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Don1, the King from Queens: The Life & Photos of a NYC Transit Graffiti Master: The Life and Photos of a NYC Transit Graffiti Master
£25.60
Among the famous graffiti artists from New York City’s 1970s subway era was an unassuming talent from the unassuming borough of Queens. The Italian-American rock and roller who wrote DON 1 MAFIA blasted onto the scene like a meteorite out of nowhere. His influence on this art form transcended the inner city and he became a legend and a household name. But his descent from the top of this name game, a result of the hedonistic lifestyle of New York City at the time, was just as swift, and for years DON1 has lived in obscurity. Fortunately, as a photographer studying at the prestigious school of Art and Design, DON1 documented his iconic work, along with that of his well known contemporaries, using his trusted 35mm camera. This penetrating work takes the reader inside the supernova that was DON1’s creative life with nearly 200 never before seen graffiti photos of the most undocumented NYC train lines and an even rarer glimpse at work from his black book.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Schiffer Publishing Ltd (US) (28 Jan. 2014) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 128 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0764345001 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0764345005 |
| Dimensions | 22.24 x 1.91 x 29.85 cm |
by Zacko
Another classic NYC writer tale. If you love getting in the time machine and reading about the old times then this book is for you. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s a crazy story for sure.
by J Weiser
Excellent delivery only critic was there was knife cut on the outer sleeve of the book apart from that I am happy with my order.
by A. Bettsworth
excellent
by Chopper
First time I’ve written a review of anything on amazon- it’s that good!
Over the past decade books have started to appear (or been re-issued) that throw a spotlight on the work of the founding fathers of writing from the decade before ‘Subway Art/Style Wars’ when styles were funkier than the later straight-jacket of wild styles and B Boy characters. This great book is another crucial piece of that puzzle.
Author Louie ‘KR.One’ Gasparro has done anyone interested in 70s graffiti a huge turn here in bringing the contribution of Don 1 M.A.F.I.A to wider attention. Don’s artistic talents were spotted early and he was encouraged to successfully apply to attend the New York school of Art & Design, a hotbed of pioneering writing talent (the book contains some photos of the ‘boys room’ at A&D!). There he developed his writing skills and networked with top writers of the day and importantly for this book, learnt photography. The book contains some killer shots of the artist and his writing partners at work as well as his own photos documenting his incredible blazing tags, pieces and some killer black book work alongside examples of great pieces from the likes of Lee TF5 (busting letter styles in panel pieces rather than his more familiar mural work), Butch TFP and more.
Interviews with leading style writers of the day (Lee, Chain 3, Team, Inca, etc) demonstrate the influence Don had on his contemporaries and on the next generation of writers like Dondi. The book emphasizes how rare this was for a white writer representing Astoria, Queens writing on the BMTs – many writers assuming he was from the Bronx and the more prestigious IRT lines. NYC in the mid 70s leaps off the page.
All respect due to the Godfather, Don 1 M.A.F.I.A and K.R One for this fantastic book. Now if anyone can find that BBC/PBS 1975 documentary on graff with the footage of Don painting a handball court….