Graffiti : now Street Art or UrbanArt
Bangalore , Aug 12,2016
From police stations to railway platforms, in metros and mofussil towns, India's growing street art movement engages with the common man at multiple levels, 
Once our streets were a platform to register protests, calling out to people for rallies and political marches, they also came to bear the weight of rising consumerism. Now, however, a section of artists is staking claim to these streets. Mere canvas is just not enough for them, as they view these open spaces as a more effective means to initiate a dialogue with all those who don't visit art galleries and museums. So, here it is - a street art movement that is sweeping the country gradually and steadily. The pictures below are few Street Art intiated by ST+ART foundation. Artists from India and abroad contributed their work on the walls of Lodhi Colony,Delhi.
Delhi's Lodhi Colony has completely transformed the look of the area and turned it into India's very first public art district. You need to see it to believe just how mesmerizing it looks post its makeover. What used to be walls with chipped paint and paan stains are today covered in colorful graffiti and art with different themes such as the origin of the world, migratory birds, space and even Indian hand gestures. Thanks to ST+ART foundation.
Graffiti, Art or Vandalism??
Before going further, let us understand about the Graffiti and the Street Art.
Graffiti are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a wall or other surface, often within public view Graffiti range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and they have existed since ancient times, Lines that swirl almost randomly but manage to present an idea, a visual, or a feeling with casual grace. Graffiti are steadily gaining ground on the Indian art scene. 
Long before Graffiti and Street art arrived at the Indian shore, 'Rangoli' was the predominant form of Indian art. Women belonging to orthodox Indian families, even today, inscribe the Rangoli outside their homes even today. A Rangoli competition was organized at the Mylapore area of Chennai recently to encourage this great talent of Indian women, which goes unnoticed.
The underground art of graffiti has its origins in the late 1960s in Philadelphia, through "bombing". Writers Cornbread and Cool Earl went about town writing their names just to gain attention from the community and media. The practice spread to New York and its various boroughs in the early 1970s and different styles such as tagging and scaling emerged. Graffiti is the practice of defacing a surface, which if done without consent, is considered vandalism. With consent, it's an art form often used as a powerful political tool.
Graffiti as Vandalism :
Although its artistic merits can't be denied, graffiti is still in fact a form of vandalism. Artists tag both public and private property, which becomes costly for tax payers and business and property owners. Graffiti vandalism is a crime. It is the act of marking or defacing premises or other property without permission. 
Vandalism may be defined as any willful behavior to deface public property or disfigure a person's private property without permission. Vandals often cause damage to street signs, posters, billboards, building walls and windows, and other public spaces. While the law clearly categorizes these acts as crime, some individuals deem such acts as art
What is the difference between graffiti art and vandalism?
Unauthorized graffiti art is considered vandalism. When it is painted without the consent of the property owner, graffiti is considered criminal damage in the legal sense, as it is the defacement of private or public property. it is considered vandalism unless it has been authorized by the property owner.
What is the difference between graffiti vandalism and urban art:
There are often mixed messages in the media about graffiti and 
urban art but essentially the definition between both terms defines one as criminal damage (graffiti)and the other as permission based artwork (urban art). Urban Art, unlike graffiti vandalism, is legal artwork where permission to mark the surface has been granted by the owner of the property. Urban Art is often known under many names such as street art or mural art. Urban Art projects on hotspot areas can be an effective Designing
UrbanArt - Street Art -- MuralArt :
"How many people go to the gallery? But everyone walks these streets, sees them and crosses them. The idea behind this festival is to get people to consider the street as a medium to express themselves. We want more and more people to join the movement. We want to take it to art connoisseurs and beyond," says Hanif Kureshi, organiser of St+Art Festival and a street artist himself.
The mural of Gandhi painted by German artist Hendrik Beikirch and 
Anpu Varkey on the walls of the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO. One of the tallest murals in India, painting Gandhi was a conscious choice. "Hendrik doesn't paint famous people, but we requested him to do it because people relate to Gandhi. The mural was important for us to keep the movement going," recalls Hanif,
"Yes, the Delhi Police was keen to have the mural, and even made us write ' Peer parai jaane re ' on it. It had a context.
Every police station has a photo of Gandhi. But mind you, the Government is still allergic to graffiti, and as far as support to other forms of street art is concerned, I think they can be more supportive of it," feels Hanif.
An American painter came across this lady living on Greenways Road, MRTS station, without a roof over her head. She has been living like that for 10 years, so he painted her portrait and simply wrote 'Life' in Tamil.
Street art is not appreciated purely as art. Be it The Ugly Indian, painting flyovers, or any other community project, street art is being used as a practical tool to beautify the space.
