Animals and graffiti might not automatically seem married as far as an art form, but as this showcase will show, animals can supply some of the best canvas an artist or an activist can have. Some of you may not agree with many of these subjects but it is hard to deny that it does not have a certain edge as an art form or indeed raises the question of our use of animals in everyday society. Some are for the purpose of promoting animal welfare, and using the idea of graffiti as the inner city life encroaching on that of out wild cousins, in any case all of these examples bring about a range of poignant questions, the answers of which may be at each end of the spectrum. At the very least they will raise questions of graffiti as a symbol of vandalism or as an art form when mixed with nature.

1.WWF campaign

This was an interesting piece of advertising used by the WWF to promote environmentalism, the campaign banner was “What will it take before we respect the planet?”. As you can see it featured graffiti as a form as vandalism in this case, but to prove a point.

2.’ Inner City Snail ‘

A London artist, known only as Slinkachu, has used the molluscs’ shells for a series of designs dubbed ‘Inner City Snail – a slow-moving street art project’.

3. Live Pig graffiti

The Art Farm in Yang Zhen (Beijing) where artist Wim works with her live tattooed pigs. A vegetarian Wim started Tattooing pig hides from the slaughter house but she says she likes the way the Tattoo stretches on a live pig as the pig grows. She Tattoo’s young pigs under sedation and then allows them to grow old on her farm. The hides and stuffed animals are then sold as pieces of artwork.

Pig Skins

stuffed pigs

4. Hermit Crab Shell Art

5. Banksy and his Animals

Banksy, Britain’s most celebrated graffiti artist has moved from walls to live animals to get across his point about global poverty and injustice. His Turf War exhibition saw him take over a warehouse in east London for five days and fill it full of sheep, pigs and cows, all of which had been painted. His next venture saw him dye and paint an African elephant called Ti for an exhibit in downtown LA. He was criticised widely for both exhibitions, and although the animals were said to be in a good condition, it still raises the point of them being used as an art form.

Don’t think this one was Banksy

6. Tattooed Fish

Geordie Girl is typically found writing about cars, in particular her new passion the Mitsubishi Colt or Colt Cleartec. Her passion also extends to art and the design of award winning products.