The origin of street art, often overlooked, stems from guerilla marketing. Initially, "guerilla marketing" was the term used, later replaced by "street art" as the movement gained prominence in the contemporary art world, perhaps reflecting a strategic rebranding.

Street art's most compelling expression is in bus shelter takeovers. These incursions into public spaces involve unauthorized access to bus shelter billboards, often through a master key. At night, artists replace or remix advertisements with their artwork, ingeniously hacking multi-million dollar advertising budgets with simple tools like a coat hanger or an "acquired" key.

Key figures in this movement include Kaws, Anthony Lister, and Ron English. Kaws is renowned for his "bendies," bold, colorful figures that interact with billboard models. Ron English uses surreal, controversial imagery to provoke thought about corporate messages. Anthony Lister, instrumental in popularizing this form, has transformed bus shelters in cities like Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Hong Kong into canvases for his themes, reflecting on ego and society's hypocrisies. His influence in Australia has been significant, inspiring emerging artists and showcasing bus shelters as powerful mediums for expression.

As digital transformation reduces opportunities for traditional painting-based takeovers, these interventions become historical markers of a pivotal era in street art. Despite technological evolution, the artist's message remains unchanged: the freedom to hijack societal platforms is a powerful tool.

The message is clear: a creative and resourceful artist needs only the courage to hack the system to make an impact.

"Think Different."

- Koan