
Tag Town
The Evolution of New York Graffiti Writing 1963-1982
Martha Cooper(Author)
Dokument Press
Published on 23. April 2026
Book
Hardback
108 pages
978-91-89944-13-8 (ISBN)
Description
From Taki to Basquiat - discover the roots of New York graffiti in Martha Cooper's iconic photos.
While graffiti has grown into the largest art movement in history, for every writer it began with their tag, the essential core of the art form.
In Tag Town, renowned documentary photographer Martha Cooper traces New York City's distinctive style writing from the 1970s through the early 1980s, capturing the development of tagging as the foundation of modern graffiti writing. Her photographs open the door to understanding the culture's aesthetics and communication.
The book includes rare street pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf, whose early work helped shape the rise of street art, as well as quotes from graffiti pioneers Blade and Snake 1. Long out of print since its first release in 2008, this photographic chronicle explores the evolution of styles, signatures, and street presence offering a vital historical record of urban creativity in public space.
While graffiti has grown into the largest art movement in history, for every writer it began with their tag, the essential core of the art form.
In Tag Town, renowned documentary photographer Martha Cooper traces New York City's distinctive style writing from the 1970s through the early 1980s, capturing the development of tagging as the foundation of modern graffiti writing. Her photographs open the door to understanding the culture's aesthetics and communication.
The book includes rare street pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf, whose early work helped shape the rise of street art, as well as quotes from graffiti pioneers Blade and Snake 1. Long out of print since its first release in 2008, this photographic chronicle explores the evolution of styles, signatures, and street presence offering a vital historical record of urban creativity in public space.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Arsta
Sweden
Publishing group
Dokument Forlag
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 174 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
490 gr
ISBN-13
978-91-89944-13-8 (9789189944138)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Martha Cooper is a photographer with a focus on documenting subcultures. After more than fifteen books and countless exhibitions around the world she is one of the most important portrayals of street life and urban culture today. Martha Cooper's previous books include Subway Art, Tag Town, Hip Hop Files, New York State of Mind, Street Play, One Week with 1UP and Spray Nation.