Stencil Nation: Graffiti, Community, and Art

In his introduction, Chris Carlsson praises grafitti's power to invoke ""millennia-old art forms..., pre-literate and pre-industrial signage... and the chasms of the digital divide""; stencil documentarian D.S Black describes it more simply as ""comments and critiques sketched into the margins of everyday life."" Those views neatly ground this vibrant exploration of a sub-sub-genre that is, arguably, art at its most inherently political. As a means of expression for the disenfranchised, a legitimate form deserving equal gallery space, or an illegal act of vandalism that encourages criminal behavior, stencil graffiti is considered thoughtfully in several essays. The text also includes testimony from some of the form's best artists, a compact but detailed chronology, discussion of commonly used materials and tips for the novice. Still, the images are the book's biggest appeal, reproduced in crisp color images. From London-based stencil-art icon Banksy's detailed image of a police officer frisking a little girl to Dwell's paper urinals in Montreal to gallery shows in Barcelona and San Francisco, this volume crosses the globe for a swift tour of the world's best artists, making it a handsome and insightful introduction to the form.