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Vhils | Entry 3

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   Street art is mostly thought of just graffiti, however to Portuguese artist Vhils, that is only scratching the surface. Alexandre Farto, also known as Vhils, has been producing street art since the early to mid-2000s. He grew up in Seixal, Portugal and was influenced by the urban transformation Portugal underwent in the 1980s and 1990s. He originally experimented with creative destruction but soon started to dig into the surface of the material like an archaeologist but for art.    Alexandre believes that everyone is made of layers of both social and historical concepts. He takes away the top layers, which are usually used by many as a facade, to show the true form of the piece. He also values the idea of acknowledging ordinary people, not just celebrities. Vhils takes the art of destruction to a new level by destroying the material to uncover the history and truth that lies underneath.  Right: A piece apart of Vhils'  Scratching the Surface  project in Lisbon

The Berlin Wall and the Development of Street Art | Entry 2

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   The Berlin Wall was reconstructed in the 1980s into a 14-foot tall concrete border that separated East Berlin from West Berlin. The people of West Berlin soon had the impulse to paint on the wall and express their dissatisfaction and other opinions they had. One of the first artists was Thierry Noir, a French artist. After the graffiti scene started booming, it became a meeting point for many of the first graffiti artists. The graffiti showed the cultural and societal differences between East and West Berlin because of the West side of the wall being covered in murals while the East was left completely blank.    After the Berlin wall was demolished, East Berlin began acculturation with the West and the whole of Berlin became the place to be for street art. Many artists from the West would paint in plain parts of the East. In 1990, a multitude of artists was invited to paint on the East side of the wall to signify unification. This section, of what remains of the wall, is known as

Banksy | Entry 1

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     There are many street artists in Great Brittain however, one of Banksy is the most popular one. Banksy is an anonymous British graffiti artist, painter, activist, and filmmaker. He is known for his stencil style artwork. He began with just graffitiing in Bristol, England in the 1990s, but since then he has expanded out across Europe. He has graffitied in Vienna, Barcelona, Paris, and even places in the United States.      One of Banksy's most famous street art is called Rage, the Flower Thrower and depicts a man rioting and about to throw flowers. This piece is Banksy telling people that there should be peace, not war. The flowers are the only part of the mural to have color, everything else is black and white. The flowers, if representing peace, show how Banks y values peace before everything else. Left: Rage, the Flower Thrower Citations: - The Art Story . "Banksy Artworks." Accessed October 10, 2019.      https://www.theartstory.or