If you want to learn more about 'old school' New York City Graffiti, here is a list of useful resources you will find interesting. All of the films and books are available to order from Amazon.
Films
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"Style Wars" (1983) - Directed by Tony Silver.
Style Wars is the legendary hip-hop documentary filmed in 1982, depicting the graffiti phenomenon that had taken over New York City. The documentary follows writers in train yards and tunnels, and features artists like CASE 2, DURO, MIN, SEEN, SKEME, DEZ, DONDI, CAP, IZ THE WIZ, etc.
Style Wars captures the look and feel of New York's ramshackle subway system as the graffiti writers' public playground, and spectacular artistic canvas. Opposing them by every means possible were Mayor Edward Koch, the Police, and the New York Transit Authority. |
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"Wild Style" (1982) - Directed by Charlie Ahearn.
Wild Style captures New York City hip-hop at its birth. The stars of the film are today's hip-hop pioneers:
- DJs Grand Master Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore
- Rappers The Cold Crush Bros, Busy Bee, Double Trouble, Rammellzee, etc.
- Writers LEE, LADY PINK, DONDI, ZEPHYR, DAZE and many others.
The film features the different disciplines of hip-hop as it follows a group of subway artists through the train yards to rap & breakdance clubs. Wilstyle is a classic hip-hop film.
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Books
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"Subway Art"
M. Cooper and H. Chalfant,
Thames and Hudson, 1984. (ISBN:
0500273200
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"Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York"
C. Castleman, The MIT Press, 1984.
(ISBN: 0262530511)
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"Dondi White"
A. Witen and M. White, Harper
Collins, 2001. (ISBN: 0060394277)
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"Hip Hop FIles: Photographs 1979-1984"
M. Cooper, From Here to Fame, 2004.
ISBN: 3937946020
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Links
www.156allstarz.com - The 156 Crew's website. Artists include JON156, KYLE156, BANDO, DAZE, PSY, etc.
www.at149st.com - The most complete web resource on New York City Graffiti.
Bemflix Productions - New York Graffiti website. Pictures of old trains under "vintage" section.
www.bladekingofgraf.com - BLADE's website. Considered to be the Whole Car king of all time.
www.dazeworld.com - DAZE's website.
www.dondiciakings.com - DONDI's website. One of of the most stylistic and influential subway artists.
www.durocia.com - DURO's website. One of the largest collection of graffiti photographs.
www.graffiti.org/nyctrains - CAT22's website. Large collection of photographs taken by himself.
www.seenworld.com - SEEN's website. Most prolific and notorious writer of the 1980's.
www.stylewars.com - Website on Tony Silver's documentary. Beautiful design and sample videos from the film.
www.subwayoutlaws.com - Confusing design, but good web resource on New York City graffiti.
www.wildstylethemovie.com - Website to Charlie Ahearn's film Wild Style.
www.zephyrgraffiti.com - ZEPHYR's website. NYC trains, Gallery work and links to other artists.
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