At the height of this destructive urban phenomenon, subway cars were so completely tagged that it was nearly impossible to see out of the windows. Collection of real new york city subway graffiti dont forget the good old times and roots. It was in service since 1904 and was part of the first subway. Nyc transits initial attempts to squash graffiti all failed. Stations of the elevated 1980, the earliest documentary about subway graffiti in new york city, with music by charles mingus.
Anyone who rides the subway on a regular basis has likely seen a performance from one of new york citys. Cult 80s nyc graffiti documentary stations of the elevated is rereleased. Subway graffiti here called epidemic the new york times. This is a nostalgic, visual account of the best time and place to be a graffiti writer. The film focuses in particular on how new york citys rundown metro subway systems underground tunnels in addition to uptown city streets, playgrounds and parks, parking lot walls and handball courts, etc. If i am looking for a story at all, it is in my relationship to the subject the story that tells me, rather than that i tell writes bruce davidson, who was inducted into the international photography hall of fame on november 1, 2019 the photographers critically acclaimed photo essay and book project, subway, was a voyage of discovery for the american photographer. Nyc at the amc theater thats between 7th and eight avenue.
New york, turning its subway system into their public playground and. One of the subways first color appearances is the 1949 musical on the town, shot on location. Graffiti was the ultimate escape, reflects photographer valerio polici in huck 51 the adventure issue. For the last 25 years, robert dyer has lived a double life. You would have these pieces running like this 10 cars straight, said iz the wiz, whose real name is michael martin. Features former mayor of new york city ed koch, former gang leaders and members including the ebony dukes from the gang and graffiti perspective as we were both.
Go beneath nycs streets with secret subway graffiti artists. Stations of the elevated 1980 the earliest documentary about subway graffiti in new york city, with music by charles mingus. Whenever a car was reported bombed or tagged, the ta would take it over. In just about every movie set in new york city in the 1970s and 80s theres an establishing shot with a graffiticovered subway. Shop for nyc subway art from the worlds greatest living artists. This is an informative, nostalgic look at new york subway graffiti. The word graffiti scarcely suggests, to those who have not seen them, the enormous graphics which decorate the sides of subway carsmurals which march relentlessly over doors and windows, and which may incorporate successive cars to provide the graffiti maker a larger surface on. In just about every movie set in new york city in the 1970s and 80s, theres an.
See more ideas about nyc subway, nyc and new york subway. All nyc subway artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30day moneyback guarantee. The urban landscape was physically transformed by graffiti artists who invented a. One of the characters takes a fancy to miss turnstiles, a typical rider whose picture appears in many different poses on advertising placards. The documentary also breaks done some of the stereotypes of the movement. Style wars 1983 an early documentary on hip hop culture, made in new york city. Useless subway lines and subway stations, new york city, 159 replies how do you use the subway. From the moment the earliest graffiti movement made its way from philadelphia to new york city, back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, brooklyn was one of the citys key neighborhoods for further development of its turbulent history. So prolific was graffiti in the 70s, it was actually considered an act of insanity to even speak of attempting to remove any of it.
It is also a pretty grim place that the homeless rochester ny subway graffiti 2012 on vimeo. By the middle of 1989, the mta commemorated a graffitifree system, and since then, graffiti has been more of a curiosity than a problem. It got so bad that in 1983, the dullards at the mta painted hundreds of subway cars white practically begging the graffiti vandals to bomb and tag away. When in 1971, the new york times first published an article on one of the writers, taki 183, who was motiontagging the washington heights section of. The era is richly illustrated with over 235 rare, neverbeforepublished photographs accompanied by personal accounts from the writers talking about their art and recalling their wild antics. Cult 80s nyc graffiti documentary stations of the elevated is re. Looking back at the battle against subway graffiti.
Without nyc, we wouldnt have worldwide graffiti as it is today. Nice episode of 99% invisible on how new york city got rid of the graffiti on all of their subway trains. Nyc subways in 70s and 80s full of graffiti part 12 nycnostalgia. In the old abandoned subway, under the broad street bridge in rochester ny, is an amazing collection of graffiti. Ride the bronx subway through graffitis golden age in. Piece by piece 2005, a featurelength documentary on the history of san francisco graffiti from the early 1980s until the present day. Post graffiti 1984 30minute documentary about graffiti artists making the transition from the train to the art gallery. Throughout the 1990s, the times, for one, continued to proclaim the return of graffiti 1991, 1996, 1999, but the transit authority remained aggressive in combatting the problem. The 1980s were a thrilling time to be a graffiti artist in new york, with the citys defining names competing to tag subway cars. This weeks editionabout nyc subway graffitican be played below.
