For most people the mention of graffiti conjures up notions of subversion, defacement, and underground culture. Yet, the term was coined by classical archaeologists excavating Pompeii in the 19th century and has been embraced by modern street culture: graffiti have been left on natural sites and public monuments for tens of thousands of years. They mark a position in time, a relation to space, and a territorial claim. They are also material displays of individual identity and social interaction. As an effective, socially accepted medium of self-definition, ancient graffiti may be compared to the modern use of social networks. This book shows that graffiti, a very ancient practice long hidden behind modern disapproval and street culture, have been integral to literacy and self-expression throughout history. Graffiti bear witness to social events and religious practices that are difficult to track in normative and official discourses. This book addresses graffiti practices, in cultures ranging from ancient China and Egypt through early modern Europe to modern Turkey, in illustrated short essays by specialists. It proposes a holistic approach to graffiti as a cultural practice that plays a key role in crucial aspects of human experience and how they can be understood.

Winner, Design Edge Regional Design AwardIn October 2001, paint was spilled on the streets of Montreal. A stark, primitive bike symbol, looking suspiciously like the one the city used to designate a bike path; a giant zipper, pulled open down the centre line of the street on a busy commuter route; the footprint of a giant, stomping through the city while people slept. Inspired by a desire for adventure and galvanized by a loathing of car culture, Roadsworth got down with an idea that had been incubating. The time had come for him to articulate his artistic vision, to challenge the notion of "public" space and whose right it is to use it. By 2004, Roadsworth had pulled off close to 300 pieces of urban art on the streets of Montreal. In the fall, he was charged with 51 counts of public mischief. It seemed to signal the end of his career. Instead the citizens of Montreal and lovers of his work from around the world rallied their support. A year later he was let off with a slap on the wrist. Since then, Roadsworth has developed as an artist, continuing to intervene in public spaces and to travel the world, executing commissioned work for organizations such as Cirque de Soleil, The Lost O (cycled over in le tour de France), and for municipalities, exhibitions, and arts festivals. In this playful and sometimes subversive book, featuring more than 200 reproductions of his unmistakable work, Roadsworth takes the urban landscape and turns its constituent elements on their heads, both indicting our culture's excesses and celebrating what makes us human (lest we forget).

Fascinating pavement chalk art by a master of the craft, now with new art. "Beever's mastery and unbridled humour are on full display in these dazzling drawings, each accompanied by a description that details artistic techniques, discusses challenges the artist faced, and offers an inside look into his process." Publishers Weekly (starred review, on the previous edition). The pavement chalk artist is a master of art, perspective, creativity and performance. Julian Beever is one such extraordinary master. More than just traditional flat drawings, the works Beever creates are uniquely three-dimensional anamorphic drawings. They are drawn in perspective and distorted so the subject can be viewed properly only from one particular viewpoint. For those who are standing in the right place, his chalk drawings invite them to step right into the scene or, in the case of the artist's well-known "Swimming Pool in the High Street", dive right into the water. Pavement Chalk Artist includes a fabulous selection of Beever's most intriguing anamorphic drawings. Each one is accompanied by a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame. These photographs record the development of his unusual skill and understanding of perspective. Readers can see how his art progresses and matures as he takes on commissioned works and a wealth of original, inventive subjects in locations worldwide. The photographs tell the story, giving readers both an understanding of the principles of this 3-D art form and the pleasure of sharing the scenes that passersby once enjoyed before these unique works disappeared forever. This new edition includes 16 new pages of Beever's recent art, in addition to the 16 added to the second edition, for a total of 32 new pages.

For most people the mention of graffiti conjures up notions of subversion, defacement, and underground culture. Yet, the term was coined by classical archaeologists excavating Pompeii in the 19th century and has been embraced by modern street culture: graffiti have been left on natural sites and public monuments for tens of thousands of years. They mark a position in time, a relation to space, and a territorial claim. They are also material displays of individual identity and social interaction. As an effective, socially accepted medium of self-definition, ancient graffiti may be compared to the modern use of social networks. This book shows that graffiti, a very ancient practice long hidden behind modern disapproval and street culture, have been integral to literacy and self-expression throughout history. Graffiti bear witness to social events and religious practices that are difficult to track in normative and official discourses. This book addresses graffiti practices, in cultures ranging from ancient China and Egypt through early modern Europe to modern Turkey, in illustrated short essays by specialists. It proposes a holistic approach to graffiti as a cultural practice that plays a key role in crucial aspects of human experience and how they can be understood.

NYC graffiti art, heavy metal, comic books, and fantasy art intersect here in Louie "KR.ONE" Gasparro's visual autobiography. This legendary Queens artist-drummer weaves these powerful influences into a medium he calls "Graffantasy," creating tags, wall pieces, paintings and illustrations, model trains, jackets, and more. Gaze at this modern Renaissance man's work from 1977 to the present, and trace his evolution from his adolescent days watching bombed subway cars whirring by in a KOLORSTORM, to the underground period tagging trains and evading cops, to his legal works and whole-school buses. Starting with a scrapbook-like photo collection from Louie's youth and his other career as drummer of several heavy metal bands, the book moves on with elaborate sketches from the artist's blackbooks, and colorful concert posters and album covers. Through a stunning array of styles and techniques, witness KR.ONE's transformation from restless punk to major decorative artist and abstract painter.

Soldados, Armas y Batallas en los grafitos historicos, trata sobre la presencia y la representacion de lo militar en los grafitos historicos. Pero tambien, de esos enclaves castrenses que a traves de sus grafitos nos cuentan su historia. El eje vertebrador de esta publicacion es el estudio de diversos conjuntos de grafitos historicos de tematica militar (representaciones de batallas, de armamento, de infraestructuras, de guerreros y soldados, de consignas o proclamas, etc.), todos ellos dibujos y/o mensajes grabados en espacios vinculados a la cultura de defensa (las paredes de castillos, cuarteles, garitas, carceles o bunkeres, entre otros). El compendio de capitulos recogidos nos plantea una vision holistica y multitemporal desde el mundo antiguo hasta la epoca contemporanea; desde Pompeya a America, pasando por la Peninsula Iberica.