TAKING THE TRAIN: How Graffiti Art Became an Urban Crisis in New York City

Denied the usual outlets for making a name for themselves, young men from urban communities turned in the 1960s and early '70s to large-scale graffiti projects on subway cars—technically called "writing"—to make their mark. "When you're poor, that's all you've got," claims Iz the Wiz, one of the graffiti artists presented by Austin, a Bowling Green University professor of popular culture. This provocative examination of urban graffiti culture's heyday suggests that "writing could have been promoted as a homegrown public art movement," but instead it was relegated, by authorities and much of the media, as vandalism. Arguing that "writing" functions as a "prestige economy," making the writer famous outside of his neighborhood, Austin examines in depth both its artistic and social meanings. From the function of networking between neighborhoods to the social difference between the Great Tradition style and the later invention of Throw Ups, Austin fills his broad canvas with such diverse issues as the history of juvenile delinquency in Manhattan; Robert Moses's legacy of urban development; how and why the New York Times changed its editorial position on graffiti; and the eventual relation of "writing" to zine and video culture. Austin's precise, witty and genial style perfectly meshes with his rigorous research and analysis. He makes the differences between emerging "bombers" and "piecers," or the social hierarchy that relegates "toy taggers" to the bottom rungs, seem vital and rife with cultural import. The Metropolitan Transit Authority's "retaking" of the trains in the mid-'80s is thus viewed as a mixed blessing at best. (Mar.)

Forecast:This exemplary study makes important contributions to understanding contemporary art, urban sociology and the culture wars, yet reads like a trade book. Heightened New York interest should broaden its appeal; look for success from New York or art-based display tables.