Eltono: Modern Street Artist

When people in the US think of "street art", they often are imagining someone who performs their art on the street. However, the street artist Eltono doesn't perform on the street -- he decorates it. Eltono, an internationally recognized street artist, has also been described as a "graffiti artist." But unlike a lot of graffiti you'll find, Eltono's work is anything but vandalism.

The name Eltono is Spanish for the phrase "the tone", and undoubtedly that name was chosen because the artist enjoys painting a representation of a tuning fork on the surfaces of the modern cityscape. His work, which is geometric in nature, can be found in cities all across Europe, South America, and Korea. The artist known as Eltono began by painting his trademark tuning forks in Madrid, Spain, starting in 1999.

When many people think of graffiti, they envision bright colors and big shapes that can be overpowering. Eltono's work is a statement against this type of graffiti -- his work is subtle and understated. Eltono does such a wonderful job of keeping his work simple that it's possible you could walk by it and never notice it.

Part of the reason that Eltono's work is so different from other street artists is that he uses a different technique. While many of his contemporaries use spray paint, which usually renders art that is bulbous and rounded, Eltono uses plastic paint and masking tape. These materials allow him to create art that is linear and geometric, making his work stylistically unique.

Eltono's art can be found on buildings and walls that exemplify difference. For example, a brick wall with boarded up windows, with each board being a different grained wood, is a canvas for Eltono. Or perhaps a building that is haphazardly composed of steel, brick, and lumber would be marked. These scenes are his 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.

As with all good art, Eltono's work is thought provoking. Is their a political statement about urban growth and renewal? Is his use of geometric shapes intended to reinforce or challenge the design of a modern city? While Eltono's work certainly deserves your attention now, will his work receive the attention it deserves in the future, or will he be cast aside because his art form is often associated with vandalism? Only time will tell.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

Author Jason Lancaster enjoys reviewing and discussing modern Latin art. He has a Latin Musica website featuring Tonos. To see more about Eltono, visit the website Eltono.com.