Artist: PichiAvo for Upfest, 2016 Photo: Colin Rayner Location: Masonic Pub, 112 North Street, Bristol, UK Contents Foreword 5 Los Angeles 82 Festivals 158 Introduction 6 Miami 88 Murals in the Market 158 New York 92 POW! WOW! 162 Europe 8 Interview / FAILE 98 MURAL Festival 166 2 Amsterdam 8 San Francisco 100 Forest for the Trees 170 3 Athens 14 Toronto 104 Upfest 174 Barcelona 20 Traffic Design Festival 178 Berlin 26 Latin America 110 Artscape 182 Copenhagen 32 Buenos Aires 110 Grenoble Street Art Fest 186 Dublin 36 Mexico City 114 BLOOP 190 Kyiv 42 Sao Paulo 120 Nuart 194 Lisbon 46 Interview / Nunca 124 Interview / Martyn Reed 198 Interview / Vhils 52 Cash, Cans & Candy 200 London 54 Rest of the World 126 St+art Festival 204 Paris 58 Adelaide 126 HKwalls 208 Interview / Blek le Rat 64 Christchurch 130 MB6: Street Art 212 Reykjavík 66 George Town 136 PUBLIC 216 Rome 72 Istanbul 142 Johannesburg 146 Thanks 221 North America 78 Interview / Faith47 150 Index 222 Chicago 78 Melbourne 152 ‘It’s not the word “graffiti” that bothers me, it just doesn’t accurately explain the entire story.’ – Futura 2000 Foreword by Remi Rough I started painting walls in 1984. I the time, and it ignited a passion forming collectives and curating was sucked into hip-hop culture for painting bigger walls that still their own grandiose projects, and when it was at its most prominent excites me today. an increasing number of dedicated in Europe, and graffiti played a huge My focus began to shift from street art festivals were attracting part in the attraction. It began with traditional graffiti about 11 years ago artists and fans to interesting a boy at school bringing in a book when I started exploring abstraction locations around the world. I was called Subway Art, which had a much in art, and thinking about how once even flown out to the Gambian greater impact on me than anything I could take my work in a more jungle to paint mud huts for the Wide 4 I was learning in class. contemporary direction. At the Open Walls project. 5 The scene blossomed in London same time the landscape was also Fast-forward to today and it’s hard at the perfect time – Thatcherite changing dramatically – street art to find a city that doesn’t have some Britain was a mess. London was a was becoming ever more popular kind of organised mural programme. rough city to grow up in during the and specialist galleries started Purists might argue that street art early 1980s, but graffiti gave us a popping up all around the world, has all gone a bit ‘mainstream’, but it voice in much the same way it did bringing it indoors and into people’s has become an intrinsic part of the for the kids in the bankrupt and homes. The market for screen prints cultural fabric of our cities. Street art broken New York of the late 1970s. exploded and artists previously has added something very special Few people recognise that graffiti is known only for their street work to our urban landscapes, and books the only art movement in history were suddenly having sold-out such as this one only help to cement to be conceived and taken forward exhibitions, with hundreds of people the impact of the movement. essentially by kids. I am very proud cramming into each opening. I think As long as the artists and to be considered part of that legacy. most people knew that they were organisers continue to respect The first really big wall I painted witnessing the birth of an exciting their environments – and most was in West London in 1999 – a new scene. importantly the communities within commission piece for a computer That feeling was rubber-stamped them – the future of street art can games company. It was only three when the Tate Modern organised only get brighter. storeys high, but it felt ginormous, a major exhibition dedicated to and it remained in place for years street art in 2008 – things escalated Remi Rough, 2016 © Stephanie McMahon Stephanie © after. It was quite a feat for me at considerably after that. Artists began www.remirough.com Street Art Introduction Introduction by Ed Bartlett walls is thought to date back around produce limited editions of their street art, which can often mean around the world to experience still exploring, and still surprised and 40,000 years, it’s actually more work, and even tempted some meeting and watching the artists at street art today, and providing guides amazed by what I find. Researching surprising that street art has taken so ‘traditional’ artists and designers to work – a rare privilege among the to each city’s street-art hotspots to and compiling this book has opened long to flourish. engage with the streets. A raft of contemporary visual arts. enable you to explore further. We’ve my eyes to a number of exciting