Beyond The Street

Description

This definitive book on street art features interviews with 100 key players from around the world,

who offer their unique perspectives in their own words and images.

Street art has established itself as an integral part of the art world in the last few

years. The crossover from subculture to high culture is illustrated by the recent

attention that this work has been given by renowned institutions such as the Tate

Modern and Fondation Cartier as well as by auction houses like Sotheby's. The

topic is discussed in art magazines and the cultural pages of leading newspapers

and is featured in the syllabuses of art and design schools. As interest soared, the

need for information about street art grew. But, until now, there was no insightful

view into the thought and work processes of a reticent, heterogeneous scene

whose would-be members often don't even identify with the label.

Comprised of interviews with 100 key players from around the world, Beyond

the Street offers a comprehensive examination of street and urban art. Insiders

Patrick Nguyen and Stuart Mackenzie question each of their subjects on every

conceivable aspect of the genre from the past to the future, from the artists'

ideals to their daily lives, from working in complete freedom to working in the art

and commercial worlds. The thought-provoking range of answers make the 400-

page book an incomparably extensive source of direct, unfiltered information.

Beyond the Street features interviews with leading artists such as Shepard

Fairey, Swoon, and Os Gemeos. The book also offers the views of representatives

of the most important sales outlets for street art including Deitch Projects

and Jonathan LeVine Gallery. In addition, curators from auction houses such as

Christie's and Phillips de Pury comment on the development of street art in a

classical art context. Interviews with key commentators, collectors, and enthusiasts

such as Martha Cooper, Wooster Collective, and Agnes B. provide further

insight. Brought together, these separate and distinct perspectives create a

uniquely authentic collective portrait of street and urban art that is captivating,

informative, and entertaining.

Each interview in Beyond the Street is richly illustrated with photographs of an

inspiring collection of work. In addition to presenting outdoor work, the book

also features the pieces that the artists have created for exhibitions and other

indoor spaces. The commercial aspect of the street art movement is rigorously

documented for the first time. Among the photographs featured are a number of

images of the artists' studios or the artists themselves at work, providing a rare

glimpse into their methods and environments.

Its impressive list of participants, as well as the unique diversity of their perspectives,

makes Beyond the Street an authoritative manual on the street and urban

art genre. Both the tone and substance of the book make it appealing for artists,

collectors, gallery owners, journalists, designers, knowledgeable street art

enthusiasts, and those who are looking into the subject for the first time.

Beyond the Street is published in English and French editions.