Stencil Graffiti by Tristan Manco (2002) is the definitive early-2000s document of the global stencil art movement — the book that turned a once-underground form of street protest into a recognized art practice.
Manco, a graphic designer and longtime observer of urban art, takes readers through the origins of stencil graffiti — from the politically charged walls of 1970s Paris to the bombed-out backstreets of Bristol, Buenos Aires, and Melbourne. The book is packed with vibrant photography capturing the raw immediacy of stencils in the wild — bold silhouettes, biting slogans, and visual poetry on decaying concrete.
Artists like Banksy, Blek le Rat, Jef Aérosol, and Mis Tic appear alongside countless anonymous creators, each using razor blades, spray cans, and cardboard to cut through the noise of city life. Manco balances the art’s rebel spirit with thoughtful commentary on technique, message, and cultural context.
Stencil Graffiti isn’t just an art book — it’s a time capsule from the moment when political dissent, pop iconography, and DIY creativity collided on the world’s walls.
