Stencil Pirates

Over 200 oversize, full-color pages, Josh Macphee lays out the most comprehensive book on the art of the street stencil. Stencil Pirates places street graffiti within the larger pantheon of public expression. From political to abstract and purely aesthetic (and even to the official Post No Bills, anyone) – from tagging to public announcements – street stencils have remade the way pedestrians, artists, and even corporations think about public space. Whether as part of the anti-gentrification struggles in New York or as a powerful tool during the recent uprising in Argentina, stencils are placed in their challenging, artistic, and political context. Plus of course, there’s a cut-and-spray instruction manual, cardboard patterns, and the hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of photos. From Banksy to Tobocman, and a whole lot more. An incredible work, and collection of works.