“Graffolution” unites 47 international artists and crews from the post-stylewriting era, who contributed exclusive stuff to the same task. All of them interpreted the motto “From Graffiti Writing to Abstract Painting” in a practical and theoretical way, providing both, a piece of art (or a series of pieces) and an explanatory text (or interview).
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The evolution of graffiti-writing to abstract painting can be traced mainly online since the 2000s as a phenomenon predominantly in Eastern Europe. So in the year 2015 Oliver Kuhnert had the idea, to unite selected representatives of post-stylewriting in a book project.
He focused on the transition of classic writing to abstract painting. The participants of the project had the identical task, to work theoretical and practical with the motto „From Graffiti Writing to Abstract Painting“.
Concretely the participants produced a single piece or a series correspondent to the motto and additionally to write a descriptive text. The artists could interpret the motto in an individual manner – there were no guidelines set. The only requirement: the art piece shouldn’t be published anywhere else before or after the project.
Additionally Kuhnert interviewed four crews: +-0, the Coconut Clan, Moderne Jazz and the Diamonds. Further featured artists are: Abcdef, Am-Am, Apl, Bior, Christ, C·F, Cor 21, CXCVII & O.K., David Antunes, Dima Asim, Dima Mykytenko, Effekt, Eko, Erosie, Fatum, Firm, Frida, Halber, Hrs 164, Joe Clarke, Kloy, Kyt & ΠK, Loutsider, Maekk 85, Nelio, Oliver Kuhnert, Once, Paul Luis Fechter, Pavel Rtue, Pavel Šebek, Radio, Sandra Rummler, Sasha Kurmaz, Seikon, Simek, Skubb, Sorc, Step, Stephan Garcia, Vit Urban, Waïsstyle, Xpihofx and Yuri Averin (Yourun).
As broad as the selection of artists is, as different are the interpretations and realizations of the „Graffolution“-motto. So the roots of the classic writing are sometimes easy to spot – in other cases theses origins can be hardly recognized. The same applies to the text contributions in which both – detailed work analyzes and short descriptions about the spontaneous emergence of the pictures – are to be read.
The afterword of the art historian Dr. Harald Hinz forms the theoretical foundation and puts this sub-genre of graffiti into a historical context. The editors have succeeded in realizing such an unprecedented book that includes abstract writers from Germany, Ukraine, Czech Republic, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Russia, Great Britain, Belarus, Spain, the Crimean Peninsula, Peru, Poland, Greece and Belgium for the first time, and through the project character of it, „Graffolution“ allows insights into the working and the approach of the artists.