Street Art

Street Art - art made in public spaces and including graffiti, stickers, poster art, stencil art and wheat-pasting, but not corporate-sponsored advertising or "public art" - has become one of the most popular and hotly discussed areas of art practice on the contemporary scene. Developing out of the graffiti writing tradition of the 1980s, through the work of artists such as Banksy and Futura 2000, it has now reached the mainstream, the subject of bestselling books and commanding high prices at auction.Up until now there has not been a measured, critical account of the development of Street Art as a global phenomenon within the context of the history of art. This book defines Street Art as a genre related to, but distinct from graffiti writing, tracing its history from cave painting through to the Paris walls photographed by Brassai in the 1920s and on to the often witty, sophisticated imagery found on city streets today.The book will feature new and exclusive interviews with key figures associated with street art of the last thirty-five years, including Henry Chalfant, Lady Pink, Lee Quinones, Jenny Holzer, Blek Le Rat, Goldie, Mode 2, Barry McGee (Twist), Shepard Fairy (Obey), Futura 2000, Malcolm McLaren, Miss Van and Os Gemeos. Neither just another picture book showing one particular time in one particular city nor an argument for the supremacy of one particular artist, Cedar Lewisohn's book will reveal the extent to which the streets of cities around the world have become the birthplace of some of the most dynamic and inspirational art being made today.