After the well-documented graffiti specialist galleries began to appear, It has been argued that street art is also included insights from some of destinations and artists, and I hope it boom of the 1980s, the advent of and a whole new generation of losing some of the grit and edge that its most important figures. inspires you in some way too. stencil art – as well as the widespread counterculture art collectors was characterised its formative years – Instagram, Flickr and Google My eternal gratitude goes to those proliferation of digital cameras, born. Banksy’s success – and the there are some, no doubt, who would Maps are incredibly powerful who have so graciously helped me 6 smartphones and social media – led growing ecosystem around him – point a cynical finger at the very supplemental tools to help you to with this project – it would have 7 to a new wave of artists consciously elevated street art to an entirely existence of this book as evidence. discover and locate works, and been much more difficult without the eschewing galleries in favour of the new level. And yes, perhaps more investigation many street artists are now active knowledge, passion and dedication streets. As the 20th century drew to Of course, one man does not needs to be done into the on social media. By uploading of all who participated – not least n preparation for writing this a close, street art was everywhere, make a movement. The street increasingly visible role that street and tagging the things you find the artists, without whom the world I introduction, I added up the and everyone was talking about it. art scene of today is flourishing art seems to play in gentrification. along the way, you too can play a would be a less colourful, interesting number of people living in the cities It’s impossible to discuss the rise thanks to a global cast of creative But we should also be careful not to valuable role in the community. But and inspiring place. In particular I featured in this book. The total came of street art without mentioning and highly motivated individuals, be overly critical of what is, after all, the real power of street art comes wanted to thank Lucy Langdon for her to over 150 million. That’s more than Banksy. His work – public, relevant many of whom are self-taught. This a comparatively young, developing from how it can pop into your day copyediting skills (and being a general twice the combined annual visitors and relatable, with a subversive collaborative DIY attitude is what art form. The majority of street unexpectedly, adding some colour, daily inspiration), Hector Campbell to the top 10 most visited museums edge – combined with the enduring makes street art’s growth – and its artists pride themselves on taking a smile or even a provocation – so for his tireless help with research and in the world, all potentially being mystery of his identity, captured growing cultural importance – all the an uncompromisingly conscientious keep your head up and don’t be image sourcing, and Remi Rough, for exposed to different forms of street the imagination of the mainstream more impressive and exciting. and independent stance with their afraid to explore! whom the word ‘no’ apparently doesn’t art on a daily basis. press in a way that the traditional Today, the proliferation of legal work, and there remains a strong As a teenager in the 1980s exist. And, of course, to you, for whom Surprised? This is just the tip of the art world rarely does. A growing walls and organised festivals underground scene. I grew up obsessed with hip-hop the art – and this book – has been iceberg. Street art is now present in army of highly engaged fans would around the world makes it possible With so much to see, it’s unrealistic and the New York graffiti scene. I created. I’d love to hear your feedback almost every city, town and village travel to see each new piece in to encounter thought-provoking, to expect to fully document such a was fortunate to move to London and personal recommendations. in the world, from Aachen to Zwolle. person as soon as it appeared, and transformative art in the most ubiquitous yet transient art form. in time to experience the initial Its true audience is measured in the trade in his prints and paintings unexpected of places. People are This book is intended as a starting street art explosion first-hand – as Ed Bartlett @edbartlett billions. And given that the first became frenzied. This, in turn, travelling to the four corners of point to your journey, highlighting bystander, photographer, collector The Future Tense record of homo sapiens painting on encouraged other street artists to the globe specifically to experience © Andy Ford a selection of some of the key cities and curator.