Spray paints, stencils and art class

THIS PAST FRIDAY, we went on an amazing, artistic adventure to expand our knowledge of Street Art right here in Argentina. This form of art is everywhere in Buenos Aires — on the sides of buildings, the sidewalks, and just about anywhere else you can think of.

Street Art became popular in Argentina in the 1950s and the 1960s, but it took a hit in the 1970s and 1980s due to the military dictatorship that had come into place. However, it didn’t stop these passionate artists for long! In the early 2000s, during Argentina’s economic crash, Street Art took off again like no other. It is colorful, bright and has a whole new form from its original idea. Argentines have changed the idea of Street Art into so much more than just any old graffiti. So what a better place than here to become aspiring street artists?

To start off our journey, we walked into a building that made you feel as though you were entering into a cartoon wonderland. The walls were covered with artists’ work, and I literally mean the entire wall was covered! As we walked up and around the building, we saw piece after piece of art, and smelling the fresh scent of spray paint only inspired us to create some works of our own.

To start a piece of Street Art, you need to create a stencil. We were soon taught how to make a stencil and practiced by cutting out letters and making bridges, which will allow the stencil to stay together. After we got the hang of the process, stacks of pictures were passed along and we each picked our favorite. Taking this picture, a thin piece of plastic and a knife, we began working to produce a stencil of this picture.

After carefully cutting out our images, we took our stencils up to the rooftop and were given a box of spray paints. Each one of us grabbed a can and began painting. We tried different techniques and color combinations, the whole time learning from one another. However, I believe it is fair to say that we all got inspiration for these projects from the Street Artists we had been studying, and from what we have often seen throughout the city.

After this day, I was inspired to do more research on Street Artists around the world. I looked at multiple artists’ creations on the Internet and saw how the art varied from location to location. In some countries around the world, the art was very realistic and almost mural-like; however, in other places it was more free form and cartoon-like. It was very interesting to see the different works and see how they compared to those in Buenos Aires.

Since I have been introduced to this type of art I have noticed it everywhere, and I will continue to keep my eye out for it in the future. I hope to see more Street Art around the world and see how they all relate, or if they take a different form completely!