208 pages Text(s) by Olivier Granoux 23 x 16.5 cm Language: French Paperback Publisher: Éditions Alternatives 2025
A return to the origins of French urban art — an artistic and human adventure told by those who lived it and built it.
In early 1980s Paris, art escaped from the museums! The culprits: a young generation of pirate artists who rebelled against the established order and institutions by taking painting out of its traditional frame. The street became their gallery. How many were there? Who were they? Hard to say. They were nicknamed the urban savages. They had nothing to do with American graffiti or hip-hop culture. Art students raised on punk, they gathered in collectives devoted to forbidden performances, working without permission. Their playgrounds? The catacombs, abandoned factories, construction fences, billboards, and concrete walls. They didn’t know it yet, but they were laying the foundations of what would soon be called street art.
Featuring exclusive interviews with key figures from the historic scene: Jérôme Mesnager, Blek le Rat, Speedy Graphito, VLP, Banlieue Banlieue…
