Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York’s Urban Underground, a new book from NYU Press, will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. at New York University’s Fales Library, 3rd floor of the NYU Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South. Author Gregory J. Snyder, assistant professor of sociology at Baruch College, CUNY, will be on hand to read and discuss his intriguing look at this urban street art. The event is free and open to the public; to make a reservation, email betsy.steve@nyu.edu.
Love it, or hate it, graffiti is an undeniable part of the cityscape. In Graffiti Lives, Snyder reveals a world in which kids often shoplift for spray paint, scale impossibly high places to find a great spot to “get up,” run from the police, journey into underground train tunnels, fight over turf, and spend countless hours perfecting their style. This book is ultimately an exploration into how graffiti writers define themselves. He discovers that although numerous public officials think graffiti writing will only lead to other criminal activity, many graffiti writers have turned their youthful exploits into adult careers - from professional aerosol muralists and fine artists to designers of all kinds, employed in such fields as tattooing, studio art, magazine production, fashion, and guerilla marketing.
Visit www.nyupress.org/graffiti to view images from the Graffiti Lives “blackbook.”