Streetartcanbefoundonbuildings,sidewalks,streetsignsandeventrashcansfromTokyotoParistoNewYorkCity.Thisspecialkindofartcantaketheformofpaintings,sculptures,clothorevenstickers(张贴物).Streetarthasbecomepartofaglobalvisualculture.Now,evenartmuseumsandgalleriesarecollectingtheworksofstreetartists.

Itisnoteasytoprovideanexacthistoryofthestreetartmovement.Thiskindofarthasdevelopedinmanykindsofwaysinplacesallovertheworld.Also,becauseitisillegaltopaintpublicandprivatepropertywithoutpermission,streetartistsusuallyworksecretly.Thissecretivenatureofstreetartanditscountlessformsmakeithardtodefineexactly.Andpeoplehavedifferentopinionsaboutthemovement.Somethinkstreetartisacrimeanddestroysproperty.Butothersseethisartasarichformofnon-traditionalculturalexpression.

ManyexpertssaythemovementbeganinNewYorkCityinthe1960s.Youngadultswouldusepaintinspecialcanstospraytheir“tag”onwallsandtraincarsaroundthecity.Thistagwasanametheycreatedtoidentifythemselvesandtheirartwork.Thiscolorfulstyleofwritingisalsocalledgraffiti(涂鸦).Itisvisuallyexcitingandenergetic.Somegraffitipaintingsweresignsmarkingtheterritoriesofcitygangsorillegalcrimegroups.

Graffitialsobecameaseparatemovementexpressingthestreetcultureofyoungpeoplelivinginbigcities.Graffitiartrepresentedsocialandpoliticalrebellion(叛逆).Thiswasartthatrejectedtheacceptedrulesofcultureandpower.Theseartistscouldtravelaroundareasofthecitymakingcreativepaintingsforeveryonetosee.Sometimesthisstreetartcreatedaconflictbetweenartistsandcityofficials.Graffitiartistscreatedtheirimagesandcityofficialsquicklypaintedoverthem.

Duringthe1980s,twoNewYorkpainters—KeithHaringandJeanMichelbeganshowingtheirworkinartgalleriesandmuseums.Thisiswhenstreetartstartedtobecomepartofthemoregeneralpopularculture.

小题1:Whatcanweinferfromthefirstparagraph?