Seeing a great work of art doesn’t always mean visiting fancy galleries or expensive exhibitions. Some of the most incredible examples of art can actually be found on the streets and pavements of our very own towns and cities. Talented artists across the globe often express themselves by using concrete or tarmac as their canvas. The following are 10 such examples and some of the cleverest and cutest illustrations of street art on the planet.
The Hole In The Pavement
At first glance it may look like this cyclist is risking her life and limb to get a good view down a ravine but this clever piece of street art is actually an optical illusion. It’s also a great example of how good art can make people stop and stare.
Squashed Spongebob
A good artist can instantly spot a possible picture idea and that’s exactly what this piece of opportunism illustrates. A clever bit of improvisation by the artist managed to transform a simple bit of spilt yellow paint into a horrific scene involving a squashed Spongebob Squarepants. Genius!
Lamppost Glasses
Another piece of clever improvisation managed to turn a simple lamppost into a giant set of spectacles. A wintry city scene gave a street artist the perfect opportunity to draw an outline of some glasses on the snowy pavement and use a lamppost as one of the giant arms.
The Hole In The Wall
This clever example of street art managed to mix the old with the new and the weak with the strong. The artist used the side of a university building to draw a crumbling wall that revealed four strong Roman pillars, and the results were pretty spectacular.
River Rapids
The very best street art can make you stop in your tracks and question what’s real and what’s fantasy and that’s certainly the case with this example. The artist used a simple pavement and managed to turn it into a terrifying trip down river rapids (complete with a hungry crocodile at the foot of the river!).
Waterfall & Ravine
Everyone loves a good optical illusion and this example of a huge ravine in the middle of a busy city centre is truly outstanding. The artist managed to turn an outside gym into a terrifying balancing act, with the athletes perched over a huge drop into the icy depths below. We’re guessing this took more than just a couple of hours to paint!
Bulldozing Elephant
Good art can help to transform derelict buildings into impressive canvases and that’s exactly what this street artist managed to achieve with this bold image of an elephant breaking through a wall. The sheer power of the animal is emphasised even more by the real life debris strewn across the bottom of the picture.
Mini Block Of Flats
You may have thought there’s little to be done to brighten up the boring electricity and telephone units you see in every city and town across the globe but this street artist has managed something quite extraordinary. With a simple bit of paint and a lot of talent, the unit was transformed from a dull everyday object into a mini block of flats, making passers by feel like giants!
Super Mario
Art doesn’t always have to be stuffy and serious and this little mosaic of everyone’s favourite moustached plumber is the perfect example that art can be fun. The artist saw the perfect opportunity to show Mario popping out of one of his trademark pipes and we’re sure passers by simply can’t help but smile when they walk by this cheeky little example of street art each day.
Watch Out Below!
A good street artist can use any environment to their advantage and this clever little drawing is a perfect example of that. The beauty of this piece is the simplicity, with just two stick men making up the entirety of the drawing. The artist used four simple electricity cupboard doors to make a funny and cheeky piece of art that is both simple and charming in equal measure.
