A truly dope documentation of 40 different windowdown whole cars that henry chalfant hadnt yet published even though by 2006 some of these pics were more than. Illustration from subway art by henry chalfant and martha cooper. Transit, 19771987 will feature hundreds of the artists photos, as well as a recreation of his famous soho studio. In 1984 the groundbreaking subway art brought graffiti to the world, presenting stunning. Subway art by martha cooper and henry chalfant widewalls. Thames and hudson subway art, first published in 1984 and reissued now in. Over the course of 10 years, chalfant took over 1,500 photos of graffiti art, subway cars, rappers and break dancers. Henry chalfant s graffiti archive is a work of visual anthropology and one of the seminal documents of american popular culture in the late twentieth century. Due to the quick turnaround and ephemeral nature of street art, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, chalfants photographs act as the only lasting proof of some of the finest graffiti art that no longer exists. Buy a cheap copy of subway art book by henry chalfant. A handful of chalfants photos have been featured in such books.
But the best of the trains live on, in an updated, largeformat 25thanniversary edition, to be published next month by. Subway art by martha cooper and henry chalfant in 1984, martha cooper and henry chalfant, the two of the best street art photographers, collaborated on one of the most influential and popular graffiti books, which documented the. In new introductions, authors martha cooper and henry chalfant recall how they gained entry into the new york city graffiti community in the 1970s and 1980s. Martha cooper and henry chalfants pioneering photographs. Henry chalfant is known as the most significant documentarian of new york city subway art of the late 1970s and 1980s. After many rejections, and later poor sales when it finally did get published, writes christopher lee inoa at curbed, cooper then thought. Subway art by martha cooper, henry chalfant, paperback. Subway art, created by photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant, captured the environment and the imagination of a generation by documenting the burgeoning new york city graffiti movement. Henry chalfants graffiti archives are a work of visual anthropology and one of the. His photos have appeared in many books and he has produced several documentary films on street art and urban culture. The 2009 edition of the book is now available in a new, slightly reduced format.
Subway art is a collaborative book by martha cooper and henry chalfant, which documents the early history of the new york city graffiti movement. Produced by chalfant and max hergenrother, it is the first volume of a multivolume archive comprising his entire collection of subway graffiti photographs. Starting out as a sculptor in new york in the 1970s, henry chalfant turned to photography and film to do an indepth study of hiphop culture and graffiti art. Known by many as the bible of graffiti, subway art quickly acquired the dubious accolade of becoming one of the most stolen books in the. Thirty years later, this bible of street art has been updated with over seventy photographs not. But when photographers henry chalfant and martha cooper first published subway art, their seminal photojournalistic document of the emerging art form, in 1984, the book attracted little notice. The big issue in 1984 the groundbreaking subway art brought graffiti to the world, presenting stunning photographic documentation of the burgeoning movement in new york. Henry chalfants big subway archive the new york times. A selection of 100 rare photos are on view at the bronx museum of the arts as. Granted, a lot of it was less than pleasing, and some of it was flatout bad. Henry chalfant is an american photographer and videographer well known for his work on hip hop culture.
Subway art by henry chalfant and martha cooper 2016. Subway art by henry chalfant, martha cooper, paperback. Henry chalfant also coproduced the seminal hip hop doc style wars. Cooper, martha and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. During the 1970s and 80s photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant captured the environment and the imagination of a generation by documenting the burgeoning. Originally published in 1984, the book has been described as a landmark photographic history. In 1984, photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant captured the imagination of a generation with subway art, a groundbreaking book documenting the. On june 29, 2012, chalfant released henry chalfant s big subway archive as a 200page book. The book is made even more romantic due to the way the writers met in documenting. An accomplished sculptor, henry chalfant american, b.
His photographs document hundreds of ephemeral, original artworks that have long since vanished. Subway art by martha cooper, henry chalfant waterstones. In 1984, photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant captured the imagination of a generation with subway art, a groundbreaking book. A handful of chalfant s photos have been featured in such books. Recognized as one of the most significant documentarians of subway art, chalfant s photographs and films immortalized this ephemeral art form from its bronxborn beginnings, helping to. Henry chalfant artist bio and art for sale artspace. During the 1970s and 80s, photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant captured the burgeoning new york city graffiti movement. Subway art by henry chalfant and martha cooper 1988. The book that helped graffiti go global has no more explaining to do. Transit, 19771987 through march 8 at the bronx museum of the arts, 1040 grand concourse.
Back in the 1980s much of the new york subway riding public found graffiti shocking, invasive, and offensive. Coopers collaboration with henry chalfant, a photographer and filmmaker, captured graffitis golden and assaultive years. Thirty years later, this bible of street art has been updated with over seventy photographs not included in. A seminal book on the ephemeral art that is graffiti especially on nyc subway system where it originated. The bronx museum of the arts is pleased to announce henry chalfant. The whole thing is flimsywhich, on the night of the show was probably irritating, but if you know this is what you are getting, then you can look beyond it and see this for what it is. Subway art is a collaborative book by martha cooper and henry chalfant, which documents the early history of new york citys graffiti movement. His photographs, along with the 1983 film he copro duced with tony silver, style wars, and the essential text subway art, a 1984 book coauthored with martha cooper, have immortalized this ephemeral art form and helped launch. Books subway art, martha cooper and henry chalfant, thames and.
Take a look inside subway art click on images to enlarge we may have lost the trains. New afterwords continue the story, tracing the decline of the subway and graffiti scene in the late 1980s to its unexpected rebirth as a global art movement. Henry chalfant is one of the foremost authorities on new york subway art, and other aspects of urban youth culture. One of the foremost authorities on new york subway art, and other aspects of urban youth culture, his photographs record hundreds of ephemeral, original art works that have long since vanished. Cutting right to the chase, subway art is the official guide to subway graffiti or bombing in new york. However,having visited henrys studio,i must admit that the whole car photographs in this book barely touch the tip of the iceberg. Recognized as one of the most significant documentarians of subway art, chalfants photographs and films immortalized this ephemeral art form from its bronxborn. In 1984, photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant captured the imagination of a generation with subway art, a groundbreaking book documenting the work of graffiti writers who illegally painted subway cars in new york city. The original artworks depicted here, which have been the inspiration and guide for thousands of youthful artists around the world. Martha coopershenry chalfants book subway art is well formatted and excellently photographed.
Subway art was originally published in 1984, a year after the release of the 1983 graffiti film style wars. Photographers henry chalfant and martha cooper are on point like snipers with their visual masterpiece on early subway graff. Henry chalfant is a sculptor, filmmaker, and photographer in new york. Subway art, by photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant, is a revisiting of that experience while providing a deeper understanding and wider context of an urban art that has become unstoppable in the past 30 years. The collaboration with martha cooper on the book subway art is a testament to that. Chalfant caught much of it from nascent masters like blade, crash and daze, to flashinthe pan toys. Subway art by martha cooper 9780500292129 booktopia. It has been an influential tool for many writers back then and now. Staking out subway stations and sneaking into the labyrinthine transit systems yards and tunnels, the photographers martha cooper and henry chalfant documented the early masterpieces and culture of renegade graffiti artists in the 1970s and 80s who risked their lives to mark new york citys rusty trains with their interlocking and. It sold half a million copies, becoming the movements bible and epitaph. Originally published in 1984, this book created a worldwide awareness of graffiti as a socially and artistically significant movement.
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