I'm not sure if I would consider it "culture", but Melbourne has become recognized as the Stencil Graffiti Capital... From a review of the book "Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne" - What has happened to turn Melbourne into a stencilled graffiti capital? When did this happen and who is responsible? Furthermore, why stencils? Isn't the use of stencils a bit of a cheat? Stencil Graffiti Capital answers all these questions and more with a visual celebration for several artists and the themes which dominate their work. Interviews with the likes of Civilian, Dlux, and Ha-Ha illustrate how and why these artists live in, moved to, or visit Melbourne to practice their street art. Full-page and double-spread visual treatments within the book illustrate the artists' basic themes, which focus on politics, symbols, love/sex and war/death. According to the authors, Jake Smallman and Carl Nyman, the new trend toward stencilled work in Melbourne began in 1999 when graffiti artist Psalm tickled Melbourne's walls with "intricately detailed, vibrantly colored and visually arresting" work. His work was followed by Ha Ha's roughly cut, one-layer stencils which usually were painted in black. Syn and Dlux moved their graffiti skills to Melbourne from Adelaide in 2002, and they brought with them an influence which bonded the disparate talents already in residence. The debates over legality/commercialism of stencilled street art might fizzle or continue to build, which is one of the interesting aspects to this movement. The other highlight includes the fact that these stencilled works aren't amateurish. Not surprisingly, the majority of street artists included in this book have graphic design or fine art backgrounds, an aspect that lends sophistication to the work. This background also supplies an understanding to the transition from the street to galleries. If this debate boils down to the fact that the "medium is the message," then street art is, perhaps, a marketing ploy for what is considered a new art form. The fact that the street artists sign their work, that they are willing to be photographed in the process of building their work, that there is a Web site devoted to the who, what, when, where, how, and why of stencilled street art all lend credence to the fact that Melbourne's streets have become visual marketing for these artists. While this fact might leave a bitter taste in the mouth of some artists and officials, the mere idea that a metropolis could be influenced by street artists to the point that illegal activities are basically overlooked - at least for the moment - seems to be the real revolution. While Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne could be seen as part and parcel of this trend in commercialization of graffiti art and artists, the book is needed to explain this trend and Melbourne's part in an artistic evolution. Additionally, the book becomes a visual record of a trend which waxes and wanes with politics and artistic whims. http://www.amazon.com/Stencil-Graffiti-Capital-Jake-Smallman/dp/0976224534 Public opinion about stencilling and other graffiti varies. Many people have said that they like stencil art as long as it isn't messy and offensive. The difference between stencillists and the usual graffiti kids is that stencil artists are very aware of their environment and try to use it to their advantage; they also find a space that will give their art the most exposure. The Melbourne Stencil Festival plays a major part in helping stencil artists to get their work recognised. The festival which started in 2004 exposes established and emerging artists' work to the wider community. The event was created to develop and encourage discussion and appreciation of stencil art, as well as widening audiences of the medium both in Australian and worldwide. Similar to the book, the festival is increasing public acceptance and understanding of the art form. Stencil Graffiti Capital definitely is a book worth keeping, and will be of special interest to any budding artist. http://youthcentral.vic.gov.au/News+&+Features/Reviews/?PrintStyleIncluded=true&ItemID=5450 You can see lots of examples of the Graffiti scene in Melbourne on a website exclusively dedicated to giving it exposure at - http://www.melbournegraffiti.com/