AN Oxford writer has published a book documenting the colourful street art that adorns the Argentine capital – and has a message for our city’s notorious graffiti artist SOAK.

Matt Fox-Tucker is the author of Textura Dos: Buenos Aires Street Art, compiled in six months of travels around the South American city with photographer Guilherme Zauith.

The 37-year-old grew up in Iffley village and moved to Buenos Aires last year.

He said: “We explored all the different neighbourhoods of the city and the book includes the best photographs of street art we discovered in these different barrios.”

He said the colourful depictions of the female form, animals and historical figures are a world away from the stark SOAK tag that has hit Oxford’s streets.

He said: “I think you have to make a distinction between tagging and street art, where elaborate images are created.

“Tagging can be a blight and an eyesore and in Britain people like their buildings to stay clean and fresh.

“I’m not anti-graffiti but I think local councils could do more to provide areas where people can paint.

“SOAK had to creep around in the dead of night but in Buenos Aires the police and government have bigger problems to worry about, so they don’t try to pursue graffiti artists.”

Mr Fox-Tucker visited Oxford last month and said he was impressed by street art in the Cowley Road.

He has worked for BBC Radio Five Live as a broadcaster and producer and as a sports reporter for the Daily Mail.

He met Mr Zauith while they were taking a Spanish course at Buenos Aires University and said they hit it off over their love of the colourful world of the street artist.

He said: “We realised we had a mutual fascination for street art.”

A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage last year in connection with the SOAK graffiti and was released on bail until February 7.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk Textura Dos: Buenos Aires Street Art is published in a bilingual English and Spanish edition by Mark Batty and costs £25. It is on sale at Blackwell’s in Oxford and online through Amazon.