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Today street art is a global cultural industry led by such superstars as Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Kaws—artist who’ve not only won widespread renown, but also corporate sponsorships and shows from major museums. Like many such phenomena (rock and roll comes to mind), street art had humble beginnings on the margins of society. That origin story is recalled in filmmaker Roger Gastman’s documentary, Wall Writers: Graffiti in its Innocence, which is being screened at the SVA Theater on Friday.
Narrated by national treasure John Waters, Wall Writers goes way back in the day to the early 1970s, when bunch of mostly black and Latino teenagers with no money, no prospects, no parental guidance and too much time on their hands decided to make a name for themselves literally—by writing their noms de guerre on just about every surface in every public place they could find. Born in The Bronx and Philadelphia, tagging, as it came to be known, became a sensation with the largely white media promoting its practitioners, while also excoriating them as vandals. Graffiti took over New York, covering building exteriors, signs, lampposts and of course, the subway, where almost every square inch of the transit system was covered with tags done in spray paint and felt markers.
Wall Writers revisits the pioneers of the form—including tagging legends Cornbread and TAKI 138—with contemporary interviews supplementing vintage photos and footage. The film touches upon their ambitions and run-ins with the authorities, but also frames their story as a universal tale of youthful bravado and energy. Check out the trailer below.
WALL WRITERS Trailer from R. Rock Enterprises on Vimeo.