Driving down Division Street, you’ll see Fin Dac’s towering five-story woman with plant-made hair; walking by the northwest side of the store Books with Pictures, there’s a 1980s mural that predates the business; looking up on I-84, you’ll see layered paintings under bridges, and on a distant abandoned building.
Portland, Oregon’s streets, buildings, and walls are not strangers to art. Public art and murals, often considered the sanctioned or commissioned counterparts of street art, are simply approved art in public spaces. Street art shares many qualities with graffiti, but is often more accepted and has more recognizable aspects to the viewer. Though murals are not always street art and street art is not always considered a mural, the line between murals and street art is often blurred. The definitions of such art often depend on the artist or the viewer, and the category a single piece, style, or process falls under can spark dispute.
Regardless, street art and murals give life to many spaces that otherwise go unnoticed, connecting the community in the process. “Murals are important to communicate with the public around them. They activate spaces that are otherwise overlooked [or] forgotten,” expresses Travis Fields, an artist who goes by the moniker Campo Graphic. “They have the ability to share history, show off, cultivate a vibe, [and] energize spaces. In a world of blank gray and beige walls, it is hard to motivate individuals to feel inspired in their outside environments.”
Street art shares this benefit. Zach Mckinley, an artist whose style celebrates imperfection through paintings of childlike flowers, adds “[It brings] new characteristics to a still environment. It lets the [artist] speak to the masses, even if it’s just for 30 seconds while they drive by.”
Fields states that street art “often attempts to form an expressed opinion about the real world … There is a dialogue formed between the artist and the viewer, one where dissent is typically the message, rebellion against the system, or propaganda against the world.” Though this doesn’t mean all street art is inherently political, Fields says “it is rooted as such. It is important for street art to exist to get a pulse on the undercurrent of society.” Artist Devin Finley reiterates this: “It reflects the voice of the street and our culture.”
Graffiti is a subset of street art with a bad reputation. Finley describes, “that is where street art began and it plays an integral part in pushing boundaries.” Fields elaborates that, while the quality of graffiti varies greatly, “Graffiti is everywhere in the world and goes back to the ancient days of cave painting. It is pure expression in all forms, visceral and raw, and no one asked anyone to do it.” Fields goes on to say, “It is in effect the largest, underground art movement that has ever existed … It is practiced in secret, and the knowledge is typically kicked down from veterans to newcomers.”
There are some unwritten rules followed by many graffiti writers. According to Fields, the main courtesy is: “Don’t be a jerk, and find your own place to paint.” Essentially, as he explains, “You just don’t go over other people’s work in general unless the wall gets buffed or painted over by the city. It is viewed as disrespectful to go over someone else’s work when they risked their freedom and broke the law to paint there in the first place.” Beyond respecting other artists, “there is a right and wrong way to go about it, and it doesn’t belong everywhere,” states Fields. “Carefully executed and well thought-out placement can ensure that some graffiti exists for a very long time, and doesn’t create an eyesore for the public.”
The public nature, and therefore accessibility, of public art, street art, and murals, adds to its benefits. As artist Forest Wolf Kell explains, “Any form of public art, illegal, or otherwise is also so important because of its accessibility — it’s not in a gallery or museum, there is no ticket and [it] can’t be bought. Because of this, public art subverts many of the more unfortunate and destructive aspects of the art world.” There’s also a beauty of intention to it. “Public art is one of the few forms of art that you can come upon accidentally rather than intentionally,” Kell explains. “You can come across it going about your day, not even intending to experience [it] … I believe that difference vastly changes the impact.”
In terms of graffiti, Fields explains that “Nowadays the work is in your pocket and you don’t have to even go outside to see it, but that is where the soul of graffiti has always been. Going outside to seek it out, explore for it, and document it. Like an ever-present Easter egg hunt.” As artist William Hernandez summarizes, “Public art is for everyone.”
Cities often paint over street art and graffiti, which reduces the aforementioned longevity of these art forms. Mckinley explains how this inadvertently led him to muraling and to his style. “I grew up in a very cookie cutter suburb,” he says, alluding to neighborhoods where street art is promptly painted over. He first found graffiti when visiting the city, “but it would get repainted so fast in the suburb that I changed what I painted to these childish flowers. People didn’t see any harm from them, so they wouldn’t paint over them. From there I just kept it going. It’s hard to get mad at a painted flower.”
If you’re interested in becoming a muralist or street artist, the consensus seems to be that you should talk to artists who are already making public art, and just start creating. Though to some it may feel intimidating or disruptive to approach an artist at work, many welcome it. As Fields advises, “If you see someone outside painting something, stop by and talk to them about it. Artists are typically very responsive to people when they ask questions, and there’s no shame in being new to something. I’m happy to answer questions and explain my process to someone if they ask.”
In fact, McKinley describes these interactions with people on the street as his favorite thing about working on bigger walls. “I have gotten a handful of mural gigs by people just walking up to me and asking … It makes the piece feel a little more part of the community. It’s not just me creating, it’s whoever was walking by that day.”
Fields says this is his favorite part of creating street art. “I enjoy being connected to [the] community that I’m painting in,” he states. “Seeing the flow of people throughout the day where I am at. [Creating] images that connect with the community. Seeing that reaction on someone’s face when they correctly identify a portrait I am painting is priceless. They feel like they are a part of it.”
Hernandez elaborates, “When I have a project, I need assistants, I need volunteers … Just ask.” Many artists welcome the help, and it’s a great way to get started. Fields adds, “Reach out to artists and offer up your time to volunteer, and just learn the ropes a bit from them.” Beyond talking to seasoned muralists, Fields advises those interested in murals to “learn some history first.” And, “If you want to try something yourself, find a small wall somewhere, ask permission from whoever owns [it], and give it a try.”
McKinley agrees, saying “Find some walls and start painting. Talk to business[es] that have walls or objects you have an interest in painting. Mock something up, bring it to them, and ask. You might just get paid.”As artist Davey Barnwell adds, “Develop your art practice, no matter what scale you are able to access.”
Kell concludes, “Find the community that fits what you want to do, and find a way to participate and contribute; eventually that community will pay you back.”
If you’re interested in creating public art, practice, find what works for you, and talk to businesses and seasoned muralists. The most important step is to start. Public art, murals, street art, graffiti — regardless of the method, having art across the places we navigate in the world surrounds us with history, encourages conversations, and builds community. As Barnwell summarizes, “[it] can invigorate physical spaces, enhancing and involving the communities through art.”
