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As Exit Through the Gift Shop and the latest Basquiat documentary, Radiant Child, make the rounds, it's a good time to check in with other profiles of street and subway artists whose self-expression involves graffiti.

Interestingly, "Inside Outside" doesn't limit its lens to "artists" but to taggers also. Although all street art is inherently illegal, the perception of the artistic merit of each piece factors in whether the work is collectively determined to be artful or annoying. Consequently, taggers are more often considered vandals than artists due to the lesser appeal of their work.

That this documentary chose to include Earsnot, Pigmeus and KR amidst the much-adored work of Brazilian twins Os Gemeos, the inventive Zevs, and New Jersey's politically inclined fine artist "culture-spammer" Ron English, serves to provide a mixed message, rather than a united front, regarding the artistic merit of these public works. Ron English and Swoon are looking to change the landscape from advertising and consumerism to contemplation through the presentation of images and ideas in a way that is digestible and able to be appreciated. 

Others in the piece, like Copenhagen's Adams & Itso, are more political activists than artists, labeling themselves as anti-consumerist, and highlighting cracks in public infrastructure. Their most profound statement, perhaps, is that they have found private, functioning, secretly-located space in which to live within the confines and convolutions of the public transit system. Does their definition of themselves as artists transform anything they do to an "installation piece"?

While many of today's artists take to the streets for exposure (hoping the street cred will garner them lucrative gallery shows), true graffiti artists initially shunned recognition in fear that it would limit their ability to exercise/exorcise their expression. 

Some, Banksy being the prime example, continue to avoid personal publicity despite the commercial success of their "canvases" - however, his popularity, acclaim and financial rewards only fuel the fire for more artists (Blek le Rat, Mr Brainwash, etc) to take to all available surfaces regardless of the legalities. 

In a world where notoriety is as good for your profile as traditional publicity and critical review, the world's major streets serve up all manner of artistic mayhem.

There is no doubt that vandalism as art, for the moment, is popular within certain demographics, and extremely profitable. However, whether today's street sprayers can replicate the critical successes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee and company, and find a home for their works in the collections of the world's most meaningful museums, is a fate that only time will tell. In my opinion, a MoSA (Museum of Street Art) can't be too far away. Though it sure would require a whole lot of wall-space.