ABOVE - Passport

This giant coffee table book explores the artwork of ABOVE, the prolific anonymous street artist who has thrown up art in over 90 cities in 60 different countries. ABOVE got his start tagging freight trains in California in 1995 and has been creating public art ever since. Designed as a giant passport album / scrapbook / manifesto by Blaine Fontana, this title is both a beautiful street art volume and a virtual journey around the world through the eyes of one man, and is packed with hundreds of fullcolor plates accompanied by insight by those who know ABOVE or are just awed by him. ABOVE is well known for his large scale playful typographic murals ("By the time you read this, Ill already be gone"), multi-layer stencils, and wooden arrows painted with words and then placed pointing upward in the urban landscape. These pieces subtly alter everyday paths, jolting people out of their routines and causing them instead to look up and focus on what may have otherwise been overlooked. Above - Passport is a gorgeous testament to street arts ability to function as a challenge, ideal, and positive impact in society. "The Karma Police are not coming for ABOVE even if the police vandal squad is." - Shepard Fairey