For @Wicho – January 6, 2022
–
There are multiple factors that make the XXL street mural movement a phenomenon unto itself. Since they are usually works made with permission, they tend to last much longer than illegal graffiti walls. They are highly visible in terms of size and location, so they cannot be easily ignored by whoever encounters them. For artists, working in such a large format poses many technical difficulties.
Mural XXL for Claudia Walde. Thames and Hudson Ltd (September 14, 2015). 192 pages. English.
Urban art is, by definition, ephemeral. Although, as the introduction to the book says, XXL-size murals are perhaps its most durable variant both because of the relative inaccessibility of the walls on which they are painted – which prevents them from being vandalized – and because of the type of paint with which they are usually made, which withstands the elements better than the usual sprays. And also because they are usually made with the authorization of the property’s property and / or with the corresponding municipal permits, which prevents them from falling victim to the usually misdirected cleaning fury of the authorities.
But in any case trying to catalog them is a task typical of a Sisyphus of our time because in the end the buildings are demolished, they are built next to it, covering a dividing wall, or whatever. Even so, in this book the larger jobs of which there was evidence at the time of writing it, with the idea of documenting this format as much as possible. Although many of the works that appear in the book are still there.
Mural of The London Police in Amsterdam – The London Police
In addition to the photos of the works, each section includes information about the people who created them, about the techniques Y materials they use, and the message that they intend to transmit with them. If there is one; sometimes it is simply a matter of aesthetics.
A book beautiful and very interesting for anyone who appreciates street art. And with a map at the end in case you want to go on a trip to pursue these works. Although in that case it is advisable to take a look on the Internet beforehand just in case.
_____
The link to Amazon has our partner code, so if you buy the book through it we may charge something in the form of a commission.
–
