You could argue that street art is the oldest visual art or maybe the newest art genre. Wall murals have been part of the human experience since our earliest tribal days, think cave drawings dating back to the dawn of time or the stunning public works in ancient Egypt or in classic Greek and Roman cities. But, what we think of today as street art is more about the graffiti scene that emerged in New York City and Los Angeles in the late 1970’s through early 1980’s. What started as gang’s marking their territory or individuals tagging their name, quickly evolved into stylized type followed by the addition of simple line drawings, and eventually full executed wall murals.
The early graffiti writers lit a fire that spread world wide — they borrowed artistic styles and techniques freely from classic art movements, pop-culture and their own emotional experiences. Street art subject matter ranges from political statements to humor to simple self-expression. The movement doesn’t fit neatly into any of the traditional art schools or 'isims'; in fact it's best defined as not fitting any predefined genre but combines elements of any art genre, as needed to manifest the artists' vision.
At FATHOM, we are proud to offer a diverse collection of artwork in the street art style from OG graffiti artists to emerging wall muralists. Enjoy.