Subway Art (Paperback)

by Martha Cooper (Author), Henry Chalfant (Author) "While thousands of kids are writing their names on every available surface in New York City, masterpieces such as appear on these pages are relatively..." (more)
Key Phrases: graffiti writers, whole car, South Bronx, Lady Pink

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Two gifted photographers have documented every aspect of this extraordinary urban subculture, complete with 239 full-color photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (September 15, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805006788
• ISBN-13: 978-0805006780
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,861 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential and important, May 4, 2000

By	"joe_momma" (La Puente, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

The epitome of classic NYC graffiti, Subway Art has become the veritable Bible for this particular subculture that has exploded around the United States, and also the world ( just to name a few: Germany, Iceland, Denmark, Amsterdam, France, and Japan ). Contained herein are the masterpeices by the Kings of the Line, Dondi ( R.I.P. ), Blade, Lee, Kase, Seen, Lady Pink and a host of others. The pictures are large and there are some fold-outs, capturing the SIZE and LENGTH of what are basically moving steel masterpeices. There is a brief line or two about tags and throw-ups, but the book concentrates more on top-to-bottoms, window-to-bottoms, and whole cars. What is important about this book is its documentation of an up and coming subculture that basically gave a big EFF YOU to an environment that was comparable to some 3rd world countries by creating an art that was not only dangerous ( in its execution ), but creative, and beautiful. The message that "we are here, and WE SHALL BOMB", in SPITE of Transit Authoriy and the indifferent system which placed them there is characteristic of adversity which spawns creativity ( the same adversity that created Hip-Hop ) . An important peice of work, and a must for art afficiandos and graf & hip-hop heads alike.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 out of 10 no doubt, July 2, 2002

By	"zealone" (canberra, act Australia) - See all my reviews

this book along with spraycan art,getting up,stylewars,wild style,beat street,countless video clips & so on started the world wide graffiti and hip hop culture. when i first got this book seven years ago ive spent a good 20 hours studying it. this book is well known as the most stolen book in the u.k from the set of two " graff bibles " spraycan art being the other one if you don't have this book and you like old school ny trains from where it all started you really need to get this book MUST BUY.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whos who in old school graffiti!, January 10, 2000

By	Mattis Talleras (Oslo,Norway) - See all my reviews

Meet the real writers who started it all! On location footage and tons of old school graffiti flavor makes this book just about as real as it gets. Check out the old school writers and their early masterpieces. Dondi, Skeme,Futura,Lady Pink and Zephyr are just a few of the kings of the New York Metro System you'll get to meet in this bible for studying the styles and the people who made graffiti what it is today. Wanna do your graffiti homework? You'll be a graduate in old school style New York Graffiti after having read this one!