Andr Saraiva: Graffiti Life

(Hardback)

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Chances are that while you've been strolling anywhere in the world, you may have caught a glimpse of Saraiva's eye-popping signature stick-figure graffiti as Mr. A on a random street wall; or you may have spied him in Banksy's film, Exit Through the Gift Shop; spied him in the front rows of the Paris Fashion Week shows; paged through his L'Officiel Homme magazine; or follow him in photos one of his many chic exclusive nightclubs. Saraiva is the definition of rakish cool.

This is a never-before-seen look at the artist's many spheres through which he effortless moves: street culture, contemporary art, graphic design, photography, fashion, and nightlife. With interactive pop-ups, hand-drawn personal notes, and booklets, the book follows Saraiva's art and life, and includes his tags on the streets of Paris; countless silk-screened posters; paintings and sculpture; creative collaborations with Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Colette. Andr Saraiva: Curated Chaos is the story of this cultural force of nature.

Reviews

"Clad in a top hat with a noodle-like figure and grimacing face is the ubiquitous Mr. A character that can be seen on the facade of historic buildings in Paris or on the streets of New York Citys Chinatown neighborhood. Fromdream concert posterstosprawling murals, the character lives on any medium that its creator wishes for the public to view."HYPEBEAST.COM
"Clad in a top hat with a noodle-like figure and grimacing face is the ubiquitous Mr. A character that can be seen on the facade of historic buildings in Paris or on the streets of New York Citys Chinatown neighborhood. Fromdream concert posterstosprawling murals, the character lives on any medium that its creator wishes for the public to view."HYPEBEAST.COM

"In 1986, when Andr Saraiva was 15 years old, the Swedish-French rascal started tagging Mr. A around the streets of Paris. His graffiti quickly turned from a hobby into a job. Within a few years, Saraiva started winning awards for his art and getting commissions from stores and museums around the world. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany Co. took note, tapping Saraiva to put a modern twist on silk shawls and quilted handbags. His first monograph, A Graffiti Life, comes courtesy of Rizzoli. Including essays by Virgil Abloh and Jeffrey Deitch, the 320-page book covers both Mr. As graffiti and Saraivas nightlife career (hes opened bars and clubs in New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London)."AIRMAIL.COM
"Andr Saraiva has worn many hats: club owner, hotelier, entrepreneur, graffiti artist. His inaugural book is a retrospect of his career as the latter. The 320-page tome includes photographs of his graffiti (including his alter ego Mr. A) on the streets of Paris, New York, and London; collaborations with high-end designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton; and even diplomas (a.k.a. tickets) hes received from various authorities. Contributions include words by the late Virgil Abloh, Jeffrey Deitch, and others."NEW YORK MAGAZINE

"Clad in a top hat with a noodle-like figure and grimacing face is the ubiquitous Mr. A character that can be seen on the facade of historic buildings in Paris or on the streets of New York Citys Chinatown neighborhood. Fromdream concert posterstosprawling murals, the character lives on any medium that its creator wishes for the public to view."HYPEBEAST.COM

"In 1986, when Andr Saraiva was 15 years old, the Swedish-French rascal started tagging Mr. A around the streets of Paris. His graffiti quickly turned from a hobby into a job. Within a few years, Saraiva started winning awards for his art and getting commissions from stores and museums around the world. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany Co. took note, tapping Saraiva to put a modern twist on silk shawls and quilted handbags. His first monograph, A Graffiti Life, comes courtesy of Rizzoli. Including essays by Virgil Abloh and Jeffrey Deitch, the 320-page book covers both Mr. As graffiti and Saraivas nightlife career (hes opened bars and clubs in New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London)."AIRMAIL.COM
"Andr Saraiva has worn many hats: club owner, hotelier, entrepreneur, graffiti artist. His inaugural book is a retrospect of his career as the latter. The 320-page tome includes photographs of his graffiti (including his alter ego Mr. A) on the streets of Paris, New York, and London; collaborations with high-end designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton; and even diplomas (a.k.a. tickets) hes received from various authorities. Contributions include words by the late Virgil Abloh, Jeffrey Deitch, and others."NEW YORK MAGAZINE

"Clad in a top hat with a noodle-like figure and grimacing face is the ubiquitous Mr. A character that can be seen on the facade of historic buildings in Paris or on the streets of New York Citys Chinatown neighborhood. Fromdream concert posterstosprawling murals, the character lives on any medium that its creator wishes for the public to view."HYPEBEAST.COM

