The Faith of Graffiti

The Legendary Book is Back in Print: 12/22/09

It may seem surprising now, but there was a time when graffiti wasn’t the venerated subject of gallery shows and graduate school dissertations. In 1974, it was a fact of life for the urban commuter, and a quick way to land yourself in lockup for the writer. As Norman Mailer wrote in THE FAITH OF GRAFFITI:

There was a panic in the act, a species of writing with an eye over one’s shoulder for the oncoming of the authority. The Transit Authority cops would beat you if they caught you, or drag you to court, or both, and the judge donning robes of Solomon would condemn the early prisoners with the command to clean the cars and subway stations of the name.

The Name is what early graffiti was about. There was no Banksy, with his critically praised, tongue-in-cheek urinating bobby and “balloon boy” prognostications. These were kids–generally marginalized and without a voice–who were taking it upon themselves to express their ego with a can of spray paint. When Mailer pressed an early writer, Cay 161, for the essence of graffiti, he replied:

The name is the faith of graffiti.

Hence an iconic book, featuring Jon Naar’s legendary photos of New York’s most prolific graffiti artists–their work, their neighborhoods, the writers themselves–had a name. It became a classic, then fell out of print. Now it’s back, with dozens of additional photos, and this time it’s born into a world that sees graffiti much differently. The subway cars have been scrubbed clean, like most of New York, thanks to Mr. Giuliani and his urban soldiers’ efforts. But after 35 years, this early graffiti has gained a nostalgia patina, showing up in museum shows, on billboards, and on street gear like these incredible t-shirts from the Stüssy x Jon Naar collection (thanks to our friends at Stüssy for the fantastic video above as well).

Graffiti: Art? Crime? Both? There’s still no definitive answer, and you’ll have to read Mailer’s insightful essay to get his particular take on it. Regardless, it’s come a long way from the streets and subway stations of the Bronx, and THE FAITH OF GRAFFITI is an illuminating and beautiful look at graffiti’s humble origins.

Stay tuned for more FAITH OF GRAFFITI news in the coming weeks.