Perhaps I can also stop by your place for some co-working by the Ocean :-) I'll let you know when I know when the Lisbon trip will be, somewhere in May...
Great idea! BRAVO to you for enduring the journey and keeping your vision a relentless goal! It is awesome to see how you capture our graff community in a way to guide the public to see us. This is a fantastic approach with 2 versions of your work I look forward to adding it to my collection.
So often we have been dismissed and now the world has a guide into the corners we occupy.
(Part 2) This is especially true with graffiti: if you don't know what it is, the styles, the history and so on, you'll just see some dirt on a wall, and it will be visual noise to your eyes. But if you learn how to read the language that is spoken on the train you take to go to work in the morning, your experience of public space will be so much more rewarding. That's kind of my mission, with the blog first, and now with the books.
(Part 1) Thank you for your words and encouragement! I've been trying to uncover the hidden stories embedded in the streets since 2011 with my blog, and now I wanted to do something more tangible, with quality photos, more "real" than the web. I believe urban art is an integral layer of the cities we inhabit. By learning about it, we transform our experience of public spaces from something passive into something actively engaging.
Congratulations on this massive effort and curation, Giulia! The artists must be thrilled to have some permeance and posterity in the pages of your book. I love that street art is your niche. What did you think you would 'become' or 'be' when you were a kid or teen? Just curious. I thought I'd be an ornithologist. I still love birds and probably enjoy them more because it's not a career. Though I'm a career hobbyist, really.
(part 2) This is also the reason why I wanted to do this "As Seen on the Streets of..." book series as an independent, self-published author: I already write for publishers as a job, I craved a space to write without someone telling me which artists to cover, what to spotlight, and so on...
(part 1) Ciao Jules! As a kid, I wanted to be a journalist / a writer, I was writing for the school magazine and I even published some short stories in my teen. I agree with you, I enjoy writing more when it's not done for someone else, that's why I started this passion project alongside my freelance writing career (I do write for graffiti and street art magazines, but also for museums, galleries etc, and I also work in communication and social media for street art festivals etc.)
I totally understand your motives + inspiration, Giulia! I love the Substack platform for that very reason---pure creative freedom and no editing. I'm a content writer for a travel company so I really appreciate going off on my own tangents. I've self-published (and published) a few books too, it's so gratifying. Our paths have been similar and I feel that same craving. It's a good state to be in!
This is a beyond admirable project so very well done— everything about it is extremely well thought out. I have passed this along to @kel1st who has just joined Substack and I know will want a copy ! For the holidays this is a gift giving must for those edgy teens and 20 something’s with short attention spans but longing for instant gratification. It delivers. And for anyone who doesn’t necessarily follow graffiti or urban art but loves getting into the grit through an insider view of back alleys of a beloved city like Paris, there’s even more reason to grab a copy for yourself.
Lovely work ! Was surreal reading the post because I live just around the corner from the artwork on the cover … sitting in my living room, underneath a vintage RATP map of Paris.
I’m so proud of you, Giulia! 🥹 I’ll be waiting for the Lisbon street-art guide!
Perhaps I can also stop by your place for some co-working by the Ocean :-) I'll let you know when I know when the Lisbon trip will be, somewhere in May...
Great idea! BRAVO to you for enduring the journey and keeping your vision a relentless goal! It is awesome to see how you capture our graff community in a way to guide the public to see us. This is a fantastic approach with 2 versions of your work I look forward to adding it to my collection.
So often we have been dismissed and now the world has a guide into the corners we occupy.
Merci.
(Part 2) This is especially true with graffiti: if you don't know what it is, the styles, the history and so on, you'll just see some dirt on a wall, and it will be visual noise to your eyes. But if you learn how to read the language that is spoken on the train you take to go to work in the morning, your experience of public space will be so much more rewarding. That's kind of my mission, with the blog first, and now with the books.
(Part 1) Thank you for your words and encouragement! I've been trying to uncover the hidden stories embedded in the streets since 2011 with my blog, and now I wanted to do something more tangible, with quality photos, more "real" than the web. I believe urban art is an integral layer of the cities we inhabit. By learning about it, we transform our experience of public spaces from something passive into something actively engaging.
Congratulations on this massive effort and curation, Giulia! The artists must be thrilled to have some permeance and posterity in the pages of your book. I love that street art is your niche. What did you think you would 'become' or 'be' when you were a kid or teen? Just curious. I thought I'd be an ornithologist. I still love birds and probably enjoy them more because it's not a career. Though I'm a career hobbyist, really.
(part 2) This is also the reason why I wanted to do this "As Seen on the Streets of..." book series as an independent, self-published author: I already write for publishers as a job, I craved a space to write without someone telling me which artists to cover, what to spotlight, and so on...
(part 1) Ciao Jules! As a kid, I wanted to be a journalist / a writer, I was writing for the school magazine and I even published some short stories in my teen. I agree with you, I enjoy writing more when it's not done for someone else, that's why I started this passion project alongside my freelance writing career (I do write for graffiti and street art magazines, but also for museums, galleries etc, and I also work in communication and social media for street art festivals etc.)
I totally understand your motives + inspiration, Giulia! I love the Substack platform for that very reason---pure creative freedom and no editing. I'm a content writer for a travel company so I really appreciate going off on my own tangents. I've self-published (and published) a few books too, it's so gratifying. Our paths have been similar and I feel that same craving. It's a good state to be in!
indeed! (also, if you have some self-publishing tips for a newbie, send them my way! I'm encountering a new challenge every day, I feel so lost)
Well, just keep in mind that Lisa Genova self-published Still Alice! And you know where that's landed (published AND a movie starring Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart and Alec Baldwin!). Here's the back story: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2009/01/how-lisa-genova-used-social-media-to-turn-a-self-published-book-into-a-ny-times-bestseller.html As for my own hot tips, I love creative twists (and I know you do too). Did you read this post about how I planned to include a 94-year-old church lady, origami and two guys selling fish out of a van into my book marketing plan? https://substack.com/home/post/p-148698450?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Haha I'll check it out!
This is a beyond admirable project so very well done— everything about it is extremely well thought out. I have passed this along to @kel1st who has just joined Substack and I know will want a copy ! For the holidays this is a gift giving must for those edgy teens and 20 something’s with short attention spans but longing for instant gratification. It delivers. And for anyone who doesn’t necessarily follow graffiti or urban art but loves getting into the grit through an insider view of back alleys of a beloved city like Paris, there’s even more reason to grab a copy for yourself.
Thank you so much for your support :-) Yes, it’s a book for all ages, offering so many different angles and layers—just like Paris itself.
Paris ❤️🔥 Rocks Graff very nicely 😉✊🏻
indeed!
Lovely work ! Was surreal reading the post because I live just around the corner from the artwork on the cover … sitting in my living room, underneath a vintage RATP map of Paris.
Haha what a coincidence! And what a great area to live in! Let me know what do you think about the book 😉😉