{"id":5447,"date":"2019-11-18T17:38:42","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T16:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/streetsonart.com\/?p=5447"},"modified":"2023-09-15T14:14:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T12:14:32","slug":"these-smiley-street-art-murals-will-put-a-smile-on-your-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/streetsonart.com\/these-smiley-street-art-murals-will-put-a-smile-on-your-face\/","title":{"rendered":"The Smiley Street Art of Ron English"},"content":{"rendered":"
Everybody knows what a smiley face is, but few know where it comes from. The smiley face is a pop art icon that was designed by commercial artist Harvey Ball in 1963. It has been used on merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, hats and pens and it has found its way into chat messenger apps in the form of emoticons. <\/strong><\/p>\n The smiley face is sometimes used in modern art to represent innocence and happiness and now it has found its way into the subcultures of street art murals and graffiti.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ron English is an American artist who not only creates street art, but fine art and commercial art too. His take on the smiley face design reveals a grinning skull peeking out from the smiley face’s mouth, and he’s used this design in graffiti murals, figurines, caps, pins and clothing.<\/p>\n It’s unclear what the artist was trying to say with this idea, but the cheerful and chilling result is very eye-catching and thought-provoking. It is a reminder that the smiley face design is based on the human face, and beneath the flesh of the human face is a skull. It’s also a reminder that the smiley face is a human invention; a symbol of a concept of happiness. Below are two examples of Ron English’s smiley skull street art works:<\/p>\nAn American Called English<\/h1>\n