Over this past winter, when New York City became
almost too unbearable to go outside, we sat down to work on a series of new
projects. One of the projects that we became extremely excited about is
something that we’re calling “ href="http://www.woostercollective.com/specialeditions.html">Wooster Special
Editions”.

The idea behind the Special Editions project is
fairly simple: choose a series of our favorite art books - most often artist’s
monographs and limited editions - and then work with the artist to develop a
Special Edition of the book that would then be offered exclusively from the
Wooster Collective website.

So today we’re extremely pleased to
launch the “ href="http://www.woostercollective.com/specialeditions.html">Wooster Special
Editions” series with a Special Edition of REVOLUTION DE PAPEL, the first
and only book to give an in-depth look into Bast’s work on city streets around
the world.  The book, produced by Faile, is filled with images from Bast’s
prolific work on the streets.

This “Wooster Special Edition” of comes signed by the artist and
also includes one unbound 8.5” x 11” signed print.

If you walk the streets of New York, then you are probably
familiar with the artwork of Bast. Bast’s work has had a strong influence on
many artists. Last week Swoon told us that when she started putting work on the
street, Bast was one of her first inspirations.

Banksy has said of
Bast:

“Bast is an artist who represents for Brooklyn. He does
this by writing ‘BAST-BROOKLYN’ on other people’s property (and in one case when
visiting London the side of a moving red double decker bus). He does this by
speaking with a deep Williamsburg drawl that makes Al Pacino sound like a girl,
but mainly he does it by making art that actually feels like Brooklyn. The
borough is said to contain every culture and race that exists on planet earth
but that doesn’t necessarily make it interesting - so does the United Nations
building but who wants to look at that? The key to Bast’s appeal is not being
very responsible. The work isn’t so much a ‘melting pot’ of culture as a food
blender, set on max and left until the motor burns out. His art is fast and
loose and cheap, which is strangely why it endures, it’s punchy and it has
value. As the great disgraced film producer Robert Evans once said “Its
irreverence that makes things sizzle, its irreverence that gives you the chance
of truly touching magic…”

Shepard Fairey has said:
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“I can’t remember exactly when I first started seeing Bast’s work
on the street but I know it was a good while back… maybe six or seven years.
Being a fan of Motorhead and Spinal Tap, at first I just thought it was funny
that Bast used an umlaut in his name, which I instinctively read as Bast even
though the umlaut suggested Baste would be the proper pronunciation. The
pronunciation dilemma alone now had me thinking about Bast’s work, and as I
discovered more Bast posters and stencils juxtaposing his name with loaded
imagery of dictators, guns, and corporate logos, etc… I found myself
frustrated trying to interpret it, but amused by the idea of the aggravation it
might cause an uptight person. In the end I just accepted the work as a pop
culture regurgitation that added beautiful texture to the street and stimulated
a free association in the viewer that may not have anything to do with Bast’s
inspiration or intention. Bast’s images look somewhat random, which in turn
makes the work feel very punk and a bit nihilistic, but the design sense is very
pleasing and I’m sure considered. I would call the overall feel ‘organized
chaos’ in the same realm as Rauschenberg but using the street as the canvas. The
textures that Bast uses in his work as well as those on the surfaces he
integrates his pieces into give an instant sense of nostalgia and decay. Bast
places his work on buildings and in alleys where the art actually adds life and
improves the surfaces. Walking the streets of Manhattan or Brooklyn I’ve often
thought I’ve found some obscure uncharted street art territory only to discover
that Bast has beaten me to it. Bast’s work inhabits NY in a way that only a true
local who loves the city can execute.”

If you’re planning on
attending the street art walking tour later this month, you’ll see lots of work
by Bast. The book is a terrific companion to the tour.

We’re working
hard on the next group of books that will be included in the “Wooster Special
Editons” collection. Upcoming books include titles from Shepard Fairey and
Martha Cooper. You can purchase the Wooster Special Edition of Bast’s Revolucion
De Papel href="http://www.woostercollective.com/specialeditions.html">here.