Some of the most common painted public art involves murals. Murals are often designed and executed by professional artists. They are also designed by professional artists who then oversee the mural executed by apprentices. Sometimes they are even created and executed by amateur artists from the community. Murals often reflect the ethnic or cultural background of the members of a neighborhood community or commemorate a significant local event. Graffiti is a somewhat more controversial form of spray-painted public art, since it is often created "guerrilla" style, without the commendation or permission of local lawmakers.
Sculpture is one of the most ancient forms of public art. Public gardens and buildings are often decorated with sculptures depicting animals, famous people or religious, mythological or civic subject matter. Modern public sculpture artists often create abstract pieces that are meant to create a means through which to interact with the environment. A public sculpture might create sound when blown by the wind or offer a particular visual perspective when the location is viewed through openings or bends in the artwork. Public sculpture is often functional as well, involving items such as water fountains, benches, bridges and architectural structures.
Land Art is created with naturally occurring elements such as water, leaves, stones, flowers and grasses. Depending on the material, land art tends to be the most transient sort of public art. Artists use land art to call attention to the inherent beauty in a local area. This art form often relies on the particular natural occurrences of each season. For example, the variety of leaf colors in autumn or the snowdrifts of winter could be transformed into land art. Andy Goldsworthy is a British artist who has spent many years creating public land art.
An art form less commonly associated with public art, performance art, is designed to create a collaborative experience between the performer and the audience. As public art, performance art is often offered in public spaces such as art museums, libraries and public parks. The theme of a performance art experience could be connected to a special holiday, the location in which it is performed or any number of personal themes created and developed by the performance artist. Performance art pieces might last for a few moments or over a number of days.