12oz. Prophet has been the undisputed, premiere name in graf for the last 10 years. Their early issues are highly sought after, and were the first to introduce us to Barry McGee, Reas, Os Gemeos, Struggle Inc (who shared layout responsibilities) and...
expand review others. Then they switched the game with The Vapors (not affiliated with the skate magazine), which gave the official indicator that the scene had shifted towards bombing. After a couple years of hibernation, the 12oz. crew is back, this time reinventing the self-published book with this super-deluxe (an understatement) thing. I've never seen so many extra-levels of printing dexterity (budget was obviously not a factor). Almost every page is laced with special 5th color inks, stock changes, or special folds. It's quite ridiculous, the low-budget graf zine has officially been deaded. In addition to all the top notch bombing photography, there is a nice chunk of design and art here like exclusive layouts by longtime 12oz. collaborators Futura, Kaws, and Reas. Extras include a sticker sheet, die-cut stickers, access number for the exclusive site, and more. There's also some of the super-limited silver copies mixed in our shipment (they ship randomly). Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
Y'all know the deal with Also Known As by now, 12oz. Prophet crew's top notch graf zine of the moment. Volume 1.5 is like a miniature version (6" x 6.5") of the original edition, complete with the super-deluxe printing techniques, high-quality photography...
expand review and all the extras (this time for a fraction of the price). Expect only the best shots from the biggest names in the game - Futura, Kaws, Reas, Barry McGee plus some of NYC's lesser-known bombers on the rise. If you've never seen out the first volume, you must check this out, if anything just to see the insane print techniques used on every page. Comes packaged in a sealed silver baggy with bonus stickers. 100 pages deep.
The sequel to the Lab Bestseller. The first Art of Rebellion book was next level when it came to graf books: super-clean design and photography, the highest quality work, and representation from all around the world. #2 builds upon that formula with...
expand review a larger format and more quality content. The concentration of work is based around outdoor, illegal works (some of it spills into galleries). They focus on the clever, spotlighting those works that bring context and location into play (think Banksy). Top notch once again. Recommended. -the mgmnt
The definitive book on Banksy's work. This guy is now an official art superstar- I went to that show he did in Los Angeles a couple months back and shit was bonkers. 300 yard lines to get in, Brangelina buying up nearly...
expand review everything on the opening night, a painted live elephant, huge newspaper coverage, the whole deal. I mean this guy is MAJOR now. And while he's released three small picture books, this is the only true compendium of his work in print. It chronicles all his major works & mediums, from the beginning monkey stencils up to his full blown "street sculptures", brand burning and political work, peppered with writing, advice, explanations and such. I personally don't get off much on his fame or images, but I'm continually impressed with the scope and impact of his projects. Wherever you stand on his work, this shit is thought provoking, powerful and out there for people to experience- which is the most important thing. 210 pages, full color, soft cover. Recommended. -the mgmnt
"Donde Esta Mi Corazon" is like a gallery tour of the unique street art and graffiti culture from South America. Most of the work is from Chilean artist Basco (who works with a lot of colorful native imagery - skeletons, religious icons,...
expand review animals, etc), but there are also several pages of photos, collages, murals, and collabos with notable South American artists like Os Gemeos, Agotok, Herbert Baglione and photographer Paloma. Even if you've seen a dozen street art books, this one is unique in that there is a distinct DIY feel with an obvious Latin influence to the art. 96 pages, hardcover. -snackmaster
LAB EXCLUSIVO: Each copy of purchased from the Lab is signed by CLAW MONEY herself. Get it while supplies last.
