Second thought: I would also add that permission should be requested before using someone’s artwork in books, magazines, or institutional websites.

Instagram may feel like a free-for-all, but asking permission is always the right thing to do. It also helps build trust and respect within the scene.

With our street art books, getting written permission from all the featured artists is, hands down, the most time-consuming part of the process. We are talking about hundreds of artists, so it takes months. Still, it is necessary. It is the foundation of respect.

And yet, too many street art books are still published without artists even knowing they are included, sometimes even by established publishing houses.