An example of Banksy’s street art. Source

A question that is often posed is what makes street art ‘art’, rather than just graffiti? There are similarities: both are in public locations, rather than in galleries. Also, both are ephemeral types of art, which means that, unlike most art in contemporary and public galleries, the work is not long-lasting.

Graffiti artists are not necessarily interested in conveying ideas towards the general public – they just want to communicate towards other graffiti artists. Conversely, street artists do want to create a public understanding of their work, in order to create an impact. This means that they are reaching a broader audience than street artists, rather than the ‘secret club’ that graffiti artists are interested in. Graffiti tends to have negative connotations, so some graffiti artists prefer to be called street artists. Indeed, there is a great deal of crossover between the two types of art.

The two art forms also differentiate in terms of materials and techniques. Graffiti art is generally created using spray paint. Street artists also tend to use spray paint, but they also use paste ups, stencils, paint, and stickers. A main elements of graffiti art is tagging, which involves the artist painting his name or nickname. These are often difficult or impossible to read for the un-initiated, further emphasizing the exclusivity and subversive culture of graffiti art.

Banksy is an example of a famous street artist who uses stencils and spray paint to create art that often has political and social messages, or is simply humorous.