Art is a very important aspect of our lives. The unique depiction of a person’s thoughts, emotions, ideas, and beliefs are reflected through their art. Art does not only have to be a drawing on a piece of paper, it can be anything like music, dance, and even poetry. Various artists have given us some of their most incredible art that has proven to be the world’s best, like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

However, art cannot be restricted to a canvas; it can be on the backyard wall as well. Wall paintings are called murals or graffiti. Here is an article that will help you know more about urban art and the difference between urban art in France and the US.

Urban Art Culture

Urban Art is the combination of graffiti and street art which can be any type of street art from street dance to music. It is generally a way to express and also sum up all the different types of visual art styles. There is a lot of difference in the approval of these art styles. The United States marks this art culture as vandalism of public property but on the other hand Places like France highly appreciate these urban Art styles and these artists. Paris also has a public museum called the Le Mur which is a museum that is dedicated to only Urban Art.

There are various types of urban art. Some of them are:

  • Sidewalk Art with Chalk
  • Graffiti
  • Spray Painted Murals
  • 3D Graffiti on Wall
  • Poster Art
  • Street Art with Stickers
  • Sculptures

Urban Art Culture In The United States Compared To France

The Urban Art culture in France and the United States can be a lot different from each other.

In France: One of the most common types of urban art is graffiti. However other than that there is a lot more to French Urban Art Culture like beatbox, poetry, rap music, and dance. Mainly street art is very common and dominant in France. You would very often come across mural paintings and Graffiti made on the wall. You would also very often see artists spraying the wall trying to express their feelings.

Cities like Bagnolet, Canal de l’Ourcq, and Montreuil are full of talented street artists. France very proudly celebrates their street artists and holds festivals as well to encourage their art. Urban art in France is very vibrant. Artists love using highly vibrant colors to portray sceneries, modern art, writings, and even political drawing. You can see these paintings all over France on railway tracks and walls.

In The United States: Urban Art in the form of poetry, dance, and music is more appreciated in the United States than graffiti or street art. Most of the urban art or street art you will come across in the United States comprises defacement of places, mainly public buildings, and public places. This is considered to be a nuisance act or issue in the United States. However, back in 1960, street art was used as a way to express by various political activists and gangs like the savage nomads and La Familia to mark their territories.

Spray paintings or wall paintings are not exactly illegal in the United States but are considered to be vandalism. The urban art style in the USA is also vibrant and artists mainly draw abstract art, political art, and also inspirational words and sayings. The cities that have the highest number of urban art in the United States are California, New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Final Words

In the present day, art is not only a way to express your feelings and emotions but art also helps in releasing daily stress. The main difference between France and the USA in terms of urban art is that France appreciated its urban artists and their works but on the other hand wall painting and Graffiti is considered to be vandalism in the USA which means it is not highly appreciated.

France also makes it a point to encourage the artist by organizing the various festivals and helping them grow. The perspective of the USA is somewhat different in this case as they feel it is the exploitation of public properties but it is not the same in all of the USA.