Art and the Underground

The main attractions as you wander the globe may well be the galleries you visit and their world-renowned displays of priceless art. Few would dare tread the streets of Paris without also making at least a cursory trip to the Musée du Louvre to visit its most famous face.

But take a glance from another angle. The pavement you pound in the city you visit may also be home to a less conventional brand of art, albeit a little less sanctioned and a little less legal.

Street art, also known as graffiti art (and vandalism), is a thriving movement rich in symbolism and diverse in technique, carrying with it a taste for a city's underground culture. Free of all the PR of a city's tourism board and official 'must-sees', street art speaks for the locals in a way no brochure can.

Particularly thriving in this scene is Barcelona, and LP's very own Melbourne is also known throughout the world for it's street art scene. And of course, in all matters of art and the cutting edge, there's always New York. In the UK, the elusive Banksy has made quite a reputation for himself with his art as social commentary.

But, to be fair, it's everywhere and anywhere in the world, and if you like your art a little on the subversive side, you get the pleasure for free.

Got any recommmendations? Favourite pieces or artists?