The story of the birth of the subway graffiti movement in New York in the words of twelve infamous writers, capturing all the raw, explosive creativity of that era.

Here are authentic first-person accounts from the graffiti writers and artists whose creative genius fuelled the earliest flowering of the movement in late 1970s and early 1980s New York. Henry Chalfant’s photographs in Subway Art inspired budding graffiti writers around the world; now read the stories behind those iconic images in the words of the pioneers of the graffiti movement.

In the late 1970s, New York City was bankrupt, dirty and dangerous. Born on these grimy streets, graffiti rapidly made its mark. Here, twelve legendary graffiti writers – Bil Rock, Breezer, Daze, Jon One, Kel, KR, Lady Pink, Sak, Sharp, Skeme, Spin and Team – give first-person accounts of their experiences. Individually interviewed for this book by Sacha Jenkins, they reveal an authentic, unparalleled insight into the golden age of graffiti.