New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), one of the two civic agencies in Delhi, became the perfect partner for Delhi Street Art, to bring value to the city. Kicked off in 2013, Delhi Street Art began with turning trash bins in Lodhi Gardens into a canvas.
This is the first step we need to take to reach the next stage, where street art will be considered and respected as an art form.
Urban Art in Bangaluru:
Step out into the streets, the throng of people and the sounds of life, and alongside, the colours of expression that make an impression, painted on walls by mostly unseen hands. The graffiti in Bangalore always give you an idea of the possibilities that can come to life when art meets the streets.
Lines that swirl almost 
randomly but manage to present an idea, a visual, or a feeling with casual grace. Graffiti are steadily gaining ground on the Indian art scene, and Bangalore the one city where they are blooming out in vibrant colours.
Initiated by Jaaga {a city-based creative organisation} as part of their Yellow UFO {Under FlyOver} Project and in collaboration with BBMP, the area under the KH Double Road Flyover was given a complete artistic transformation. Next time you are in the neighbourhood, look out for this amazing artwork, featuring silhouettes and colourful designs of objects and people, all done on bright yellow backgrounds.
A very interesting initiative by BBMP (Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike ) is turning the nondescript streets of Bangalore to a colorful palette showcasing all the things that make Karnataka such a spectacular state - cultural, geographical and ecological marvels. These beautiful murals adorning the flyovers and underpasses are a welcome relief from the omnipresent traffic.
Visual Change is a work that addresses the issue of women's lib in a beautiful, powerful way. Going beyond the 'It's all fun' ideology of most graffiti, this one compels the audience to reflect-at least for 
a split second-one something that demands critical attention in the Indian society.
If ever there's one cartoon character who is famous for his voice as much for his antics, it's Donald Duck. And when ol' Donald thinks about something, we know it will be in a grumpy mood.
Baadal Nanjundaswamy
Baadal Nanjundaswamy (Birth name: Nanjundaswamy Nanjaiah) was born in the Kukkarahalli area of Mysore district. The name 'Baadal' is from a year's stint in Rangayana.. He is a theatre artist, writer, art director and he is famous for the Street Art. 
He is the artist who paints his protest. His street art are always on the social cause and inducing the public awareness
During his schooling years, he was drawn to painting and literature. Having limited sources of income didn't stop
him from getting the education he wanted. To earn the required fees for university education, he converted a petty shop that was bought on borrowed money into a painting workshop of sorts and sold his paintings. After graduation, Baadal worked with Ogilvy & Mather in their Bangalore office as a visualizer for three years. He then chose to work as a freelancer. He works as an art director for Kannada films, plays, documentaries, short films and also does design work for independent projects. Lucia, Lifeu Ishtene, Prakruthi and Police Quarter are some of his notable works as an art director.
He has several Black and White wall portraits to his credit. Sachin Tendulkar's portrait in the Students' Activity Center in IIT Powai is one of them. He is wellknown for his 3D paintings, murals, sculptures, and art installations.Baadal has also written short stories in Kannada which have been published in leading newspapers and magazines.
He is popularly known as the " Crocadile Artist"
What would you do to get a pothole covered? One might complain, nag, and crib about it but he will place a life size crocodile right in 
middle of the pothole instead. Fed up with the apathetic attitude shown by civic authorities with regard to fixing a pothole on Sultan Palya Main Road, Baadal decided to garner attention towards the seriousness of the issue with a creative touch. On June 18, the artist placed a replica of a crocodile right in middle of the pothole. Today, the issue has been fixed. Baadal's campaigns are self-funded and he has spent Rs 6,000 to create the crocodile made of fibre. However for him it is not the money but the contentment he feels on knowing that his art has initiated a positive change in the society.
Last year, Baadal drew the face of Yamraj (God of death according to Hindu mythology) around an open manhole. When viewed from the top, it looked as if Yamraj was waiting to gobble up pedestrians. The 36-year-old points out that an open manhole is no less than a death trap
Baadal's art has also fixed uneven road dividers in different parts of the city. On Diwali, 
he painted the loose stones of a divider near Indian Express circle as bombs and gifts. On Valentine's Day, the loose stones of a divider near Richmond flyover were painted bright red with cupid arrows stuck in them.
He is a famous street artist of India, who has the creative thinking. Some of his famous 3-D paintings drawn on the various venues and occasions are shown here.
3-D Paintings in the Street Art:
The aversion on Graffiti has slowly vanished and the Street Art or the Urban Art is being encouraged in the recent times. We have gone to the next step, the 3-D painting on the streets.
Very recently, Delhi Police have come forward to paint the Zebra crossings on the roads in 3-D format, to gain the attention of the drivers.
