Revolution Graffiti: Street Art of the New Egypt
by Mia Grondahl
The Egyptian Revolution that began on 25 January 2011 immediately gave rise to a wave of popular political and social expression in the form of graffiti and street art, phenomena that were almost unknown in the country under the old regime. Mia Gr ndahl, the photographer of Gaza Graffiti: Messages of Love and Politics and Tahrir Square: The Heart of the Egyptian Revolution, has followed and documented the constantly and rapidly changing graffiti art of the new Egypt from its beginnings, and here in more than 400 full-color images celebrates the imagination, the skill, the humor, and the political will of the young artists and activists who have claimed the walls of Cairo and other Egyptian cities as their canvas.
From the simplest hand-written messages, through stencils and martyr portraits, to the elaborate murals of Mohamed Mahmoud Street, the messages on the walls are presented in themed sections-Revolution & Freedom, Egyptian & Proud, Cross & Crescent, Martyrs & Heroes-punctuated by interviews with some of the individual artists whose work has broken fresh ground.
Paperback
English
Brand New
Author Biography
Mia Grondahl is a Swedish journalist and photographer who has been based in the Middle East since 1996. After five years in East Jerusalem, she is now living in Cairo. During her years in the Middle East she has documented the lives of the Palestinians in numerous exhibitions and books. Some of the photographs in this book were included in her exhibition ''UNRWA and the Palestinian Refugees: 50 Years,'' which was inaugurated by Secretary General Kofi Annan at the UN headquarters in New York.
Review
"In Revolution Graffiti: Street Art of the New Egypt, Mia Grondahl showcases work that she came across on the walls of Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and elsewhere over the past two years. Some compositions were meant as documentary . . . Others are polemical . . . But many works are more subtle, reflecting Egyptians' sly sense of humor. One piece consists solely of a chessboard with the king tipped over: the sort of devilish, underhanded visual blow calculated to drive any strongman crazy. It might also serve as a reminder to the new pharaohs setting up shop in Cairo that Egypt's spray-paint wizards are still on the streets."--The Wall Street Journal
"Offers a full and vibrant look at street art in Egypt . . . the art in this book stands as convincing evidence that a watershed moment has passed and that the cultural freedoms that have been gained won't easily be given up."--Blouin Artinfo
"[A] beautifully produced testimony . . . of over 430 images and a collection of interviews with artists who have established leading, original work. . . . Grondahl's simple writing style provides a very accessible introduction to the artwork, as does the layout of the book."--Middle East Monitor
"Revolution Graffiti is a vibrant and comprehensive montage of the graffiti community over the past two years and includes everything from simple hand-written messages to stencils and portraits of martyrs and elaborate murals decorating on Mohamed Mahmoud Street."--Egypt Independent
"An informed and informative body of original and seminal research, Revolution Graffiti: Street Art of the New Egypt is highly instructive reading and a welcome, recommended addition to academic library reference collections and Contemporary Egyptian History Studies supplemental reading lists."--Library Bookwatch
"Mia Grondahl's Revolution Graffiti charts the emergence of a powerful art movement that has spread across Egypt's city walls with a heady mix of passion and optimism."--Tristan Manco, author of Street Sketchbook: Inside the Journals of International Street and Graffiti Artists (Chronicle Books, 2007) and Stencil Graffiti (Street Graphics / Street Art) (Thames & Hudson, 2002)
"Mia Grondahl documents the graphic wonderland of Egypt's streets."--Egypt Today
" "Offers a full and vibrant look at street art in Egypt . . . the art in this book stands as convincing evidence that a watershed moment has passed and that the cultural freedoms that have been gained won't easily be given up."--Blouin Artinfo
"Mia Grondahl documents the graphic wonderland of Egypt's streets."--Egypt Today
"[A] beautifully produced testimony . . . of over 430 images and a collection of interviews with artists who have established leading, original work. . . . Grondahl's simple writing style provides a very accessible introduction to the artwork, as does the layout of the book."-Middle East Monitor
"Revolution Graffiti is a vibrant and comprehensive montage of the graffiti community over the past two years and includes everything from simple hand-written messages to stencils and portraits of martyrs and elaborate murals decorating on Mohamed Mahmoud Street."Egypt Independent
"An informed and informative body of original and seminal research, Revolution Graffiti: Street Art of the New Egypt is highly instructive reading and a welcome, recommended addition to academic library reference collections and Contemporary Egyptian History Studies supplemental reading lists."--Library Bookwatch
"Mia Grondahl's Revolution Graffiti charts the emergence of a powerful art movement that has spread across Egypt's city walls with a heady mix of passion and optimism."--Tristan Manco, author of Street Sketchbook: Inside the Journals of International Street and Graffiti Artists (Chronicle Books, 2007) and Stencil Graffiti (Street Graphics / Street Art) (Thames & Hudson, 2002) "Mia Grondahl's Revolution Graffiti charts the emergence of a powerful art movement that has spread across Egypt's city walls with a heady mix of passion and optimism."--Tristan Manco, author of Street Sketchbook: Inside the Journals of International Street and Graffiti Artists (Chronicle Books, 2007) and Stencil Graffiti (Street Graphics / Street Art) (Thames & Hudson, 2002)
"Mia Grondahl documents the graphic wonderland of Egypt's streets."--Egypt Today
"[A] beautifully produced testimony . . . of over 430 images and a collection of interviews with artists who have established leading, original work. . . . Grondahl's simple writing style provides a very accessible introduction to the artwork, as does the layout of the book."-Middle East Monitor
"Revolution Graffiti is a vibrant and comprehensive montage of the graffiti community over the past two years and includes everything from simple hand-written messages to stencils and portraits of martyrs and elaborate murals decorating on Mohamed Mahmoud Street."Egypt Independent
"An informed and informative body of original and seminal research, Revolution Graffiti: Street Art of the New Egypt is highly instructive reading and a welcome, recommended addition to academic library reference collections and Contemporary Egyptian History Studies supplemental reading lists."--Library Bookwatch
Review Quote
"Offers a full and vibrant look at street art in Egypt . . . the art in this book stands as convincing evidence that a watershed moment has passed and that the cultural freedoms that have been gained won't easily be given up."--Blouin Artinfo "Mia Gr
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