Talk About Street Art: (Talk About)

Graffiti and street art have long been part of our visual culture, from their origins in ancestral caves to New York City's subway walls. This book covers all aspects of an art form that is often underappreciated, ephemeral, and illegal. The diverse media and techniques employed are ever-evolving, and include graffiti, stencils, tags and lettering, interventions, urban sculptures, collage, distortions, and even new multimedia. The artist's engagement and state of mind are important components of street art; the book covers topics such as anonymity, the art form's dangerous nature, codes of conduct, and ideological engagement, as well as the interface of street art with contemporary art, pop surrealism, toy art, and music and sport. Street art is found on every continent, and the book brings into focus each country and its own modes of expression and specificities. Portraits of 30 key artists, a glossary, and an address book of important venues for viewing street art around the world complete the book.

About the Author :
Elisabeth Couturier, journalist, art critic, and artistic producer for television, is the editorial director of the Talk About series. Jerome Catz actively campaigns for critical recognition of urban art. He is director of Spacejunk, a network of French art centers.

Review :
Part of an ongoing series edited by art journalist Elisabeth Couturier, "Talk About Street Art" is a sort of primer on the phenomenon. Each book answers basic questions about a style, like explaining its origins, techniques, commercial possibilities, how it differs from north to south, and short biographies of key artists in the field. This one, by Jerome Catz, is full of images from around the world and kissed with the art form's promise. "The Star Ledger"" -Part of an ongoing series edited by art journalist Elisabeth Couturier, Talk About Street Art is a sort of primer on the phenomenon. Each book answers basic questions about a style, like explaining its origins, techniques, commercial possibilities, how it differs from north to south, and short biographies of key artists in the field. This one, by Jerome Catz, is full of images from around the world and kissed with the art form's promise.- -The Star Ledger "Part of an ongoing series edited by art journalist Elisabeth Couturier, Talk About Street Art is a sort of primer on the phenomenon. Each book answers basic questions about a style, like explaining its origins, techniques, commercial possibilities, how it differs from north to south, and short biographies of key artists in the field. This one, by Jerome Catz, is full of images from around the world and kissed with the art form's promise." -The Star Ledger