How might environmental factors influence the success of the Stencil Graffiti method?
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World War II
Dating back to 1939, the concept of stencils can actually be thanks to the United States Army. In World War II, stencil art was a tagging method used for directions/information on war-torn towns or marking equipment. Often, they would decorate their artillery with angels or skulls to scare enemies. After World War II, it remained an efficient tool for any immediate organization within the army, but also as a method for European civilians, to protest and display anti-government statements. -
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Migration over Atlantic to US
The European use of stencils migrated to the United States in the 1960s. Instability gave rise to anti-establishment movements by punk rock bands and In attempt to self-promote their songs and provide their anti-government opinions, they stenciled their venues with their logos, names, and lyrics. -
John Fekner Places Work Outdoors
Often referred to as the true artistic beginning of stencils is the year of 1968 when John Fekner placed his work outdoors for the first time. Being in the Big Apple, his graffiti became a part of underground culture overnight, and as the only fellow urban artist there to use the stencil, people had never seen it before this. -
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Emerging in the Metropolises
In the early 1970s, around the metropolises near Europe and the United States, the artistic technique emerged and became known for the method used in the making of a stencil. There became a fascination in the idea that the designs can simply be reproduced over and over again, to ensure that the design is able to stay uniform throughout. This consistency has lead to stencil graffiti being the most efficient tagging method, offering instant recognizability, and cleanliness. -
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Everything Changes
After emerging, not many noteworthy individuals showed enough interest in taking the method of stencilling a step further to improve it, impacting the evolution. Fortunately, this all changed in the early 1980s thanks to Blek Le Rat. -
Blek Le Rats First Piece
Spraying his first piece of this style in 1981, Blek tagged all around Paris. Known as the father of stencil graffiti, he practiced by studying fine art and architecture. Making stencils of rats, and distributing his pieces around the City of Light became common, although his activities were illegal at the time." RAT" being an anagram for ART was a meaningful tag for him as rats symbolized freedom and the spread of art. Creating not only his own trademark, but socially engaged artworks. -
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The Internet Phenomenon of the Late 1990s
Fortunately for the new artistic technique, the Internet helped stencil to finally belong in the street art Hall of Fame bringing attention to the method. Modern artists seeked out non overused yet expressive options in the past, but believed stencils were the best. Practitioners emerged and built what is easily considered the golden age of this medium, reaching its maximum level of popularity. -
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Modern Day Stencilling
Although there is a limited number of stencil practitioners in comparison to other street art techniques, it is a method which is incredibly respected. A community was created in light of the stencil craze, mostly consisting of artists that are somehow connected to each other, collaborating and working together with the goal of bringing popularity to this art.
