Graffiti Kings

Graffiti Kings chronicles the rise of New York City graffiti culture from 1970 to 1990 through photographs, interviews, and firsthand accounts. Author Jack Stewart documented this underground art movement for two decades, capturing its evolution from simple tags to elaborate murals on subway cars. The book presents profiles of influential graffiti writers and crews who shaped the movement, including TAKI 183, SNAKE I, and LEE. Stewart's photographs preserve now-vanished artwork and provide context for the social conditions that gave birth to this uniquely urban form of expression. This collection serves as both historical record and visual archive of a transformative period in street art and NYC culture. The raw documentation reveals how young artists developed new styles and techniques while navigating territory disputes, police crackdowns, and the physical dangers of painting trains. The work stands as a testament to the power of outsider art movements to create new visual languages and challenge established cultural hierarchies. Through Stewart's lens, readers witness how marginalized youth turned New York's infrastructure into their canvas and changed the face of contemporary art.

Readers note this book's documentation of early New York graffiti through extensive photos and first-hand accounts from the 1970s. Many appreciate Stewart's academic approach and thorough research, with one reviewer calling it "the most detailed historical record of the era." Readers highlight: - Rare photos from 1970s train yards - Comprehensive timeline of graffiti's evolution - Personal stories from original artists - Technical details about methods and materials Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - High price point ($75-200) - Limited coverage of writers outside NYC - Some photo quality issues Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (31 ratings) ThriftBooks: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) Multiple reviewers mention Stewart's decades of direct involvement gives the book authenticity, with one noting "he was there documenting it while others just read about it later." Some readers wished for more personal narratives rather than scholarly analysis.

Getting Up by Craig Castleman Documents the early history of New York subway graffiti through firsthand accounts and photographs from 1970-1975.

Subway Art by Martha Cooper, Henry Chalfant Captures the emergence of graffiti culture through photographs of New York City trains and writers during the golden age of subway painting.

Style Wars by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant Chronicles the competition between graffiti writers in 1980s New York through interviews and documentation of their work.

The History of American Graffiti by Roger Gastman, Caleb Neelon Traces graffiti's evolution from Philadelphia and New York to its spread across North America through writer interviews and rare photographs.

Freight Train Graffiti by Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland, Ian Sattler Details the parallel culture of freight train graffiti through photographs and accounts from writers who painted America's rail system.

🎨 Author Jack Stewart spent over thirty years photographing and documenting NYC subway graffiti, starting in 1973 when he was a Columbia University graduate student 📝 The book contains many never-before-published photographs of early graffiti artists and their work, including rare images of pieces that no longer exist 👥 Stewart gained unprecedented access to graffiti writers by teaching art in New York City high schools, allowing him to build trust within the community 🚇 The book chronicles the evolution of graffiti from simple "tags" to elaborate masterpieces, focusing on the pivotal period between 1973 and 1984 🎓 Stewart's research began as an academic pursuit - his doctoral dissertation at NYU focused on graffiti as an art form, making him one of the first scholars to seriously study the movement