Graffiti and Street Art

Love it or loathe it, graffiti plays a prominent role in the culture and consciousness of cities. The traditional letter-based writing that appeared on the streets of Philadelphia and New York over forty years ago has evolved into two distinct disciplines. While both thrive illegally and challenge the concept of public space, the new wave of street art puts greater emphasis on figures, abstraction, symbols and formal techniques.

This incisive and highly readable survey traces the evol…