Street artists are taking over a new, yet over-looked medium; public outdoor steps.
Throughout the decade, street art has become a more widely valued and accepted form of art. However, this doesn’t mean that street artists can rest easy. The thrill of street art is the exploration of finding new ways to exploit public surfaces and turn them into beautiful, eye-popping works of art.
Similar to the hidden art of Zebrating, most of these works of art can only be truly appreciated when viewed from a particular vantage point. To someone nearby, walking up the steps, the paint may just look like randoms splotches, but from afar, the artist’s full vision can be seen. These designs range from complex images that wrap and wind the stairs, while others are just simple decorations that add color and an uplifting energy to the neighborhood.
Many of these pieces were born from community efforts, which contributes to the idea of growing acceptance of street art. For example, the mosaic steps in San Francisco were created by more than 300 people, under the guidance of a handful of artists. When the Rainbow Steps in Turkey were first painted, the local government painted over them. In response, neighboring communities painted their own steps in solidarity.
1. 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, San Francisco
image credit: yellofish.tumblr.com
image credit: Jordan Wong
2: Valparaiso, Chile
image credit: Jean-BaptisteYunis
3: Philadelphia Museum of Art
image credit: rleigh
4: Valparaiso, Chile
image credit: oueduabroad.wordpress.com
5: Seoul, South Korea
image credit: Kevin Lowry
6: Wuppertal, Germany
image credit:frizztext
7: Sicily, Italy
image credit: Andrea Annaloro
8: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
image credit: jr-art.net
9: Beirut, Lebanon
image credit: Jubran E. Elias
10: Stairs to the musical theater in Seoul, South Korea
image credit: Kimhwan SEQULIST
11: Stairs of Peace in Syria
image credit: Jood Voluntary Team
12: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
image credit: justin-travels.com
13: Angers, France
image credit: Mademoiselle Maurice
14: Istanbul, Turkey
image credit: DHA
15: Morlaix, France
image credit: ZAG
16: Tehran, Iran
image credit: farsizaban.tumblr.com
17: Beirut, Lebanon
image credit: Dihzahyners Project
Source: boredpanda
