Most people tend to think of graffiti as subversive art spraypainted in the dead of night on urban walls. Some artists, however, including Edgar Mueller, Julian Beever and Kurt Wenner, defy that stereotype, painting and chalking openly on city streets and sidewalks. Beyond merely entertaining crowds, their work has at times even broken world records. These street art images and biographies merely scratch the surface and begin to convey their amazing artistic talents.

Edgar Mueller is a world-famous street painter, perhaps best known for the above work: The Riverstreet River. At nearly 1000 square feet, this graffiti mural took up an entire city block. His other works often exhibit similar life-like qualities and take on renaissance themes.