Gordon Matta-Clark: NYC Graffiti Archive 1972/73 Book
BEYOND THE STREETS Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Gordon Matta-Clark: NYC Graffiti Archive 1972/73, an unprecedented glimpse into the raw, untamed world of New York City's graffiti scene during the pivotal years of 1972 and 1973. Curated and edited by Roger Gastman from late artist Gordon Matta-Clark's photographic archives, the book presents over 500 never-before-seen photographs, as well as essays from Carlo McCormick, Caleb Neelon and Chris Pape, with an in-depth look at UGA, the first graffiti gallery movement in NYC.
The Graffiti Photographs of Gordon Matta-Clark
By the late 1960s, the graffiti scene in New York City had remained relatively unchanged for centuries. However, in the mid-1970s, a remarkable transformation occurred as teenagers turned ordinary graffiti into a burgeoning art form. This rapid evolution marked one of the swiftest developments in the realm of art movements. Only a limited number of forward-thinking individuals in New York recognized the potential of capturing the captivating chaos displayed on walls and subways through photography. The subset who not only recognized but also actively documented this burgeoning graffiti movement between 1970 and 1975 was quite small. Depending on your interpretation of “substantial,” this number might be in the single digits. Gordon Matta-Clark belonged to this select group, capturing over 2,000 images of New York City graffiti between 1972 and 1973.
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The 408-page cloth hardcover book will be available for pre-order starting Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 9AM PST exclusively through our online store and in-store at CONTROL Gallery during the opening of EXHIBITION 011: GRAFFITI ARCHIVE 1972/73 on March 1, 2024.