"In 1986, when Andr Saraiva was 15 years old, the Swedish-French rascal started tagging Mr. A around the streets of Paris. His graffiti quickly turned from a hobby into a job. Within a few years, Saraiva started winning awards for his art and getting commissions from stores and museums around the world. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany Co. took note, tapping Saraiva to put a modern twist on silk shawls and quilted handbags. His first monograph, A Graffiti Life, comes courtesy of Rizzoli. Including essays by Virgil Abloh and Jeffrey Deitch, the 320-page book covers both Mr. As graffiti and Saraivas nightlife career (hes opened bars and clubs in New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London)."AIRMAIL.COM

"Andr Saraiva, a Swedish-French artist known for his work in graffiti, showcases some of his best works in this book inspired by fashion and nightlife. You'll find everything from street art to graphic design to photography in its 320 pages."WOMAN'S DAY
"If there was ever a stylish man and innovator in the European graffiti scene, Andr is the epicenter. With Paris as the canvas, his eponymous character of a smiling stick figure with top hat and his forays into nightclubs and the fashion world, make him an icon beyond the street works. What he demonstrated was that this culture could not only be fun but a viable path to the broader impact of how we experience a city...When we think of trailblazers, he is one of the key figures, resulting in his monograph, Andr Saraiva: A Graffiti Life, out now via Rizzoli, as a seminal document of graffitis international growth over the last 50 years...And the book itself is an absolute thrill. Pop-ups, graphically exciting and bold, capture what is often lost when street artists are memorialized in monographic form. This is about fun, its about the thrill of creation and the endless possibilities that come when outsider culture joins the mainstream. If this art form is about shattering expectations, this book is the ideal companion. In over 320 pages, you will understand more about Andr and experience the beauty of good book design and the power of paper as a publishing medium. How perfect that it's associated with an artist who brought a little bit of humor and fun to the streets." JUXTAPOZ MAGAZINE

"Andr Saraiva has worn many hats: club owner, hotelier, entrepreneur, graffiti artist. His inaugural book is a retrospect of his career as the latter. The 320-page tome includes photographs of his graffiti (including his alter ego Mr. A) on the streets of Paris, New York, and London; collaborations with high-end designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton; and even diplomas (a.k.a. tickets) hes received from various authorities. Contributions include words by the late Virgil Abloh, Jeffrey Deitch, and others."NEW YORK MAGAZINE

"Clad in a top hat with a noodle-like figure and grimacing face is the ubiquitous Mr. A character that can be seen on the facade of historic buildings in Paris or on the streets of New York Citys Chinatown neighborhood. Fromdream concert posterstosprawling murals, the character lives on any medium that its creator wishes for the public to view."HYPEBEAST.COM

"In 1986, when Andr Saraiva was 15 years old, the Swedish-French rascal started tagging Mr. A around the streets of Paris. His graffiti quickly turned from a hobby into a job. Within a few years, Saraiva started winning awards for his art and getting commissions from stores and museums around the world. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany Co. took note, tapping Saraiva to put a modern twist on silk shawls and quilted handbags. His first monograph, A Graffiti Life, comes courtesy of Rizzoli. Including essays by Virgil Abloh and Jeffrey Deitch, the 320-page book covers both Mr. As graffiti and Saraivas nightlife career (hes opened bars and clubs in New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London)."AIRMAIL.COM

"Andr Saraiva, a Swedish-French artist known for his work in graffiti, showcases some of his best works in this book inspired by fashion and nightlife. You'll find everything from street art to graphic design to photography in its 320 pages."WOMAN'S DAY

"The Swedish-French graffiti artist and hotelier Andr Saraiva found his stride looking to the future while running away from convention (and the police). Now, the mind behind the street art moniker Mr. Awhich he has painted, per his estimate, 20 times a night for the last 30 yearsis taking a stab at nostalgia in a new retrospective book with Rizzoli, Andr Saraiva: Graffiti Life, an ode to his greatest exhibitions, collaborations, and risks taken."CULTURED MAGAZINE

Author Bio

Graffiti and visual artist Andr Saraiva is well known for his street art alter-ego "Mr. A." He is also owner of the Le Baron New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo clubs and newly opened Caf Henrie in New York.

Olivier Zahm was an art critic for Artforum and Flash Art before co-founding Purple magazine in 1992 with Elein Fleiss. Zahm currently continues to be the head of Purple Fashion Magazine as well as working as an artistic director for fashion brands such as Yves Saint Laurent.