Gig posters and graffiti street art are both popular visual art forms that are closely tied to music and urban culture. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct characteristics that set them apart.
Gig Posters:
- Purpose: Gig posters are designed to promote live music events, concerts, and festivals. They typically include the names of the performing artists, the venue, date, and time of the event.
- Design: Gig posters often feature eye-catching illustrations or photographs that represent the musical act or the event's theme. They may also incorporate typography and graphic design elements to create a visually appealing layout.
- Medium: Gig posters are usually printed on paper or other materials suitable for indoor or outdoor display. They may be mass-produced and distributed in a variety of ways, such as being posted on walls, handed out as flyers, or sold as limited edition prints.
- Legality: Gig posters are legal and often commissioned by promoters, bands, or venues to advertise events.
Graffiti Street Art:
- Purpose: Graffiti street art is a form of urban expression that can serve various purposes, such as beautifying public spaces, conveying social or political messages, or simply showcasing the artist's skills and creativity.
- Design: Graffiti street art varies widely in style, technique, and subject matter. It can include anything from simple tags (stylized signatures) to intricate murals covering entire walls. Some graffiti artists specialize in specific styles, such as stencils, paste-ups, or 3D installations.
- Medium: Graffiti street art is typically created using spray paint, markers, or other materials that can be applied to outdoor surfaces like walls, sidewalks, and train cars. The artwork can be temporary or long-lasting, depending on the materials used and the location.
- Legality: Graffiti street art is often considered illegal or unsanctioned, especially when created without the property owner's permission. However, there are also designated areas and projects where graffiti street art is encouraged and celebrated.
Both gig posters and graffiti street art reflect the energy and creativity of urban culture, often drawing inspiration from music, politics, and social issues. Although they serve different purposes and utilize different mediums, they share a common goal of captivating audiences and expressing the artist's vision.
Gig posters are generally viewed and created with the mindset that they are products of mass consumption. As a result, they hold a special place in pop culture, as they reflect society’s and artists’ ideas about beauty, politics and essentially every aspect of public life. Whether it promotes a band, a movie, an artist or a concert, a good gig poster should be, above all, 2 things: eye-catching and informative. Thus, even though the key aim of gig posters is publicity, often they end up retained us collectible memorabilia. Street artists, naturally, don’t hesitate to experiment with gig posters art as well, resulting in some emblematic heritage pieces with a strong a sense of identity and community
