NYC graffiti culture was exploding in the late ‘70s. The outlaw art form continued to spread like a virus as train-painting writers evolved the craft with increasingly complex lettering and the incorporation of more and more imagery into their productions.
Take one look at the collections of subway graffiti photos shot by photographers Jon Naar, Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper, and you can see the steady progression of handstyles with each passing year. With all its vibrance and energy, it’s no wonder the first American art movement started by kids for kids, quickly garnered worldwide recognition, as their “wild style” creations were beamed around the world by broadcast media and books.