Layers of Meaning

Stencil Revival

When I think 'stencil', I think of a restrained interior decoration form that is traditional and usually somewhat nostalgic. When I was searching the web for stencil information, I discovered that for the 12-25 age group, stencilling is a form of urban decoration, with some dynamic results. Street art used to be limited to spray paint, posters and the occasional sticker. Add to this the stencil and street decorating has grown a whole new level of sophistication: the Stencil Revolution.

Tristan Manco has produced several books documenting this phenomenon, including Stencil Graffitti and Street Logos. The web site,L'expo Stencil Graffitti, highlights a few of the stencils from the book. Graffitis et Pochoirs shows examples found on the streets.

So why am I writing about graffitti in a fiber blog? The connection is not the images themselves, but the dynamic of the image making: stenciling removed from it's sentimental roots. And the parallels between the flatness of the stencil format (Fahrenheit 451, Zurich) and the flatness of the quilted image (Jane Sassaman.)