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The debate on whether or not "street-art" is vandalism goes back decades. Yes, there are legal murals and pieces of art that are commissioned by businesses owners or cities, but there are also incredible pieces that are put up "without permission" that are just as impressive. These are some of the greatest street art pieces from all over the world!
Snow Art Meets 3-D Art
This is honestly one of the best types of "street art." It's so cool to make designs and patterns in the snow, but this person took it to the next level! They sued the lamp post as one of the arms fort he glasses to make it seem like it's 3-D. How neat!
Is This Art?
This artist turned some litter into an exhibit! Cigarette butts are littered everywhere. In most cities, it's hard to look around and not see a butt or two on the ground. This artist found two tiny figurines and created a little plaque to turn that piece of litter into some art.
Almost Done!
This one is pretty silly because it suggests that the little girl is going to paint over herself. What the artist did was blast away part of the wall (that was already painted), paint it white, and then fill the edges in with the blue paint. Super creative!
Tree Hugger
Decorating trees with sweaters is actually a pretty popular thing. It's a great way to add some color to an otherwise boring street. If you have a lot of free time, this is the perfect project for you.
The Secret of Happiness Is...
Well, what is it? Obviously, this was the intention of the artist to leave us hanging. This is supposed to invoke some though... What is the secret of happiness?
Bikes on Bikes
Does this man know there are tons of bikes stuck to the side of his building? This is a really cool picture, but living here might be a nightmare. Imagine one of these falling off during a bad storm, or the wheels moving and smacking the wall...
Mario?
It seems like a tiny Mario lives in these city pipes! Honestly, this is a pretty easy thing to think of when you see a pipe like that, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. Plus, they used the original pixel Mario!
Atlanta Alligators
Somehow, this alligator fits perfectly on the side of this building. Who would have thought? Don't mess with a Georgia Gator!
Mr. Clean Was Here
Did you know that Mr. Clean tags? Apparently, he does! The one block of crosswalk that Mr. Clean is on is the brightest of them all. Maybe it's a sign that the city should repaint it...
Funky Fence
This type of fence would be perfect for a school or daycare! It's super fun and creative, and the colors that the artist chose were perfect. This piece probably lights up the block!
A Little Spillage
The planter got a massive crack in it, but some smart city planners decided to make use of it. Now, this accidental crack is an art piece on the street. It's not the prettiest, but it's very interesting to look at!
Thar She Blows
What a great piece with minimal effort! Despite that this is very much a negative space piece, it gets the point across and adds so much flavor to this little alleyway.
More Parks, Please
This artist wanted to make a statement with this one. Naturally, it's another Bansky piece. The message for this one is more parks, fewer parking lots. Obviously, parks are way more useful to communities than parking lots and help kids grow and learn.
The Underworld
This is obviously in an abandoned building, probably somewhere deep in suburban woods. They used the wall and the floor to complete this insane, 3-D piece. It really looks like the floor is opening up!
Trekking the Desert
Is this the Sahara, or a parking lot? You have to be a true artist to see a crack in the wall and then see the Sahara. It's so impressive!
Yellow Line Flower
Somehow, this flower perfectly fits in with the environment! This is another Bansky and it depicts a road worker who ended up painting the line of the rode onto the flower. A lot of people have different thoughts on this piece in terms of what Bansky meant by this work of art.
Using the Elements
The best types of street art use the elements around them. This artist saw this empty space and knew exactly how to style it up! They used the tree branches as someone's hair and filled in the rest.
Man Down!
Someone must have knocked over this parking barrier. It didn't get cleaned up right away so the artist saw an opportunity for some fun street art. It's pretty fitting, too! Maybe they'll keep it there...
Sewer Grate Humanoid
This one is super creative! The artist probably saw this exact image in their mind when they saw this location. The sewer grate turned into the mouth of the person and the little parking pole was the cigarette! Add a some puffs of smoke and you have a street art piece!
Totally Effortless Art
It's crazy how little someone can do to a canvas and have it portray a full image! This artist only used a little bit of paint to help sculpt an entire head on the side of this road. The beautiful ivy makes up her hair and helps frame her face.
Crack in the Wall
Even some failing plaster can become a canvas! Only a true artist would notice this surface and imagine a piece of work on top of it. Hopefully, that piece won't get blasted over!
"Stop War"
This message definitely has a deep meaning. A lot of people like to take regular stop signs and incorporate them into some type of street art. This person decided to go a little further and make the "shadow" of the stop sign reflect the rest of the message.
Big-Time Perspective
This mural is totally bending the laws of physics! It really looks like that ship is jumping off of the side of the building... Would you believe that this is a totally flat surface?
Anything Can Be Art
Another piece of art in an unusual place! If you're creative enough, any surface can have a beautiful art piece on it. This will help make the area feel alive!
Slurping Up the River
The artist decided to make use of this prime street art real estate. Instead of just pasting something up on the wall, the artist decided to use the elements around the piece and make it seem like the giant woman is sucking up the water in the canal!
Smart Art
The only way to perfectly see this art piece is to stand in the correct spot. That's the beauty of painting on a fence! This artist knew exactly what they were doing. It's incredible that they were able to make such an incredible piece totally blind!
Shadow Man
Watch out, or he'll pluck your car right up! Street art that uses the space around it is definitely the most inspiring and creative. After all, having a giant man (yet still confined to the space of the building) stomping around in a parking lot is perfect.
