Let’s just say I’ve never been a huge fan of graffiti. Marring public spaces, designed for everyone’s enjoyment seems unfair. But call it “street art” and it’s more palatable, conjuring up the savory fare of street food and the colorful wares offered by street vendors.
There is a whole sociological backstory to the proliferation of graffiti. The book’s Foreword hints at it by mentioning the urban explosion of graffiti in the 1960s, no doubt fueled by the culture of protest.
This Getty Research Institute book features the work of 151 Los Angeles street artists who created special works on paper for the book. The text is minimal, but enough to explain the significance of the artistic and cultural themes that inform the various artists’ styles.
L.A. Graffiti Black Book
by David Brafman
New Arrivals, 2nd Floor, NC138 .L68 L3 2021