Martha Cooper

Graffiti has spread to the far corners of the earth and in the process has become the biggest art movement in history and every graffiti writer began his or her writing career with a tag. Developing an original, consistently written name is the primary act for a writer.
The photos in Tag Town, dating back to the 60’s, introduce us to the origins of New York style graffiti. Tags and pieces share a common heritage and by understanding one, you can understand the other. For those who learn to read tags, a world of aesthetic expression and communication opens up. Tags are a universal language – the jazz of lettering.
Tag Town also contains rare photos of work on the street by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf, artists whose tag-inspired work helped found the rapidly growing street art movement.
The accompanying text is based on interviews with New York graffiti pioneers Blade, Part 1 and Snake 1.
Martha Cooper has specialized in photographing urban art and architecture in New York City for thirty years.