It's Spider-Man!
This piece is so simple yet so cool! All that the artist did was use the crack in the wall to make Spider-Man's web. These little ones are just as cool as the huge ones!
Street Art With a Message
This piece of street art is from the infamous Bansky. Bansky is an anonymous street artist who puts up quick stencil pieces under the cover of night. Most of their pieces always have some sort of political and social agenda, including this one.
Don't Cry Over Spilled Flowers
This is such a cute garden idea! The flowers are in the perfect placement to mimic milk. The person used an old milk cannister to keep it authentic, too!
Umbrella Tree
Tired of winter looking so dead? Try the umbrella tree! These umbrellas totally mimic the yellow fall leaves that we all know and love. This takes tree for the next level!
Spooky Sewer Grate
This one is super cool, especially since it's pink! These would be great for some Halloween decorating. More cities should do this, even if it's only seasonal!
Sweeping It Up
The fact that this artist made the wall seem like it's fabric is incredible! This is a really smart way to use the surroundings of the canvas. It's done really well!
All About Pom Poms
These two patches of grass were in the perfect position for this cute cheerleader piece! The artist must have seen the grass and immediately imagined the little cheerleader. It worked out great!
Growing Tall
Some people say that cities are concrete jungles. This artist took that to the next level! They also added little characters to make it even more believable.
Doom and Gloom
The blue color of this house makes this even more perfect. This piece is definitely one of the more unique pieces. This is a very niche art style!
Watch Out!
This is another great example of using the elements around you to make something cool. It looks like those doors were already tagged with something, which makes the piece feel more a part of the environment.
Maybe It's Time To Repaint the Crosswalk
If something needs to get fixed, bring attention to it! Crosswalks are super important in urban areas, and keeping them up to date is crucial. This city totally dropped the ball, and a street artist decided to bring some attention to it. Since it's "tagged" the city is more than likely to redo the entire crosswalk than to just get rid of the art.
Block World
Is there some mysterious block world hidden in that pipe that we don't know about? It sure looks like it! Remember, this was done using just paint. No 3-D objects here!
Art is Art!
The message in this one is pretty clear! Art is art! No matter if youre a child drawing stick figures or an adult drawing photo realistic hands.
There Goes Pac-Man
This artist made use of the already chipping paint on this beautiful pink building. Instead of just one Pac-Man, they used multiple ones to make it seem like this band of Pan-Men is destroying the paint on the building. Very creative!
Rainbow Stairs
This is such an easy way to doll up a public space. Rainbow stairs? How fun is that? This is also easily done, especially if you get a band of painters together.
Graffiti Stain Glass
Yet another Banksy. Instead of an actual stained glass window that you would see in a church, Bansky created one out of graffiti. Bansky also included the supposed graffiti artist praying on the bottom.
Cut Here!
Honestly, not sure why the artist is suggesting that someone cut the dam right there. It looks pretty cool either way! It's such a simple addition to something as mundane as a water dam.
Just a Bit Scary
This is the type of ground mural that makes your knees weak. It looks so real! It's probably so difficult to make a piece of art that makes the audience really feel like they're going to fall into a hole.
Don't Get Too Close!
This is another really cool ground mural that makes it seem like the ground is opening up! The perspective really makes it look like the ground is caving in. These are some of the coolest types of murals!
Tiny Buildings!
So cute! The artist used this electrical cabinet to mimic some of the buildings that are in the city. These look like little, tiny buildings attached to a big one!
Watch the Crack
This mural would actually trip most people out, especially if they were going quickly towards it without really paying attention. This is kind of a hazard, isn't it?
Some Fun Vandalism
This isn't exactly legal street art, but street art nonetheless! During some uprisings in Russia, a street artist decided to "vandalize" a statue by turning the men depicted into superheroes. They should just keep it like that.
Everything is Legos
These are painted on legos which makes it look like this stone wall is actually made of Legos. It would be cooler if these were real Legos, though.
No Stopping
...Except for this rat. This is a sillier piece of art on a simple street sign. Street art is really about using what's available and getting creative, and whoever tagged this did exactly that!
RIP SpongeBob
It looks like someone (maybe someone who paints the yellow lines on roads) accidentally spilled some paint. Another someone (probably a street artist) added a little SpongeBob accent to make it seem like he got a little squished.
Rainy Day
This is such a cool idea! The paint itself is so messy but that is what makes it neat. Anyone would like to have this on their building!
So Many Elements
Just a tad grim, but really impressive! Putting out a piece in this scale is insanely difficult. And the fact that it looks super realistic is just the cherry on top!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Memorial
Is this street art, or a meme? Some will say it's one or the other, but others would say that it's both. Be mindful of the manhole!
Tiny Worlds
Each step is a tiny little vista! Decorating public staircases always make the area feel more welcoming, especially when they tell stories like this one does!
Up the Hill
While you're huffing and puffing up this steep incline, this guy is pushing a giant ball of something up the stairs! This is a really cool use of the space.
Underneath the Surface
What's underneath the surface? Well, what used to be there! Underneath every building is the greenery that was destroyed. This is most likely a statement on the environment.
Colorful Animals
This mural really pops! A bright and colorful mural like this one really lights up the street.
Somewhat Realistic Space
This artist used the facing yellow paint on this building to create an otherworldly, wrinkly face. This would be a little creepy to have in your backyard!