Love it or hate it, it's always there. Whether you're driving through the suburbs, train-hopping your way through the CBD, or even stopping for over-priced fuel in rural areas, graffiti is a major part of societies creative culture the world over.

So how lucky are we that Melbourne is considered right at the top of the game? Not only do we have some phenomenal local artists, we also attract some of the world's premium examples of this very controversial medium. Names like Psalm, Phibs, Sixten, Meek, Rone, Prism, Sync, Meggs, and Banksy are just some of the high-profile underground that we attract to our humble little cities and Melbourne stands out from them all.






Whilst some may consider graffiti to be a perverse art form, others find inspiration and enlightenment at almost every turn and get a glimpse into a world of quasi-political detachment that can spark ideas and radically change perceptions with just a small amount of black paint on brick.

Carl Nyman and Jake Smallman, graphic designer/illustrator and graphic designer respectively, know exactly what's happening in those twilight moments when a simple wall becomes a statement and is upgraded to art form.

Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne brings our local phenomenon to the public, which I understand sounds strange at first. But really, how many times have you walked down a street, and vaguely noticed an inciteful piece sprayed on wall that, while at the time it seemed quite influential, but moments later it is lost amongst the myriad thought required to negotiate day-to-day life?

Whilst certainly not unique, the approach of this book seems to stand by itself in a time where graffiti-dedicated journals seem to reign in the halls of chain bookstores and online depositories (nb. amazon.com). By breaking the chapters into various content-related categories, SGC:M allows an insight that can otherwise be easily lost in the multitude of attention seeking bullshit that adorns our public places.

Seeking not the 'vandals', but the dedicated artists who endeavor to improve on the public perception of local space, SGC:M manages to highlight the reasons why stencil art has proven itself again and again in the public forum, and is never deterred by government actions to 'cover up' a visible representation of this core addition to the presentation of the local society.

This is not stupid messages scratched into the window of your 8:32am to Richmond, nor is this a nonsensical scribble across the doorway you pass in that alleyway on your morning walk. This is creative precision, carefully crafted over hours and hours of design, cutting, and planning.

This is not done quickly at 9am on the back seat of your local bus, nor is it even close to the terrible propaganda of A Current Affair.

This is art. This is influence. This is a shout of outrage, or a glimpse of freedom that can only be found through passion. This is viewing the infinite.

Quite simply put, if you have never really understood stencil work, or have never paid it much regard, this is a fantastic starting point to broaden your horizons and awaken to a phenomenon that is neither old or new, straight-forward or cryptic, but is the essence of what a global community of rebellious artists can unleash, and the resounding shockwaves that circle out from an epicenter aglow from second-to-none talent.

From designated spray areas, to landmarks you have walked right past, SGC: M showcases the best of the best and entices you to walk out of your boring little room and just look around.

Have you bought this book yet? Well, frankly I'm surprised. This is the book you give to your elders in an attempt to help them relate. As soon as you pick it up you can see this is not a cheap release, but a high quality archive of Melbourne's cultural phenomenon.

Commencing with stunning visuals of the evening lights of Melbourne, SGC:M opens with a line that sums up this cultural phenomenon perfectly: 'Stencils just don't happen.' By introducing the stencil scene, you are given a brief run-down of the history of stencil art in Melbourne, an interesting read for those who have until now failed to recognize this new breed of self-representation. If you need an introduction into this world, SGC:M provides the perfect start.

Moving through the pages of SGC:M, you being to recognise brand icons and symbols that are familiar, and yet used in a way that at once sparks that mental element of recognition, as well as throws your initial perception into disarray.

Showcasing and interviewing some of the most renowned stencil artists, SGC:M portrays the best of the best in this order: Civilian, Dlux, Meek, Psalm, Sixten, Prism, Banksy, Sync, Optic, Phibs, Ha-Ha, Meggs, Vexta, and Rone. If you didn't know these names before, keep you eye out on future CBD travels and you wont be able to avoid them.

Not just focusing on the well-known artists in the stencil graffiti community, SGC:M attempts to bring across a distinctive main-stream feel to this art form, and covers distinctive themes and exhibitions, and presents the interaction of what the government considers 'illegal' artists and the general public, whether they are supporters or just interested in letting a wash of sharpened information caress their minds.

From the second I purchased this book up until now, writing this article, I am constantly coming across photographs of places in this city that I have walked past or sat and watched, and yet never really seen. SGC:M is better than any street directory I have ever owned...at least when I follow it's directions I know I might not be where I was aiming, but at least I'm interested in being there.

Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne retails for $55.00 AUD, and can be purchased through www.stencilgraffiticapital.com.