Against the Wall

Overview

Art that connects on a wall that divides

Featuring the work of acclaimed artists such as Banksy, Ron English, and Blu, as well as Palestinian artists and activists, the photographs in this collection express outrage, compassion, and touching humor while illustrating the lives and livelihoods of the tens of thousands of people affected by Israel's wall. This stunning book of photographs details the graffiti and art that have transformed Israel's Wall of Separation into a canvas of symbolic resistance and solidarity. The compelling images are interspersed with vignettes of the people whose lives are affected by the wall and who suffer due to a lack of work, education, and vital medical care.

Reviews

“The wall stands as a dreadful symbol of oppression. The spirit of resistance may be strong but Palestinians need international support. I hope this book makes that more likely.” —KEN LOACH, filmmaker

“This book will help eventually pull down the wall.” —DAMON ALBARN, musician

“A singular achievement—both a stunning photographic essay of how Israel’s concrete wall has cut into Palestinian land and strangled whole communities and a powerful visual record of how local and international graffiti artists have battered it with their only weapons, paint and spray cans.” —JOE SACCO, author of Palestine and Footnotes in Gaza

“A remarkable book documenting a vast and ultimately self-defeating act of injustice. It records a growing series of creative and flexible responses to that injustice. . . . It is an angry, funny, determined reminder that nothing lasts forever.” —A.L. KENNEDY, writer and comedian

“[The wall] is the largest protest banner the world has ever known. . . . By engaging with it practically and imaginatively William Parry has produced an outstanding example of cultural resistance.” —AHDAF SOUEIF, author of The Map of Love

“A marvellous exposition of Palestinian wall art, evocative and compelling.” —GHADA KARMI, author of Married to Another Man: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine

Author Biography

William Parry is a London-based freelance journalist and photographer whose work has been featured in the Guardian and the Independent. He has worked and traveled extensively in the Middle East.