BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
“I was a library rat. Libraries are the mainstays of democracy. The first thing dictators do when taking over a country is close all the libraries, because libraries are full of ideas and differences of opinion, all the things we say we want in a free and open society.”
– novelist David Baldacci
XAV. “The 3 Rodents” Contorno Urbano Foundation. 12 + 1 Project. L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. (photo © Clara Antón)
Spanish graffiti writer and tattoo artist Xav gives his own literal interpretation of the saying ‘library rat’ here in his new mural for Project 12+1 in Barcelona. Beginning with graffiti as a teen in Asturias (northern Spain) in the mid 2000s Xav has since honed a photorealist style on walls that has given him many commercial opportunities and taken him to participate in Street Art and graffiti festivals.
XAV. “The 3 Rodents” Contorno Urbano Foundation. 12 + 1 Project. L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. (photo © Clara Antón)
But that doesn’t mean Xav doesn’t appreciate the folks who hang out in libraries and the value they have to everyone – he actually studied and taught himself most of what he knows about his craft. He also gives respect to the graffiti tradition and to his peers; if you look closely you may see the name of the recently passed graffiti writer Treze hidden in the mural, along with a shout out to his hometown of Asturias.
XAV. “The 3 Rodents” Contorno Urbano Foundation. 12 + 1 Project. L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. (photo © Clara Antón)
XAV. “The 3 Rodents” Contorno Urbano Foundation. 12 + 1 Project. L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. (photo © Clara Antón)
XAV. “The 3 Rodents” Contorno Urbano Foundation. 12 + 1 Project. L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. (photo © Clara Antón)
238
138
45
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
Halloween comes to a close after what seemed like a week-long series of events and celebrations thanks to it occurring on Wednesday and no one knowing when to have a party or go trick or treating. ...
“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” That’s the text of a cable sent by the writer Mark Twain from London to the press in the United States after his obituary had been mistakenly pu...
Xi’an is a large city of about 7 million, the capital of Shaanxi Province in central China, often called the birthplace of Chinese civilization. It's also been sprouting Street Art in recent years. ...
Go East Young Woman! That’s where you’ll discover dynamic graffiti and Street Art and murals these days thanks in part to last weeks' HKwalls festival, now in it’s fourth year. You’ll definitely see ...
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities. Now screening:1. GARBAGE FUTURISM POST-WASTE / BAER 2. Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Memory Map via Guggenheim M...
