Besides drinking a cold glass of rosé on a café terrace, one of my favorite ways to pass time on a warm day in Paris is wandering the streets, looking for and photographing street art.
I first became familiar with this now thriving subculture back when I was living in L.A., where I had friends who were following in the footsteps of pioneer Shepard Fairey, by going out on night brigades to post their art on the sides of buildings, freeway overpasses and vacant lots. These ninjas of the night would be in head-to-toe black, their faces covered with a bandana, and would post their work within minutes to avoid getting fined and arrested. Some see it as graffiti, others see it as art, and the authorities clearly see it as vandalism, but whatever your stance is on this growing form of expression, it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. While I'm nowhere close to being a black cat in the night contributing to this burgeoning art form, as I would blow the whole cover by charging out of an alleyway with flailing arms the second I heard the police, I stand as a supporter.
Before coming to Paris, I was completely unaware of how big the street art presence was and that several French street artists, who still remain anonymous, have now crossed over to other international major cities and are able to make a living off of their passion. Street Art has reached new heights of popularity where you can't turn a corner (especially in the northern bohemian parts of Paris) without seeing a Space Invader mosaic or my personal favorites, quirky and girly pieces by Nice Art and Madame Moustache.
Getting on board with this growing phenomenon, a French team of street art enthusiasts developed Urbacolors, an interactive application (that was recently celebrated as Glamour's Glam App of the month) that allows fans to upload, share and discover new street art worldwide. Starting off with a modest following, Urbacolors has now up to 4,000 subscribers and growing as more buzz circulates around this hipster app.
The debate on whether street art is merely graffiti or true works of art remains on-going but what's undeniable is recognizing that it is a sign of our changing times, even in our charming, old-world city of Paris. Who said nothing ever changes around here?
To download this free application and for more info, go to www.urbacolors.com
Also, check out the supplement website www.urbamedia.com for Paris Street Art.
