Justin Bua creates cool art. His wiggly–armed D.J. intently scratches vinyl on a turntable, head and shoulder wedging in place a set of headphones that he is too cool to wear, while surrounded by the tools of his trade. In another painting, two bald, shirtless basketball players on a city playground rise into the air as the backboard and pole snake ever upward towards surrounding tenement buildings. In the background, a third player stands by in awe, mouth agape, Afro Pick at attention in his hair, while their earthbound buddies are a study in attitude. In "1981," a breakdancer spins on his shoulders, Adidas–clad feet in the air–a collection of characters from the uptown 'hood circling him to marvel at his amazing moves. These are just a few of the pieces included in The Beat of Urban Art, which showcases a motley cast of jazz musicians, homeboys, street hustlers, and neighborhood toughs–from the heavy–lidded "Piano Man" in his cubist yellow jacket to the slyly romantic "El Guitarrista," strumming his acoustic guitar and peering lazily out of his bedroom eyes; from the exuberant nighttime craps players of "Green Street" to the joyously sneaky grafitti artist entering the subway yard through a hole in the fence in "The Artist."
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Whether celebrating hip-hop's underground or reinterpreting cultural imagery, Justin Bua [is a] visual artist whose work challenges the mainstream art world's images."
About the Author
Since the early 1990s, Justin BUA has been making a mark in the art world with the unique style he has named Distorted Urban Realism, spearheading a new genre of art. Born in 1968 in New York City's untamed Upper West Side and raised in Manhattan and East Flatbush, Brooklyn, BUA was fascinated by the raw visceral street life of the city. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts and complemented his education by writing graffiti and performing worldwide with break-dancing crews. BUA went on to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where he earned a B.F.A. in Illustration. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter and teaches at the University of Southern California.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very cool art, caricatures and short stories on life,
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This review is from: The Beat of Urban Art: The Art of Justin Bua (Paperback)
This book is pretty cool. It mixes elements of street art, caricatures, music and city life. In The Beat of Urban Art, Justin Bua recollects how he grew up in New York on the Upper West Side, Manhattan and Brooklyn. He sketches the people he met and the streets he grew up on. The pages are filled with caricatures of people who grew up in this tough neighbourhood. Life was so rough on the streets he sometimes had to act insane just to avoid getting mugged, and that was in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. It's easy to get absorbed looking at the interesting caricatures but not to be missed is the inconspicuous background art which serves as a great story backdrop. There's a very textural and grainy look to the art. After reading through his experiences, it's hard to imagine any other style more apt. He names his style of art Distorted Urban Realism. His coloured paintings, musical influence and artistic expression goes to the second part of the book. It's a nice art book to have if you're into stylised art. There are hardcover and paperback editions. (More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A relevant art book,
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This review is from: The Beat of Urban Art: The Art of Justin Bua (Hardcover)
Finally an art book that is relevant to our times, humorous, political and thoughtful; wrapped into one powerful package. I never thought that art could be so easily embraced. The book speaks volumes of urban life in America. There are plenty of criticisms throughout the book about our society and the urban ghettos that plague our cities. However, what I found captivating was how the book captures the essence of hip-hop culture and shows how it has profoundly influenced American urban life by bringing inspiration, pride and hope to even the darkest alleys.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Beat of Urban Art,
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This review is from: The Beat of Urban Art: The Art of Justin Bua (Hardcover)
Justin Bua is not just a talented artist but he is prolific as well. His stylistic caricatures and illustrations with there amplified perspectives and edgy stylings bring the urban street scene to life in a poignant and entertaining way. He presents a diary of his life on the streets. He shows a cast of characters that resonate with energy and rhythm created by his skills at applying line, color and texture. Awesome! Justin Bua is a poet with a paint brush!
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