Alison Young's 'Street Art World' Examined in BSA Review
A review of Alison Young's 2016 book 'Street Art World' appears on Brooklyn Street Art, originally published by Reaktion Books. The criminologist and cultural theorist draws on two decades of field research to offer a sociocultural study of street art. The volume combines travelogue and academic analysis, featuring first-person encounters in Melbourne, London, and New York, along with interviews, case studies, and photographs. Young's background in criminology and law informs her narrative, but she writes as an ethnographer. The book is organized into seven chapters, tracing street art from graffiti writing to institutional and digital transformations. The chapter 'Beginnings' revisits graffiti's early codes, while 'Streetness in Art' defines characteristics like ephemerality, risk, and relationship with urban fabric. The review is by Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo, with photos by Eveline Wilson.
Key facts
- Alison Young is a criminologist and cultural theorist.
- 'Street Art World' was published in 2016 by Reaktion Books.
- The book covers two decades of field research on street art.
- It includes first-person encounters in Melbourne, London, and New York.
- The volume has seven chapters.
- Chapter 'Beginnings' covers graffiti's early codes.
- Chapter 'Streetness in Art' defines street art's characteristics.
- The review is by Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo.
Entities
Artists
- Alison Young
Institutions
- Reaktion Books
- Brooklyn Street Art
Locations
- Melbourne
- London
- New York