Graffiti In Rotterdam

Description

Title: Graffiti In Rotterdam
Author: R. Muis, W. Wessels
Language: Dutch
Pages: 304
Paperback
Size: 24 x 17 x 3 cm. / 9.4 x 6.7 x 1.2 inch.
Published: 2007

The publication is richly illustrated with hundreds of photographs from the personal collections of countless Rotterdam graffiti writers. This unique image collection covers a period of 40 years in which graffiti and the city of Rotterdam are transforming. The large amount of carefully edited and reproduced images (private) photos, newspaper articles, sketches, graffiti magazines) makes the book interesting for graffiti lovers. Thanks to the quantity and persistence with which this specialism is documented, this collection gives a unique overview of a cultural phenomenon.

Graffiti has been an integral part of the Dutch street scene since the 60s. The tags and pieces on trams, trains and buildings are experienced by most people as vandalism. But at the same time, the works are exhibited in museums and the graffiti scene has been incorporated into art history.

What exactly is graffiti, where does it come from, who does it and why?
Graffiti in Rotterdam is a book that, with reflections by art historian Marlite Halbertsma and urban sociologist Jack Burgers, places the phenomenon of graffiti in a broader context in an accessible way, analyses it, shows relevant developments and makes connections with the specific character of the city and the urban (youth) culture.

Most of the book is occupied by a description of the history of graffiti in the harborcity from 1965 onwards. With the eyes and knowledge of real insiders, graphic designer Rens Muis and graffiti writer Wessel Wessels describe the different groups of graffiti practitioners, the techniques they use, the jargon, the struggle with the police and the municipal combatants and especially the different styles and influences.