Melbournian Alison Young has chronicled twenty years of street art, from anonymous scrawls, urban tags, and random public expression to the more celebrated stencils and subversive street painting of Banksy, Swoon, and Haring. In her in-depth analysis of street art’s evolution and inner workings, Young demonstrates her obvious love of the ephemeral, mutable, art movement that has similarly caught the imaginations of countless other global passers-by.

Young’s fascination with the subject and ability to weave a cogent, absorbing narrative about street art’s practitioners, patrons, audiences, and spaces makes for an illuminating and deeply satisfying read. Young explores the making and meaning of street art, as well as its reception and commercial viability, answering a range of tantalising questions surrounding this sometimes mysterious, often illicit, worldwide phenomenon. Who produces street art? Who buys it? What are the challenges surrounding exhibitions and appropriate gallery space? And how have societal attitudes towards street art changed over time?

Strikingly illustrated from cover to cover, this well-arranged and intelligently researched text offers authoritative and comprehensive insight into this ubiquitous yet mysterious world. Tracing street art from its origins through to modern commodification, the text is a testament to its author’s unflagging dedication to the subject. In her Further Reading and Further Viewing sections, Young also provides a well-chosen selection of related texts that will be useful to scholars or anyone interested in pursuing further information. This highly recommended publication strikes a pleasing balance between coffee table book and reference text and belongs on the bookshelves of casual art lovers and aficionados alike. 

Street Art World

Alison Young

18 Nov, 2016 Reaktion Books

256 pages

isbn: 9781780236704

The team have gotten together and teased out their favourite Film and TV titles for 2015. I’ll be following this post with one of my own. Between the two, you should find some good recommendations for viewing.

 

Joelene:

 

 

Top Movies and TV 2015

Scream Queens

I love comedy and generally adore any genre crossing so Scream Queens with its horror parody premise is right up my alley. I didn’t expect it to be as nuanced as it is though, with characters that are as crazy as the show itself.

 Mockingjay: Part 2

 This was always a given. Fantastic throughout, though I didn’t love the ending.

 Mad Max

This one I wouldn’t have even watched if it weren’t for all the MRAs saying it was awful. If they hated it that much, I thought that there must be something there. And there was. So much was built into what wasn’t said in this movie. I think you could watch it ten times and discover something new with each viewing.

Spy

This is all down to my love of genre crossing. The cast work amazingly together, and the movie is hilarious.

Jupiter Ascending

Pretty sure most people hated this one, but I really liked it. It’s stunningly beautiful and a lot of fun.

 

Stephen Dedman:

 

 

Top Film for 2015

The Martian

Inside Out

Mad Max: Fury Road

Chappie

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

(Really good 2014 movies I didn’t see until 2015 and liked even more than Star Wars were: The Imitation Game, What We Do in the Shadows, Big Hero 6)

 

Mandy Wrangles:

 

 

Top TV for 2015

The Walking Dead

Outlander

Jessica Jones

Orange is the New Black

Fear the Walking Dead (I have high hopes for series 2…)

and I’ve just discovered River, thanks to Netflix. Only a couple of episodes in, but I think I’m hooked!

 

Damian Magee:

 

 

Here are my top 5 in TV and films for 2015.

Top 5 TV Shows

Doctor Who

Poldark

New Tricks

Vera

Masters of Sex

 

Top 5 Films

Star Wars: Force Awaken

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Spectre

Minions

The Avengers: Age of Ultron

 

A V Mather:

 

 

Top TV for 2015

#1 (with shiny stars) Penny Dreadful

Longmire

Silicon Valley

Nashville

Veep

Also, special mention to Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell.

 

How long have you been writing for MDPWeb, why did you join the group, and what do you like about being part of it?

I’ve been writing occasional reviews and articles for MDPWeb for just over twelve months. I love having the opportunity to write pieces that are a little atypical compared to the average review, avoiding the formula so that I can delve more deeply into themes and ideas that I think are important.

What creative piece are you working on, and what author would you liken your work too?

I’m currently focusing primarily on a collection of short stories that forms part of my thesis. The stories are based on fairy tales that incorporate queer perspectives. I’m also always juggling a million other projects!

What book have you most enjoyed reviewing for MDPWeb?

My favourite book to review was probably Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, because I loved the opportunity to talk about the unreliable narration crafted so beautifully by one of my favourite authors.

What’s your favourite thing to do in your downtime?

What downtime? On top of my full-time study, I currently have six jobs to my name. Thankfully they’re all about my passion for writing, creating, and educating, so they often don’t feel like ‘work’. I’ve even figured out how to get paid for my videogame habit!

Is there somewhere else online/in bookstores we can find your work?

My work is all over the place. You can find links to all of my digital stuff—including stories, articles, and even videogames and interactive narratives—on my website: http://alaynamcole.com

What’s your favourite TV series?

This is a really difficult question that tends to change depending on what I’m marathon-watching at any given time. I recently watched season one of Sense8 and I think it has the potential of taking the top spot, but for now the winner is probably Scandal.

 Who or what is your current crush?

I’m currently crushing on Cara Delevingne!