Propellant : Stencil Art

In the intersection where hit-and-run tagging meets the hiphop curves of spraycan art sits stencil graffiti. More sophisticated than a political slogan and more aesthetically streamlined than a sprayed freehand cartoon, its military simplicity barks a message with a power that other graffiti lacks, while still existing in a legitimacy limbo between the two. This exciting new book from IMAGES looks at the rise of stencil graffiti. Its history as an act of resistance, or backlash, is detailed, along with an exploration of the triggers that have fired the movement. Stencil art as a legitimate art form, with its own galleries, music, markets and its own subculture is explored as never before in this fascinating and uniquely challenging view of a visible yet often cryptic form of expression. This is not about disaffected youth; it is about the visible traces of a creative class that is alive, well, trained and active.Luxford, Robert is the author of 'Propellant : Stencil Art', published 2005 under ISBN 9781920744946 and ISBN 1920744940.