New York Graffiti in the 80s
A brief look into the history of New York's graffiti during the 1980s.
The Rise of Graffiti
Graffiti originated in 1967 in Philadelphia, where it then influenced New York City. The impact graffiti had was international, affecting the New York subway first. It rapidly evolved into tags written on subway cars, buildings, and eventually all over the city. New York City artists tagged their names across the city, with all sorts of shapes and colors on their names. The cleanup of graffiti, however, was proven difficult, as artists kept punching out new vandalism feats faster than they could erase.
Across the Cars
Street artists in the 80s eventually coated every subway car with bright, colorful paint. Graffiti was a way of life for some, and it was a way to create names for themselves and to bring brightness to the subway cars and yards. The photo above shows three well known street artists in a subway yard lot. The yard lots were a popular place for graffiti artists, who were able to showcase their art on the sides of trains in the lots. However, the city wanted the artists gone, and created the "Clean Car Program" which basically meant any newly tagged car would be cleaned within two hours or would be out of service for the public. The operation worked 24/7 in order to clean the streets of the city and to reinstate order. In places like the Bronx, many artists hit up abandoned buildings due to the disorder during the time. "Min, Duro and Shy 147 at the New Lots Yards, the Bronx, 1981" by Martha Cooper
Underground Operation
As the subway car era came to an end, next came the subway tracks. Many artists moved to the tracks due to the Clean Car Program, where most of the cars were cleaned by 1989. However, the cleaners were not able to protect the entire city, as artists moved to the underground. The tunnels became an array of artworks, much like a museum. Now they were able to take their time on their work, being able to perfect it while not having to look over their shoulder. The underground tunnels evolved into modern graffiti, where commissioned street art began to take place.
"Dez on lookout with a baseball bat in the 3 Yard, Manhattan, 1982" by Martha Cooper
The Ripple Effect
Manhattan, one of New York's biggest cities, is one of the most important graffiti places as it harbors the most graffiti out of any other city. This hub of inspiration was a home for many local New York City artists, where graffiti techniques such as the "bubble" style was born. The art style inspired the music community and many other artists, which created a culture of appreciation for graffiti. Between 1967-1989, New York harbored artists that inspired those across the globe. Graffiti is still one of the most popular art forms today with many artists partaking in modern-day commissions.
"‘World War III,’ CC Yard, the Bronx, 1982" by Martha Cooper