Modern Street Art And The Artist Eltono

The term "street art" is used to describe a very wide variety of art forms, some of which are performed on the street, and some of which are actually ON the street. While Eltono is considered by the art community to be a modern street artist, most people in the US would probably describe Eltono as a "graffiti artist". But don't let the use of the word "graffiti" mislead you - Eltono is no vandal.

Eltono, whose name is Spanish for "the tone", is best known for painting a geometric representation of a tuning fork on buildings, rail sides, or any surface you would find in a modern city. His work first began in the city of Madrid in 1999, but it can now be found in cities all over Europe, South America, and Korea.

Unlike most graffiti artists, Eltono's art is subtle and understated. In fact, if his work isn't pointed out to you, it's likely you'll miss it. Eltono does this on purpose -- his art is a statement against the strident and overly-colorful street art that is commonly associated with the word "graffiti" here in the United States.

Eltono's work is created using a technique that is completely different than that of his contemporaries. While many street artists use spray paint to create rounded shapes and art without straight lines or corners, Eltono uses a combination of plastic paint and masking tape to create uniquely geometric shapes and straight lines.

Eltono's work seems to draw one's eye to obvious discrepancies in the cityscape. For example, one can imagine a brick wall with windows that have been haphazardly boarded over by previously weathered plywood. Perhaps it's easier to imagine the side wall of a building, constructed of different types of brick, lumber, and iron. These are both common sights on a run-down block of any major city. For Eltono, these scenes are a blank canvas.

When Eltono finds a surface he likes, he will create a collection of geometric shapes and straight lines that will highlight the surface's natural differences while at the same time contrasting the typical graffiti one would expect to find. His emphasis on subtlety has undoubtedly made his art easier to recognize, and it may be part of the reason he is known the world over.

Good art is always thought-provoking, and Eltono's work is no exception. For instance, is his use of geometric shapes a comment on the banality of modern urban architecture? Is their a political statement involved with his work? Perhaps most importantly for the artist, will his chosen media keep him from achieving notoriety because it is often associated with vandalism? Whatever the case, only time will tell. But one thing is for certain -- Eltono's work is definitely interesting.

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