Stencil Art

Stencil art has long been associated with graffiti and vandalism. Though stenciled work can be used as a type of rebellious “street art”, stencils are an under-appreciated medium for artists. They provide finished work with clean lines and the ability to exactly replicate their design multiple times.

In visual arts, stencilling is also known as pochoir. The first stencils could well be the hand and arm ‘prints’ discovered on rock walls from over 35 000 years ago, where pigment was blown over a solid (the hand or arm) leaving a silhouetted image. The hands and arms that were discovered on rock wall 35 000 years ago used a stencil technique blowing pigment was blown over a hand or arm. The technique has been employed throughout history in many forms in many cultures for example Japanese textile printing, miniature shadow masks and screen printing.