Stencil Nation: Graffiti, Community, and Art [Paperback]

Russell Howze (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

“More street artists are turning to stencil art’s speed, efficiency, and neatness as a means of expression. All it takes is a piece of cardboard, an X-Acto knife, and a can of spray paint to pose an idea or tell a story with the potential to change the gait of pedestrians and make them stop and think.”—San Francisco Weekly

Without a doubt, stencils are the fastest, easiest, and cheapest method for painting an image on a wall, a sidewalk, or practically anywhere. Stencil Nation focuses on the unexpected mix of this lively, accessible medium—from famous artists including Banksy to international street stencils and gallery shows—to reveal engaging aspects of an intentionally secretive creative community.

With dynamically illustrated perspectives from the niches of the art form, female artists, documentarians, and the growing online community of the international scene are featured in this fresh collection of photographs and essays curated by StencilArchive.org’s founder, Russell Howze. New artists, often utilizing stencil art in unconventional ways, are also featured.

Stencil Nation also represents the art of lesser-known urban scenes, including Poland, Romania, and Israel. Additionally, Stencil Nation builds upon previous published works to give the most extensive and up-to-date history of stencil art, as well as how-to tips from the artists themselves.

Russell Howze is the curator of StencilArchive.org. He lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his introduction, Chris Carlsson praises grafitti's power to invoke "millennia-old art forms..., pre-literate and pre-industrial signage... and the chasms of the digital divide"; stencil documentarian D.S Black describes it more simply as "comments and critiques sketched into the margins of everyday life." Those views neatly ground this vibrant exploration of a sub-sub-genre that is, arguably, art at its most inherently political. As a means of expression for the disenfranchised, a legitimate form deserving equal gallery space, or an illegal act of vandalism that encourages criminal behavior, stencil graffiti is considered thoughtfully in several essays. The text also includes testimony from some of the form's best artists, a compact but detailed chronology, discussion of commonly used materials and tips for the novice. Still, the images are the book's biggest appeal, reproduced in crisp color images. From London-based stencil-art icon Banksy's detailed image of a police officer frisking a little girl to Dwell's paper urinals in Montreal to gallery shows in Barcelona and San Francisco, this volume crosses the globe for a swift tour of the world's best artists, making it a handsome and insightful introduction to the form.
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About the Author

In 2002, Russell Howze founded StencilArchive.org, a comprehensive website documenting over 7,000 stencil graffiti images from around the world, as well as information about the stencil art process. He lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Manic D Press, Inc.; 1 edition (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933149221
• ISBN-13: 978-1933149226
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Who's Who Of Worldwide Stencil Graffiti Art, September 2, 2008

By 

Sal Paradise (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stencil Nation: Graffiti, Community, and Art (Paperback)

This is a great art book! It's a worldwide who's who of stencil graffiti artists Beautiful full color photos cover every page showing murals by the likes of Banksy, Jef Aerosol, Logan Hicks, Swoon, and hundreds more. There's work by over 350 artists. Some of my favorite stuff is by people like Scott Williams who is well known around San Francisco but whose lush work really needs to be seen on a larger scale. The book is not only filled with big name artists but great local finds. The pages are dense with images and a variety of styles. Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stenciling 101, September 1, 2010

By 

Daniel Lobo (Washington, DC More often than not.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stencil Nation: Graffiti, Community, and Art (Paperback)

Good overview of stenciling as an art expression, highlighting with dexterity its primary urban nature without leaving aside other broad areas it covers.

The volume works well as an stenciling 101, with generic sections highlighting some historic aspects, albeit sometimes with a slightly unbalanced sense of priorities or omissions in the timeline. The few texts are fairly well taken care of, and cogent. A good selection of testimonials ranging from artists narrating their motivation, to documentarians talking about their work, as well as some good basic technical tips, offer a good narrative to expose general aspects of the medium.

While the book may lack a specific methodical sampling and a deeper critical/analytical aspect, it is quite recommendable as an effective snapshot of the topic, and hints at the praiseworthy labor that the [...] is set to accomplish.