'Many of the images are today iconic masterpieces … one of the most influential art books of its time’ Eye Magazine In 1984, the groundbreaking Subway Art brought graffiti to the world. 30 years on, the bible of the street-art movement is back and better than ever. • With over 70 fresh photographs not included in the original edition. • In new introductions Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant recall how they gained entry to the New York City graffiti community in the 1970s and 1980s. • New afterwords continue the story from the decline of the subway graffiti scene in the late 1980s to its unexpected rebirth as a global art movement. • The authors bring us up to date on how the lives of the original subway artists have unfolded, and mourn the loss of several writers to the darker forces of the street.
Documenting the work of graffiti writers who illegally painted subway cars in New York City, the authors recall how they gained entry to the New York graffiti community in the 1970s and 1980s and describe the techniques that they used to photograph it.
