Graffiti Grows Up

No longer a sign of urban decay, street art is becoming prized

-  Nick Morgan

When Aileen Makin went to sleep in her home in Bristol, on December 9, 2020, it was worth some £300,000. When she woke up, it was worth as much as £5 million

Overnight, renowned street artist Banksy had painted onto the side of her house an old woman, sneezing so hard that her false teeth were flying out. As crowds gathered, a friend covered the artwork with protective plexiglass and security was called in to keep it safe from vandals.

The success over the past three decades of this elusive British "guerrilla" artist has changed the view that graffiti is vandalism. Riikka Kuittinen, author of Street Art: Contemporary Prints, says, "Street art has evolved into a new global artistic phenomenon. Where it was once just about the individual or marking territory, it now has an outward perspective, often commenting on the community we live in."

The best artists build huge followings on social media-art that's scrubbed off walls the next day stays on Instagram. They can even make serious money selling prints, T-shirts, or stickers, bypassing the galleries that are the traditional gatekeepers between artists and buyers.

What does it take to excel in this new movement? Five of Europe's best-known street artists tell us.

Millo, Italy

MILLO, 42, FROM Mesagne, typically starts by painting a simple black-and-white cityscape. He then adds figures the size of Godzilla. But rather than terrorising the city, they perform activities like having a bath or a haircut.

After studying architecture, Millo (Francesco Camillo Giorgino) became disenchanted by its bureaucracy and limitations. While looking for a new direction 11 years ago, he was asked to paint a wall in the village of Montone for an arts festival. "The brick surface had capers growing on it. So I drew a giant naked character eating the plants. The local old ladies laughed at the size of his penis."