Culled from the extensive archives of one of the most renowned graffiti photographers of all time comes this remarkable collection of previously unpublished images of New York’s graffiti scene in the 1980s. If you were a graffiti writer in 1980s New York City, you wanted Martha Cooper to document your work—and she probably did. Cooper has spent decades immortalizing art that is often overlooked, and usually illegal. Her first book, 1984’s Subway Art (a collaboration with Henry Chalfant), is affectionately referred to by graffiti artists as the “bible”. To create Spray Nation, Cooper and editor Roger Gastman pored through hundreds of thousands of 35mm Kodachrome slides, painstakingly selecting and digitizing them. The photos range from obscure tags to portraits, action shots, walls, and painted subway cars. They are accompanied by heartfelt essays celebrating Cooper’s drive, spirit, and singular vision. The images capture a gritty New York era that is gone forever. And although the original pieces (as well as many of their creators) have been lost, these powerful photos feel as immediate as a subway train thundering down the tracks.

"Spray Nation is a dynamic collection of hundreds of previously unpublished images taken in the 1980s by renowned photographer Martha Cooper. Her rare photos, including tags, portraits, action shots, walls and painted subway cars, capture the golden age of graffiti and its practitioners at a time when few people were paying attention"--publisher.

1UP (One United Power) is a name which provokes different emotions within the Graffiti scene: respect, admiration, envy, competitiveness and inspiration. It was almost 10 years ago that 1UP first appeared on the scene, producing work throughout Berlin - from small tags in the subways to large-scaled pieces on walls, skyscrapers or trains. Since they first arrived, no surface in Berlin has been guaranteed to be safe from their creative prowess.

This true story and retrospective documents the life and times of members of The Destiny Children (TDC) graffiti crew from 1985 to 2000. From Long Island, New York, The Destiny Children/Unlimited Styled Artists commemorate the 25-year history of the crew and their impact on the New York City subway graffiti era. This large collector's book is loaded with 500 color images of original art ranging from burners on hand ball courts to pieces on tractor trailers to works throughout the New York City subway system. Works by many established NYC graffiti artists are featured, including founding members DC3 and SHO. Other original members featured are ZOO, SHOROZ, BEAVER, LAE, LAC2, ROE, DOOJ, SHIM, and ONE2. Works by affiliated writers, ZEUS TDC, CEOS, ROZ One, SHARE 37, POKE IBM, EPIC, RECK, SKETCH, KARL TCM, DEON, BOM 5 MW, SACE RIP, MIRAGE RIP, and others are documented. Alongside the visual accounts of these artistic exploits are dozens of true stories and recollections that uncover the reality of painting in yards, lay ups, racking spray paint, fights, graffiti beefs, and police raids. See what made TDC take extraordinary risks so their street art could be seen by the public in their never-ending quest for fame. An ideal history for artists, art historians, street art enthusiasts, anthropologists, and urban dwellers.

As dazzling as the art it celebrates, this volume is packed with 1,000 full-color illustrations and features in-depth interviews with more than 125 train artists and "writers" to provide unprecedented perspective into graffiti.

"Getting Up" is the term used by graffiti "artists" to describe their success in making their mark on the New York subway system. Through candid interviews, New Yorker Craig Castleman documents the inside story of the lives and activities of these young graffitists.