Stair art is a multifaceted category of art that displayed stairs and staircases in a variety of ways. These works range from the inspirational to the bizarre and are a common sight in households and businesses around the world. Although many works of stair art are given the same representational treatment as landscape prints, stair art has grown in variety and popularity alongside the modern art movement.
Due to the symbolism of stairs as being a sign of progress and attainment, many inspirational art images make use of stair art in their execution. These landscape prints, like Jim Warren's 'Stairway to Heaven', are unique works of art. Although considered inspirational art images, many of these works have religious overtones as well as themes of improvement and attainability.
Stair photography provides unique depth to this art category. These three-dimensional works can depict either famous sets of stairs, as seen in the stair print 'Spiral Staircase in Arc de Triomphe' by Christian Peacock, or a random staircase depending on the purpose of the print. Many stair photographs choose to focus on the interaction between contrast and the shape of the stairs, as seen in the print 'Rookery Stairway' by Jim Christensen.
As a result of the modern art movement, many surreal graphic artworks feature stairs as their main subject, as well. The most infamous works of surreal stair art are by M.C. Escher, whose works like 'Relativity' are recognized around the world. Another famous surreal graphic print is seen in 'Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, 1912' by Marcel Duchamp.
