Graffiti, whether legal or illegal, is sometimes beautiful and sometimes ugly, but given time it can be breathtaking in its skill of execution. Mural graffiti, although it may be unfashionable to say so is impressive at least in part because it's really bloody difficult to do it well. Sadly these murals take too long to create for the illegal stuff to proliferate. So, until the revolution of consciousness when our leaders will simultaneously attain enlightenment and put up or shut up, budding muralists need to find legal walls. Collected here are 256 pages of the best. Burn After Reading, published by CarpetBombingCulture, is the end result of a unique meeting of styles when high end professional photography meets cutting edge graffiti. The past 10 years has seen an explosion of interest in graffiti. RomanyWG, compiler of bestselling photography book Beauty in Decay, is this time found behind the lens breaking new ground in bringing to life both the craft and creativity of modern day urban painters. Make no mistake - this is no dim-witted collection of mediocre fan snaps. The imagery compiled within is the result of 5 years of exhaustive travel and documentation. The highest production values possible and a zen-like dedication to perfection merge to create a book that will be revered as a stunning tribute to the beauty of graffiti art today. Burn After Reading is accompanied by insights from some of the leading personalities of 21st century graffiti art who discuss their thoughts, observations and perspectives, offering a unique look into this much misunderstood genre of art. Graffiti art, unlike its younger cousin Street Art, has both a huge underground and above ground following, built up through decades of evolution and advancement, with practitioners who are still true to the origins and codes associated with this most confrontational of artforms. Burn After Reading features stunning photography, including many images that have never been seen before.
