In the text that accompanies this bilingual book (which is better left unread) artist Barry McGee claims that in the past 10 years, it would have been impossible for any resident of Milan to miss the work of graffiti artist Dumbo. Though the book presents no evidence of the prolific efforts it would take to meet that claim, it does offer an enjoyable photo-essay of Dumbo’s life and Italian graffiti culture. Of unknown age and birth name, Dumbo has a signature that isn’t as straightforward as Shepard Fairey’s “Obey Giant,” WK Interact’s unique black and white figures, or even Neck Face’s family of hairy characters. In lieu of facts, history, or worthwhile dialog, we’re given an overview that reads as a “day in the life” of Dumbo and friends—tags, throw-ups, trains, murals, beer bottles, paint-stained fingers, and cheap sneakers come together as an extended, and more finely organized, MySpace page.
-Chris Force
Dumbo: Acts of Vandalism and Stories of Love
Barry McGee, Federico Saricia, Kryi Chenven
Hardcover, 136 pages
$35, Damiani