We’ve just been surprised and dismayed by the news of the spectacular Queens monument to street art, 5Pointz, being painted over last night. It is a confounding truth that the often grand proportions, arresting colors, and bold messages of street art and graffiti stand in stark contrast to the ephemeral nature of the art. A book released this fall by Yale University Press is, however, anything but ephemeral. The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti by Rafael Schacter is a stunning and insightful testament to global street art, and it has been garnering stellar responses from the press. A very few of the many reviews… a starred review in Publishers Weekly:
“Curator Schacter offers a stunning survey of artists known for their nonsanctioned public work in this concisely written, yet comprehensive volume . . . This valuable and impressive tome, featuring a foreword by street and multimedia artist John Fekner, provides an informative, consistent, and well-illustrated narrative of a global art phenomenon;”
a review plus slideshow on the Huffington Post:
“The art book to beat all art books sets out to become the definitive reference guide on international street art, covering artists hiding in all corners of the globe. From Shepard Fairey’s iconic work in California to Tima Radya’s political musings across Russia to Os Gemeos’ magical characters sprinkled around Brazil, the anthology of murals and more illuminates the visual beauty of street art, as well as the rich history behind it,”
and, from Popmatters, the unequivocal,
“This is an excellent introduction to graffiti/street art for readers such as myself, and it will satisfy connoisseurs of the trade, as well.”
We wondered recently what graffiti and street artists themselves think about the book, and we didn’t have to look too long or hard. Caleb Neelon is pleased to be featured in the “very nice – and large” book, which he features on his eponymous blog. Augustine Kofie’s blog Keep Drafting included this recently:
“I am very proud to be part of this publication offering a stunning survey of Street Art and Graffiti from across the Globe. To be one of 5 artists representing Los Angels is pretty Important to me. Many thanks to Rafael Schacter for including me in such a well curated, written and comprehensive text on contemporary independent public arts.”
And, from New Haven’s own BiP (Believe in People):
“In a world full of trendy coffee table books made by people that have no f***ing clue what they’re talking about, The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti stands out as a genuine snapshot of a medium ruled by innovation. Schacter’s collection makes a concerted effort to be open to the full range of “Independent Public Art,” covering everything from high-brow conceptual graffiti to low-brow, spontaneous vandalism. True to the goals stated in his introduction, his essays add a balanced, non-sensationalist account of the rise of various styles and artists world-wide. Although Schacter’s geographic organization feels over-wrought at times, it’s a substantial one-up on the generic encyclopedia-type collections that lack meaningful organization. All in all, it’s the first book about the movement since Subway Art that I’ve enjoyed reading.”
“Summit” – BiP Location: Parking lot of Kumo Hibachi Steakhouse, just North of Elm street
If you’re in the New York area, please join what is more certain than ever to be an incredible, supportive evening devoted to street art and graffiti: the book, The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti, will have a launch party at Brooklyn’s Powerhouse Arena tomorrow night, Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00 pm. And whether or not you’re in the New York area, stay tuned here for a forthcoming guest post by Rafael Schacter about renowned street artist Banksy, in light of his recent residency in New York.