Beyond the streets

Product Information

The official BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON exhibition catalogue, compiled by Roger Gastman, provides an in-depth look into the world of graffiti and street art’s most iconic figures. This book spans multiple decades and honours the diverse and boundary-pushing stories that helped turn vandalism into contemporary art. Hardbound and 1000+ images. BEYOND THE STREETS is important because it documents a cultural past, pre-social media, where ideas and movements developed on the streets, in clubs, and in bedrooms. It also crosses over to the current day, highlighting a new generation of artists who have crafted their trade from the streets rather than the lecture theatre. Along the way, you’ll be taken through the entire modern history of the art form, from its roots on the underground arts scene, to its influence on music & culture, from the ’70s to present day.

The Gallery presents curated exhibitions on themes relevant and exciting in the context of contemporary creative culture. Our educational programmes aim to reveal the possibilities of artistic expression to young minds, encourage fresh thought and stimulate innovation. The exhibition will feature new works, large-scale installations, original ephemera and extraordinary fashion that capture the powerful impact of graffiti & street art across the world and follows successful exhibitions in Los Angeles & New York. Graffiti historian Roger Gastman will curate BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON. The closing chapters consist of ‘Social Commentary: Graffiti as a message’; ‘Art with Conscience’ containing works by hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, and; ‘Consideration Into Innovation’ showcasing Lisbon-based artist, VHILS, who innovatively utilizes repurposed materials to reimagine city walls. In the final chapter ‘The Next Phase’ visitors will engage with new op-art works by Valencia based artist Felipe Pantone, whose high-contrast, geometric patterns continue to challenge perspective resulting in a distinctive aesthetic of the digital age. You will be able to view a wall of Jenny Holzer’s truisms; Henry Chalfant’s photography of NYC train writers in action; together with AIKO’s timeless stencilling of delicate silhouettes and Gordon Matta-Clark’s extraordinary archive of graffiti photography. KASE2 ELKAY photo by Henry-Chalfant The Dream Galleries Lloyd boldly takes apart the glamorised images of the sex trade encouraged by some. The author challenges the myths and misperceptions around selling sex as well as the contempt for these girls and women by the authorities and the wider public. Along with others engaged in the battle against sexual exploitation, she is determined to change the lexicon around the subject. ‘Prostitution’ denotes an element of choice that does not reflect the limited agency and complex factors that are at play in the majority of cases, especially for minors. Lloyd is at pains to explain the strong emotional, psychological and even financial ties the girls feel towards those who have exploited them and which makes it even harder to leave for good.Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has presented contemporary art exhibitions showcasing the work of emerging artists. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, led to Saatchi Gallery becoming a recognised authority in contemporary art globally. The Gallery acquired a strong reputation for introducing artists who would later gain worldwide recognition. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity and began a new chapter in its history. OUR MISSION As for the release of his sketchbook with BEYOND THE STREETS, the artist shared that “Over the last 20 years I’ve accumulated countless drawings in my drawers that I thought would never see the light of day.” The exhibition is a journey through the history of graffiti and street art through the artists that helped originate the movement to the ones that are revolutionising it in more recent years. For Martha Cooper’s latest release, BEYOND THE STREETS dove deep into her unpublished archive of early 1980s NYC graffiti. Working closely with Cooper, BTS selected and assembled over 800 photos, carefully culling from dozens of boxes of slides, many unopened for decades to create this exclusive box set, available only on BEYOND THE STREETS The exhibition headline supporter is adidas Originals. Support also provided by LA Tourism Board and onefinestay.

With the generous support of all our patrons, for each major exhibition, there are opportunities for students and community groups to engage in creative projects and workshops. Visit saatchigallery.com/learning or call +44 (0) 20 7811 3087 for more details. Saatchi Gallery seeks to collaborate with artists in an open and honest manner with a primary aim of introducing their work to wider audiences. After several years of thinking about how we should reprint this book—it finally happened. We worked with old CDs of images, Quark files that would not open, and other technical issues of computers past to rebuild FREIGHT TRAIN GRAFFITI the way we always imagined it could be while staying true to the original era covered and including another 500-plus images,” shares Roger Gastman. The ‘Timeline’ chapter will take a deep dive into street culture history through archival photography, ephemera and fashion to contextualize the cross-pollination of influences across music, fashion and film. This chapter will also include a large wall vinyl by infamous feminist collective Guerrilla Girls – a deliberate nod to the fact that most street and graffiti artists, and indeed most well-known artists in contemporary art overall are men. Each of the exhibition’s chapters will explore exceptional moments in the history of this artistic movement; including the emergence of punk; the birth of hip-hop – marking its 50th anniversary in 2023; and street culture’s strong influence in fashion and film.

Curated by graffiti historian Roger Gastman, BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will examine the fundamental human need for public self-expression, highlighting artists with roots in graffiti and street art whose work has evolved into highly disciplined studio practices, alongside important cultural figures inspired by this art scene.

Each of the exhibition’s chapters will explore exceptional moments in the history of this artistic movement; including the emergence of punk; the birth of hip-hop - marking its 50th anniversary in 2023; and street culture’s strong influence in fashion and film. Saatchi Gallery exists as a registered charity to provide an innovative platform for contemporary art and culture. We are committed to supporting artists and rendering contemporary art accessible to all. We strive to present projects in physical and digital spaces that are engaging, enlightening and educational for diverse audiences. OUR VALUESNo area of Saatchi Gallery will be left untouched; visitors will be immersed by works and ephemera on view across hallways, tunnels and staircases and will enter rooms exploring the birth of graffiti like never seen before. These spaces will showcase a wall of Jenny Holzer’s truisms; Henry Chalfant’s photography of NYC train writers in action; together with AIKO’s timeless stenciling of delicate silhouettes and Gordon Matta-Clark’s extraordinary archive of graffiti photography. Following successful exhibitions in Los Angeles & New York, BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will feature new works, large-scale installations, original ephemera and extraordinary fashion that capture the powerful impact of graffiti & street art across the world. The ‘ Dream Galleries’ chapter focuses on a selection of American and European originators, photo documentarians and cultural icons who helped contextualize and spread graffiti culture around the world. InAndré Saraiva’s Dreamseries, there is a visual articulation of how graffiti, street art, hip-hop, punk, fashion and break-dancing all sprung from the late 1970s and early 1980s into the 90s and today, and became a hybrid celebration of underground culture. A piece that we’re really happy to show was painted by FUTURA2000, it’s called “Escape London”. He painted it live on stage with The Clash performing in 1982. It’s 30 feet long, and 15 feet tall, and it shows the merging of all of these cultures together just beautifully and sums up so much.