Book Review: The Beat of Urban Art

October 20, 2009 by Parka

This book is pretty cool. It mixes elements of street art, caricatures, music and city life. In The Beat of Urban Art, Justin Bua recollects how he grew up in New York on the Upper West Side, Manhattan and Brooklyn.

He sketches the people he met and the streets he grew up on. The pages are filled with caricatures of people who grew up in this tough neighbourhood. Life was so rough on the streets he sometimes had to act insane just to avoid getting mugged, and that was in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

It's easy to get absorbed looking at the interesting caricatures but not to be missed is the inconspicuous background art which serves as a great story backdrop. There's a very textural and grainy look to the art. After reading through his experiences, it's hard to imagine any other style more apt. He names his style of art Distorted Urban Realism.

His coloured paintings, musical influence and artistic expression goes to the second part of the book.

It's a nice art book to have if you're into stylised art. There are hardcover and paperback editions.

You can check out more work from Justin Bua at www.justinbua.com.

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