Black Book Masters NYCs Black Book Culture Hardcover

New York City Black Book Masters presents a visual feast of ca. 170 drawings, outlines and burners from the personal collections and black book archives of New York’s finest old school and new school graffiti writers, collected and complied by Alain “KET” Maridueña and From Here To Fame Publishing. We are allowed a privileged glimpse into a usually closed off and private world—the world of a writer’s personal black book—with this wonderful collection of candid and playful pieces that date from 1976 through to 2009. Through the working ideas and drawings that are represented we can see not only the generational differences in styles and execution but also another side to our graffiti heroes, a more intimate and personal one. From Here To Fame Publishing believe it is essential that all aspects of writing culture be preserved to ensure that the real history of graffiti culture is not lost and can be shared with the newer generations of writers and art enthusiasts alike. With that in mind they offer New York City Black Book Masters—a delightful treasure.

"The black book has been around since the beginning of my career and still exists as a staple for any real writer. It’s a tool of the trade. It just started out as a tool to get your peers’ autographs but then as time progressed, it became a staple for preparation; somewhere you could document work, draw in at any time and get really, really explicit in." PART ONE

"Aside from the practice—which surely shows on the wall—owning a full black book packed with fresh graffiti drawings is like having a museum-quality art collection in a handy carrying case." YES 2