Guerilla art
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Guerilla art is the surreptitious, and often sudden, creation or installation of unauthorized public art, often with the purpose of making an overt political statement.
Guerilla art has arisen as a small underground movement starting in the 1980s, partially as a response to the perceived takeover of public space by commercial interests, the perceived banality of many authorized public art pieces, and the frequent lack of authorized exhibition opportunities for artists.
One of the most popular forms of guerilla art is the alteration of billboards, often with the intent of creating an absurd or ironic message from the original advertising content. Such installations are often meant to be somewhat subtle.
A school of thought exists that much artistically-intended graffiti can be considered as guerilla art as well.
Stickers, stencils and poster art are increasingly influential—Robbie Conal regularly uses Los Angeles as his personal gallery space.
Although guerilla art is sometimes equated with the use of disposable media, one of the most famous pieces of guerilla art was the installation of the bronze sculpture Charging Bull by Arturo Di Modica in front of the New York Stock Exchange in December 1989. Although unauthorized, the sculpture became an immediate hit with many New Yorkers, leading to its permanent installation a few blocks away in Bowling Green plaza.