Street Art ─ Famous Artists Talk about their Vision

Meet 20 of the most creative, original street artists from around the world—including Banksy.
Art has moved from the museum into the streets, with visionary artists using their creativity to convert the spaces of everyday life and, often, to address social and political issues. Journalist Alessandra Mattanza interviews 20 of the most renowned figures in the street-art scene, from painters to sculptors to stencilists, who reveal their stories and their inspiration. The international roster includes: Aryz, from Barcelona, Spain, who creates elaborate murals on buildings and trucks; São Paulo graffiti artist Nunca (Francisco Rodrigues da Silva), who began painting at 12 years old; Shepard Fairey, renowned for his poster of President Obama; EVOL, from Berlin, who specializes in producing miniature buildings and installations; Fauxreel, whose photography-based work explores themes of homelessness; and Swoon, who combines art with social action through her nonprofit.

Chris Versteeg, an expert in graphic design, provides a detailed historical introduction to this popular, omnipresent form of contemporary art.

Alessandra Mattanza, author, screenwriter, and fine-art photographer, was born in Italy but has lived abroad for more than 20 years. She worked as an editor for the publisher Handelsblatt in Munich. Her great passion for cinema has led her to specialize in interviews with actors and directors, as well as in traveling and fiction. She currently works as a foreign correspondent, contributor, and editor for several publishers in Italy and Germany. Besides novels, she writes screenplays, tourist guides, and coffee table and travel books. For White Star Publishers she published Australia: The New Frontier, Wonders of New York, My New York: Celebrities Talk About the City, and My Paris: Celebrities Talk about the Ville Lumière.

Chris Versteeg lives and works in Rotterdam as a graphic designer and illustrator at Projekt C (projektc.nl). Chief-editor and publisher of SAM Magazine (streetandmore.com), she is a cofounder of the Lastplak collective (lastplak.com).