Stencil graffiti is a form of

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

that makes use of

stencil Stencilling produces an image or pattern on a surface, by applying pigment to a surface through an intermediate object, with designed holes in the intermediate object, to create a pattern or image on a surface, by allowing the pigment to reach ...

s made out of paper, cardboard, or other media to create an image or text that is easily reproducible. The desired design is cut out of the selected medium and then the image is transferred to a surface through the use of

spray paint Aerosol paint (commonly spray paint) is paint that comes in a sealed, pressurized container and is released in an aerosol spray when a valve button is depressed. Aerosol painting is one form of spray painting; it leaves a smooth, even coat, unlike ...

or roll-on paint. The process of stencilling involves applying paint across a

to form an image on a surface below. Sometimes multiple layers of stencils are used on the same image to add

colour Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

s or create the illusion of depth. Because the stencil stays uniform throughout its use, it is easier for an artist to replicate what could be a complicated piece - at a high rate when compared to other conventional tagging methods.

History

Stencil graffiti began in the 1960s. French artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest's stencilled silhouette of a nuclear bomb victim was spray painted in the south of France in 1966 (Plateau d'Albion, Vaucluse)

Blek le Rat Blek le Rat (; born Xavier Prou, 1952) is a French graffiti artist. He was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the "Father of stencil graffiti". Early life Xavier Prou was born on 15 November 1951 in Boulogne ...

's first spray painted stencils were seen in Paris in 1981. He was influenced by the graffiti artists of New York City but wanted to create something of his own. Caper

Australian photographer

Rennie Ellis Reynolds Mark Ellis (11 November 194019 August 2003) was an Australian social and social documentary photographer. He also worked, at various stages of his life, as an advertising copywriter, seaman, lecturer, television presenter and founder of ...

documented some of the earliest examples of stencil art to appear in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in his 1985 book ''The All New Australian Graffiti''. In the introduction to the book, Ellis noted that US photographer

Charles Gatewood Charles Robert Gatewood (November 8, 1942 – April 28, 2016) was an American photographer, writer, videographer, artist and educator, who lived and worked in San Francisco, California. Biography Early years Gatewood was born November 8, 1 ...

had written to him and sent him photographs of similar stencil graffiti that had recently appeared in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, leading Ellis to speculate that:

... unlike our subway-style graffiti, which is nothing more than a copy of a well-established New York tradition, the symbols of Australia and America had originated separately and unknown to each other.Ellis, Rennie; ''The All New Australian Graffiti'', Sun Books (Macmillan), Melbourne, 1985 ()

Over the years this form of graffiti has become a worldwide subculture. The members are linked through the Internet and the images spray-painted on the urban canvas they place throughout the world. Many of its members connect through blogs and websites that are specifically built to display works, get feedback on posted works, and receive news of what is going on in the world of stencil graffiti. Stencil graffiti is illegal in some jurisdictions, and many of the members of this subculture shroud their identities in aliases. Above /

Tavar Zawacki Tavar Zawacki formerly known as 'ABOVE' (born 1981) is an American abstract artist living and working in Lisbon, Portugal. For twenty years (1996–2016) Tavar Zawacki created and signed all of his artworks with his street artist pseudonym, ' ...

Banksy Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams ...

Vhils Vhils (born 1987) is the tag name of Portuguese graffiti and street artist Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto. Life Alexandre Farto was born in Portugal in 1987. He studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. Vhils lives and works in London and ...

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989 he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker cam ...

and

Jef Aérosol Jef Aérosol is the pseudonym of Jean-François Perroy (born January 15, 1957),Bio (English)
Jefaerosol.com

are some names that are synonymous with this subculture.

Notes

* C215:"''Stencil History X''". C215, 2007. * Louis Bou: "''Street Art''". Instituto Monsa de ediciones, S.A., 2005.

* BTOY: "''BTOY:DY:002''". Belio Magazine, S.L, 2007.

References

* Jinman, Richard
"Street art moves to a posh new hang-out"

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

, Sydney, Australia, April 9, 2007. * Norman, James
"Graffiti goes upmarket"

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

, Melbourne, Australia, August 16, 2003. * Reiss, Jon, windle Magazine: Issue 11May 3, 2008 * Bello, Manuel, Shepard Fairey Interview."Interview with Fecal Face14 Aug.2007. * Bello, Manuel Blek Le Rat Interview" with Fecal Face

* Rogers, Michelle
"Jef Aerosol"
Gadabout Paris, Paris, France, 2008. C215 Community Service, Criteres ed. 2011

History

See also

Notes

References

Further reading