Google Expands its Online Street Art Gallery - by IdeelArt

Art fans can now view thousands of examples of street art from around the world without having to leave their own front room, after Google announced it had added 5,000 works to its online art database.

For some people, spray-painted images on walls, underpasses, buildings, etc., appear to be nothing more than mindless vandalism, but to the initiated, this constitutes the exciting genre of street art. Sometimes called urban - or guerilla art, it is usually unsanctioned and executed on surfaces beyond traditional galleries. Some of the more well known street artists include Shepard Fairey, Keith Haring and Banksy.

The new additions to the database, called the 'Google Art Project', has doubled the number of images on offer - all of which have been included with the artist's express permission, theverge.com writes. According to Google's blog post, the database represents 85 art organisations from 34 countries.   

The search engine giant added that the pieces ranged "from Sweden's most famous street festival, to water tanks wrapped with art among New York City's rooftops, to the abandoned walls of Buenos Aires that are a source of inspiration for street artists from all over the world."

Internet users can now access 10,000 images through the site, enjoying 12 'immersive street view tours' and may even interact with some of the artists, artmediaagency.com reports. 

Google says the aim behind the database is to 'preserve temporary art forms and make the work accessible to people from around the world'.

Photo Credit: anonymous