Paris’ Surprising Street Art

11/30/09

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Popular Written by Matt Scott

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A lazy eye might miss Paris’ vibrant street art scene, which has grown abundantly over the past decade. Matt Scott takes us on a tour of some of city’s most notable tags.

1. Since 1986 Miss.tic has been spraying her characteristic black and white ladies across Paris, typically accompanied by a short comment – a play on words relating to the image.

2. Miss.tic’s style has lead her to appear not only in multiple exhibitions but also as the logo of a car rental firm and on a range of handbags and accessories

3. The invasion of Paris started in 1998 with a number of mosaic tiles inspired by the classic game. ‘Invader’ has now spread to 35 other cities.

4. Nemo is known for his male silhouettes which appear in various poses throughout Paris.

5. Not all ‘tags’ (as graffiti is known in French) will gain recognition.

6. Mosko have been spray painting their colourful animals on drab walls since the early 90s. The 19th and 20th Arrondissements are particularly popular with the artists.

7. The popularity of several artists have seen collaborations of the their works in many areas of the city.

8. Jérôme Mesnager is one of the pioneers of Paris street art with his ‘stick men’ that have been appearing in the city since 1983.

9. Paper figures and designs are now becoming popular among urban artists, replacing the traditional stencil and spray paint.

10.New masterpieces appear on the streets every week, so keep your eyes open next time you visit.

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Tagged under: art, France, Graffiti, paris, tag

Filed under: paris

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About the Author

Having spent the majority of his adult life traveling and working abroad, Matt Scott has plenty to write about; his writing and photos have appeared in publications around the world, both on line and in print. Originally from the UK he currently lives in Paris, where he works as a trip leader for an active travel company.

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Comments (5)

5 Comments... join the discussion!

Travelfusion replied on November 30, 2009

I LOVE Parisian street art!!!! So much so, that I’ve blogged about it here (http://blog.travelfusion.com/2009/10/28/street-art-series-paris/) and have included some of the same artists! My absolute favourites are the Space Invaders but I also like Jef Aerosol who is not on your list…check him out!
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Matt Scott replied to Travelfusion on December 1, 2009

Jef Aerosol is great, I don’t see much of his stuff around Paris anymore: Shame. Hope he comes back soon.
Loved your blog by the way.
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Travelfusion replied to Matt Scott on December 1, 2009

Hi Matt!

Thanks for the compliment! I have stumbled upon Aerosol’s stuff mainly in the 5e and 13e but you’re right, his are more surprising and fun to find because they aren’t very numerous.

I love everything related to Parisian street art – definitely keep us posted if you discover some new treasures!

Cheers,
Kathryn
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Candice replied on November 30, 2009

Love the male silhouettes, so cool.
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Lauren Quinn replied on December 3, 2009

Nice pictures. Paris’ scene has been cranking for awhile; glad to see it getting some Matador love.
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