Airbrushing is the modern art form

Airbrushing culture is a decisively post-modern cultural phenomenon, and what the artwork is often depicting shows that. When you think of airbrushing, you think of pop culture icons, fantastic and menacing characters from fantasy novels and stories, and caricatures of stereotypes that are all too prominent in our society. Much like anime, airbrush art can be seen everywhere: cars and motorcycles, cement walls, and helmets.

There is much debate over when and where the first airbrush was invented. Many have settled on 1876 in Massachusetts as the origin of the first airbrush, but it wasn't used for art purposes. Charles Burdick unveiled his airbrush design at the World Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, and launched the first commercial airbrushes available to the public at the end of 19th century. His design still resembles modern airbrushes today. Airbrushing was popular originally for changing photo images. Today, that means retouching models in beauty magazines and advertising to look physically perfect. It is the most well-known use for airbrushing, and distorts what airbrush art actually is. However, one of the most historical uses of airbrushing in images was Josef Stalin He used it to doctor images from propaganda purposes, sometimes to remove entire people from an image.

Today airbrushing is appreciated for its highly rendered images and high level of realism. It's used for make-up application and tanning, as well as temporary tattoos and finger nail art. An airbrush artist does employ traditional canvas work, but they have to be versatile and be able to create piece of art on a variety of surfaces. Airbrushing on cars became popular in the 1950's, and has become even more popular now due to shows like Pimp My Ride and American Chopper. Marc Ecko began clothing design as an eighth grader who would airbrush images on his classmates jackets; years later, he founded the international clothing line Ecko.

One of the most ubiquitous forms of airbrush art is in graffiti, which is found on the once-blank walls of buildings in almost every metropolitan area. Some people dismiss graffiti art as vandalism, plain and simple, and treat artists as criminal offenders. Some communities and cities even have websites dedicated to preventing graffiti. For those living in lower-income housing, however, graffiti is a means for beautifying the neighborhood. Often lower-income housing is painted a monotonous tone, which does nothing for the spirits of the people living there. Creating a large wall mural does more for beautifying the neighborhood than many gentrification projects could.

airbrushing melbourne has a large following and many talented artists who contribute to creating the culture. Whether it is wall murals, car decoration, or helmet art, there are so many places you can see airbrush art in its glory. It is an art form that is truly contemporary, and it transcends race, culture and economic background. Because it takes inspiration from pop culture, it is also easily identifiable and can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. The world would be a little brighter with some more airbrush art in it.