Product Description

Presents photographs documenting New York graffiti's emergence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #169567 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-01
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 173 pages

Review
'The book is beautifully produced, with stunning photos and an authoritative introduction.''... a real treat for graffiti fans...''... an invaluable reference as well as a visual feast of great photography.'Total Tatoo, September 2007'... this book scores highly in the authenticity stakes...''The atmospheric shots... reveal a New York that's long gone...''...its simplicity and spontaneity (along with the massive afros) make you feel nostalgic for a more innocent time.'Grafik, August 2007

Customer Reviews

The Birth of Graffiti
A couple of weeks ago I was leafing through some of graffiti books in in a bookshop. Most of them looked pretty ok, mainly pictures of well manicured stencil spray can art. A lot of these images I have seen hundreds of times before in glossy mags and on TV. One book immediately caught my attention. It was this book, The Birth of Graffiti. I purchased it without hesitation.

John Naar treats his subject matter with complete dignity. Not only does he photograph the early forms of urban street art (and what we know now as graffiti), but he also documents the people and spirit behind it. His style is simple and beautiful. There are no sentimental or nostalgic streetscapes here. The exact era and locations are sometimes difficult to define, which leads to a timeless quality. It's great to see such gritty, clear, and honest creativity documented so well in these images. A truly fascinating book.

Great insight into how graffiti started.
I bought this book for my 19 year old son who is a 'graffiti artist'. I read it first and found it very informative and interesting. It focuses on young graffiti writers in New York in the 1970's. There are lots of lovely photos demonstrating their tags and art all over NYC. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in graffiti. The morale of the story is that the original 'writers' moved on and became graphic designers, teachers, fashion designers etc...