Book review - ILLEGAL Street Art Graffiti 1960 - 1995

“Illegal, Street Art Graffiti 1960–1995” is a book born from an exhibition of the same name. According to its creators, curator Ulrich Blanché and Simon Matzerath, director of the Historisches Museum Saar, the project “represents an antithesis to the urban art exhibitions that have become common since Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution at London’s Tate gallery in 2008.” Both the book and the exhibition focus exclusively on “unacceptable,” self-authorized works created illegally for public spaces, in contrast to legal, commodified, and portable works by artists who often leverage their early street credibility for commercial purposes. The publication is a substantial volume (approximately 28x22 cm) of high-quality paper and print. Across its 240 pages, available in both English and German, readers will find 12 sections: two introductory chapters, nine theoretical discussions, and one dedicated to a catalog of selected works from the exhibition. The introductory sections consist of “Instead of a Foreword” and “Introduction.” The nine theoretical chapters explore a variety of themes, including 1952–74: Early Street Art to Art, Style, Geography (focusing on the Greater Region of Saarland, Lorraine, and Luxembourg), Gender, Writing as Graphic Design, Political Graffiti, First Female Urban Artists, Samo©, and Keith Haring in Germany. Contributions come from authors such as Ulrich Blanché, Myriama Idir, Jacob Kimvall, Sven Niemann, and Johannes Stahl. The exhibition catalog itself showcases 36 selected works, accompanied by images and descriptive texts. This multidimensional publication serves as both a companion to the exhibition and a stand-alone editorial project. It provides detailed historical context, challenges conventional boundaries—both aesthetic and political—and includes groundbreaking discussions, particularly around gender and female authorship. While two chapters are devoted to the German context, the bilingual format might initially give the impression of a regional focus. However, closer examination reveals significant international perspectives and advancements in understanding graffiti and street art as cultural phenomena.