Subway graffiti are fast reaching what an irt conductor has called the epidemic stage here. Documentary films about graffiti documentary films about hip hop music and musicians films shot in new york state films set on the new york city subway. After all, trains were derailing nearly every two weeks. If in 1984 80% of subway carriages contained graffiti by may 1989 the mta was celebrating the network being graffitifree. For decades, authorities treated subway graffiti like it was a sanitation issue. It gave you a sense that the subways controlled by wild gangs of teenagers. Style wars captured the look and feel of new yorks ramshackle subway system as graffiti writers public playground, battleground and spectacular artistic. Style wars 1983, an early documentary on hip hop culture, made in new york city. A rare look at the graffiticovered history of nycs subway. For six years or so one of the more astonishing sights of new york has been the graffiti on the subway trains. The new york city subway has been featured prominently in many films.
First, there is beautiful footage of the new york city subway trains with small to large pieces covering the outsides. Stations of the elevated 1980 the earliest documentary about subway graffiti in new. Twentyfive years ago today nyct subways became graffitifree. A subway graffiti artists last work, in the bronx the. Watching my name go by 1976 new york city graffiti documentary hd duration. Click this link for more information rubble kings, early new york city outlaw culture. Inside the career of a prolific new york graffiti artist. Includes interviews with graffiti artists and break dancers, along with documentary footage. His photographs record hundreds of ephemeral art works that have long since. This is a vintage film about the early days of original 1970s new. Nyc subways in 70s and 80s full of graffiti part 12 youtube. This is the story of how it ended up in a state of emergency.
Cavs, immersed themselves in the graffiti scene in the boogie down bronx, dutifully photographing hundreds of pieces on nowdiscontinued mta subway cars and capturing their proud comrades before, during, and after the act. The surprising history of graffiti on nyc subways cars and. Wild style 1983 a drama about hip hop and graffiti culture in new york city. Learn the history of graffiti and how it has evolved from an irritation into an appreciated artform. In 1981, guard dogs and a double set of tenfoot high fences were deployed at the corona yard in queens. Just a few blocks from the 96th street subway station along the 123 lines sits the abandoned 91st street station. He became one of the foremost authorities on new york subway art and other aspects of urban youth culture. Here are the ten most fascinating documentaries and fictional street art. Nyc subway dancers open up in a new documentary curbed ny. Bomb the system 2006 a drama about a crew of graffiti artists in.
The new york city subway has the worst ontime performance of any major rapid transit system in the world. Why new york city has to beat the cancer of graffiti. On june 12, the graffiti artist iz the wiz had a rare show of his work at the tuff city graffiti and tattoo studio in the bronx, in which he spraypainted a mockup subway facade with his bubbleletter iz repeatedly. Brothers kenny and paul cavalieri captured their work in this. Meanwhile graffiti art has made an incredible impact. That graffiti was like illegible technicolor hieroglyphics a language that even most new yorkers couldnt read. I worked as an executive for the mta in the mid 1980s and am going to disagree with the broken windows theory, and say improved subway car technology and storage yard security made the difference. 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. Choose your favorite nyc subway designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more. See more ideas about graffiti, nyc subway and graffiti art. Stations of the elevated is available to stream online and limited. More nyc subway graffiti, 19831989 this is a nostalgic, visual account of the best time and place to be a graffiti writer.
Antisemitic graffiti tops nyc subway hate crimes 22 of 31 incidents since start of 2017 targeted jews. Mid 1970s new york subway graffiti history video put together by rudy. Cavs, immersed themselves in the graffiti scene in the boogie down bronx, dutifully photographing hundreds of pieces on nowdiscontinued mta subway cars and. The abandoned 91st street subway station on the 1 line in nyc. Gunn believed that graffiti was a symptom of larger systemic problems.
1086 1186 317 887 132 1345 1669 1327 1179 1428 155 867 37 376 749 764 111 394 808 1470 353 85 1306 840 1321 778 1356 1223 1591 1157 1490 485 1027 950 756 694 439 309 153