Street artist

Street artists create visual art such as graffiti art or sticker art in urban environments’ public spaces, on the streets, typically expressing feelings or political views and ideas, opting for non-traditional art venues.

Excludes outdoors performing artists.

The following job titles also refer to street artist:

muralist
street caricaturist
street visual artist
light street artist
graffiti artist
paste-up street artist
urban artist
stencil artist
pictorial muralist

No formal educational credential is required to work as street artist.

The majority of street artists are self-taught on the street. Some, however, may choose to refine their already existing artistic abilities with an art degree.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Street artist is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to street artist.

drawing artist
artistic painter
conceptual artist
digital artist
sculptor

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of street artist.

• Labour legislation: Legislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.
• Intellectual property law: The regulations that govern the set of rights protecting products of the intellect from unlawful infringement.
• Graffiti removal techniques: Methods, materials and procedures to remove graffiti posts from public surfaces: identifying the surface type and material to be removed, selecting a removal method and chemical substances and applying a protective coating layer.
• Art history: The history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.

These skills are necessary for the role of street artist.

• Create original drawings: Create original drawings, based on texts, thorough research and discussion with authors, journalists and specialists.
• Create artwork: Cut, shape, fit, join, mould, or otherwise manipulate materials in an attempt to create a selected artwork-be the technical processes not mastered by the artist or used as a specialist.
• Adapt artistic plan to location: Adjust plans to other locations with regards to the artistic concept.
• Maintain an artistic portfolio: Maintain portfolios of artistic work to show styles, interests, abilities and realisations.
• Use artistic materials for drawing: Use artistic materials such as paint, paintbrushes, ink, watercolours, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
• Select artistic materials to create artworks: Select artistic materials based on strength, colour, texture, balance, weight, size, and other characteristics that should guarantee the feasibility of the artistic creation regarding the expected shape, color, etc.- even though the result might vary from it. Artistic materials such as paint, ink, water colours, charcoal, oil, or computer software can be used as much as garbage, living products (fruits, etc) and any kind of material depending on the creative project.
• Study artistic techniques: Study a variety of artistic techniques and learn how to apply them in concrete artistic projects.
• Confer on artwork: Introduce and discuss the nature and content of art work, achieved or to be produced with an audience, art directors, catalogue editors, journalists, and other parties of interest.
• Determine visual concepts: Determine how best to represent a concept visually.
• Contextualise artistic work; Identify influences and situate your work within a specific trend which may be of an artistic, aesthetic, or philosophical natures. Analyse the evolution of artistic trends, consult experts in the field, attend events, etc.
• Manage logistics according to the desired work: Adapt to the environment, especially in an urban one, and adapt the production processes to the contingencies and constraints of the medium. Work with walls, concrete, walkway, pebbledash, glass, sheet metal, plastic and other materials. Take into account the height of the artistic intervention (trains, traffic or ad signs, chimney, etc.).
• Gather reference materials for artwork: Gather samples of the materials you expect to use in the creation process, especially if the desired piece of art necessitates the intervention of qualified workers or specific production processes.
• Study artworks: Study styles, techniques, colours, textures, and materials used in works of art.
• Ensure visual quality of the set: Inspect and amend the scenery and set-dressing to make sure the visual quality is optimal with in constraints of time, budget and manpower.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of street artist. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Assess conservation needs: Assess and list the needs for conservation/restoration, in relation to current use and planned future use.
• Plan art educational activities: Plan and implement artistic facilities, performance, venues and museum-related educational activities and events.
• Use body language: Use and understand body language, gestures and other paralinguistic cues.
• Develop educational resources; Create and develop educational resources for visitors, school groups, families and special interest groups.
• Collaborate with technical experts on artworks: Collaborate with engineers, mechanics, and other technical experts to build, install and move pieces of art.
• Create digital images: Create and process two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital images depicting animated objects or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modelling programs.
• Develop artistic project budgets: Developing artistic project budgets for approval, estimating deadlines and material costs.
• Develop educational activities: Develop speeches, activities and workshops in order to foster access and comprehension to the artistic creation processes. It can address a particular cultural and artistic event such as a show or an exhibition, or it can be related to a specific discipline (theatre, dance, drawing, music, photography etc.). Liaise with storytellers, craftspeople and artists.
• Collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions: Coordinate your artistic activities with others who specialise in the technical side of the project. Inform the technical staff of your plans and methods and obtain feedback on feasibility, cost, procedures and other relevant information. Be able to understand the vocabulary and the practises about technical issues
• Keep personal administration: File and organise personal administration documents comprehensively.
• Present exhibition: Present an exhibition and give educational lectures in a comprehensible way that is attractive to the public.
• Collaborate with designers: Communicate and collaborate with fellow designers in order to coordinate new products and designs.
• Use genre painting techniques: Use a genre or academic painting and drawing techniques.
• Participate in artistic mediation activities: Participate in cultural and artistic mediation activities: announce the activity, give a presentation or talk related to a piece of art or an exhibition, teach a class or a group, lead artistic mediation activities, lead or participate in a public discussion.

2659 – Creative and performing artists not elsewhere classified

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Featured image: Photo by Fonsi Fernández on Unsplash