Spray Nation by Martha Cooper

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archives of one of the most renowned graffiti photographers of all time, comes this remarkable collection of previously unpublished images of New York’s graffiti scene in the 1980s.

 
Spending 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.