PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF CREATING SUBJECT COMPOSITIONS OF MODERN STREET ART
The paper traces the evolution of compositional solutions and figurative content of narrative street art from its inception to the present and identifies the most common constituent elements of narrative street art compositions. They include: narrative photo images, narrative digital art, narrative unique and printed author's graphics, narrative scenes and elements from the works of classical, national art and mass culture. The author considers the relationship between the evolution of technical means in the arsenal of street art artists and creative techniques and methods performed in figurative street art compositions. The narrative component was present already at the stage of graffiti and early street art, then gradually evolved towards greater significance and diversity of compositional solutions, reaching its heyday in modern public art. The study discusses characteristic creative techniques of iconic figures in contemporary street art and their role in the process of evolution of narrative street art compositions. Among them are Seen, K. Haring, J. M. Basquiat, Banksy, Ma Claim, Shepard Fairey, as well as the Russian cult street-art artist Pavel Pukhov, who gained international fame during his lifetime. The authors determined main methods of creating narrative compositions in contemporary street art; the most commonly used ones are the literal reproduction of narrative source material, the multiplication of primary sources, their mixing, superimposition and collage. The paper outlines the main principles of successful narrative street art compositions, including the relevance of the narrative, communication and contextual aspects, poster art, ensuring a quick perception by using an artistic language accessible to the mass audience, the use of easily recognizable allusions and archetypical images.