which we, as people, etch together the social skin of our surroundings. Over time this practice has morphed into many different expressions—leading up to present day urban communications with tagging, stenciling, graffiti and street art, all with different intentions behind the work.
As a student spending a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I noticed a unique culture of this street art. With this site, I explore the construction of this 'social skin' in the city of Buenos Aires—looking specifically at the popular street artists today. There has been a new wave in Buenos Aires street art style where the content is less to teach something new or give an opinion about something (like it was heavily based in 2001 when the country suffered an extreme economic crisis, or when it was politically based after the military dictatorship of 1976-1983) but more for aesthetics and giving this often gray city a colorful, fresh creative layer that is constantly changing and growing.
The study of contemporary street art is fresh, not extremely academically analyzed because it is something being created in the present moment and is constantly reshaping itself day by day. There is no single theme throughout the images, no direct interpretation of what is being created, but rather brings forward the idea of a genuine desire to redesign the public sphere based on extreme talent—murals 30 feet tall with surrealist images will pop up when you least expect it, along side a main freeway will stretch colorful images from artists local to Buenos Aires and from afar, all coming together with the idea of taking action to bring art and brightness to the streets.
After my own bafflement of the scene and new obsession with documenting these immense murals, I decided it worthy to share with others—to get a taste of what is on the streets today. This site is here to invite you into the Buenos Aires street art world, to get the sense that you are walking through the streets yourself. I am capturing a fleeting art form, where these streets and murals may never look the same in the future. My attempt here is to share with you the social skin created by street artists in Buenos Aires during 2012-2013—a unique experience I am lucky to have documented, and will never be able to document exactly the same ever again. Follow along for a glimpse into the street art scene put at a pause—a documentation of a mere moment in time, precious in that this study could be done by anyone walking the streets, but would be completely unique to each experience.
As a student spending a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I noticed a unique culture of this street art. With this site, I explore the construction of this 'social skin' in the city of Buenos Aires—looking specifically at the popular street artists today. There has been a new wave in Buenos Aires street art style where the content is less to teach something new or give an opinion about something (like it was heavily based in 2001 when the country suffered an extreme economic crisis, or when it was politically based after the military dictatorship of 1976-1983) but more for aesthetics and giving this often gray city a colorful, fresh creative layer that is constantly changing and growing.
The study of contemporary street art is fresh, not extremely academically analyzed because it is something being created in the present moment and is constantly reshaping itself day by day. There is no single theme throughout the images, no direct interpretation of what is being created, but rather brings forward the idea of a genuine desire to redesign the public sphere based on extreme talent—murals 30 feet tall with surrealist images will pop up when you least expect it, along side a main freeway will stretch colorful images from artists local to Buenos Aires and from afar, all coming together with the idea of taking action to bring art and brightness to the streets.
After my own bafflement of the scene and new obsession with documenting these immense murals, I decided it worthy to share with others—to get a taste of what is on the streets today. This site is here to invite you into the Buenos Aires street art world, to get the sense that you are walking through the streets yourself. I am capturing a fleeting art form, where these streets and murals may never look the same in the future. My attempt here is to share with you the social skin created by street artists in Buenos Aires during 2012-2013—a unique experience I am lucky to have documented, and will never be able to document exactly the same ever again. Follow along for a glimpse into the street art scene put at a pause—a documentation of a mere moment in time, precious in that this study could be done by anyone walking the streets, but would be completely unique to each experience.