GRAFFITI & STREET ART

Social media has raised the pro!le of gra"ti art, says Nick Clark. Despite high prices for the biggest names, collectors can still snap up a#ordable work by emerging artists

Since the late 1980s, Nick Clark has been fascinated by street art and its power to preach as well as entertain

‘The appeal of the street and urban art movement has transcended generations. With the streets as their medium, these artists communicate any narrative they wish and o en use their work as a tool for change. JR, whose work highlights political and social issues, famously claimed that the streets are “the biggest art gallery in the world”.

‘Through the use of social media, any street piece can be seen by millions of people around the globe within hours of its creation. This has helped these artists monetise their work and, by using platforms such as Instagram, they are selling directly to collectors without the need of a gallery. And the sheer range of styles within street art is the most exciting part of the movement.

‘Artists to watch include KAWS and Invader, both of whom have had museum shows and gained huge traction in recent years. Silvestre Santiago, a Spanish artist who paints in the name of Pejac, is going from strength to strength – he’s a great artist with a huge future ahead of him.

‘Prices are very artist-dependant. The market for Banksy has been especially buoyant of late and even his unsigned prints now start at around £5,000 upwards, signed prints start at £15,000 and original works are now in the hundreds of thousands.’