CLAW MONEY pretty much runs things. Not only is she one of the few female graf queens (her infamous CLAW icon has...
expand review appeared on walls in the East Village to LA to Amsterdam and Milan since the early '90s), she also designs her own clothing line (with lots of her CLAW icons of course), her own jewelry and accessory line, works as a fashion editor, a brand consultant, and still has time to put out a book. Bombshell is an up close and personal look at CLAW's life and crimes, as told through tons of photos, letters, sketches, designs and testimonials from her (in)famous friends. It's clear she's having a super-fun time being CLAW MONEY - rarely have I seen so many fashionable self portraits in a graff monologue (or party pics for that matter). All I gotta say is... Damn girl, don't hurt 'em! 128 pages, hardcover. -snackmaster
Exhibition catalog from the Ill Communication 2 show held in Machester, England. The show gathered an impressive global roster that reminded me of the old 12 Oz. Prophet mags. Artists include some of my personal favorites like Os Gemeos, Espo, Lodown's Marok,...
expand review Loomit (although a little weak here), Dave Ellis aka Skwerm, Kami&Sasu and others. The book format is also of interest as each artist's section begins with a couple paragraphs (sometimes just a quote) written by the artist and a photograph of their hands (very earthy). The catalog is 64 pages and is imported from the UK. -mgmnt
Looking back at the New York City transit system during the '70s and '80s never fails to blow my mind. To those of us who have only ever known a post-Giuliani city, it can be hard to believe that the same...
expand review trains we take every day used to be so painted up that you couldn't even see out the windows. Whether you're one of those New Yorkers who longs for the wild west days of decades past or simply someone who digs learning about previous incarnations of NYC, you're gonna dig this one. Joseph Rivera was a member of the infamous Vandal Squad when it was created in the 70s, which meant his job was busting all the writers who had proliferated during the '70s and '80s. Rivera talks about the methods used by his department, and tells some pretty great stories about some of the most famous writers from that era, including REMO, REVS, SEEN, FRESH, and dozens more. As great as the narative is, the pictures that accompany it are worth the price of admission alone, and include contributions from photographers like Jamel Shabaz, Joe Conzo and Peter Sutherland. The back of the book includes a glossary and a timeline that marks all the major events related to the vandal squad and the MTA. All in all, an extremely detailed and valuable source for anyone who likes graffiti and/or New York City history. Hardcover, 168 pages. Recommended. -Hires
Since the earliest days of our books & design section (formerly known as Open Ballistics - how military chic!), we've carried this meticulously crafted zine. Born and bred in Los Angeles, Lost represents the ceiling of what you could get done with...
expand review a color printer (with a hacked card system?), a hand-cutter, and a simple binder: the ultimate DIY graf zine. After a several hiatus, we're proud to offer a new issue of Lost. This special issue serves as a retrospective and an outlook for the years 98 to 08 and features some of the best graf Los Angeles has to offer. Contributors include Adikt, Atlas, Besk, Cab, Der, Destroyer, Envy, Haeler, Ian Lynam, Jorger, Keyn, Kozem, Lolo Olivas, Luna, Pale, Patrick Martinez, 7Dee, Step One, Tempt, The Phantom, and Yem/Krenz. Spiral bound hardcover, over 100 full color pages. -the mgmnt
This is the true dope right here. If you're a true fan of graffiti, you know that all these graffiti books coming out have already been trumped by the original Subway Art book by Henry Chalfant(Style Wars director) and Martha Cooper. The...
expand review book illustrates that old school NYC was the illest breeding spot for styles and the "war" for the freshest was really what was kept the culture growing. Instead of covering the same angles, this book thoroughly elaborates on what Subway Art barely touches upon - the characters. Finally, David Villorente and Todd James(Reas) gives the subject the attention it deserves. Starting from it's humble beginnings in the 70's and 80's new wave, punk, disco had the underground on fire and hip hop was just being born. This is where subway art was becoming a culture in NY and although letter styles were taking the forefront, the characters also played an important role. Look at the impact grafitti art has had on pop culture today, it's obvious how important characters actually were. Barry McGee, Kaws, Mode they're all known today for they're characters(some are trademarked)...Shit, I'd even go as far to say that Bratz was inspired by graf! In any case, this book breaks down the science and psychology of the character's role and interviews many of the pivotal writers old and new that brought it to popularity. A perfect look for the graf enthusiast that's read about everything there is on the subject. -Cmish
Just sat down and rapped with Doug and Jason at Morning Breath Inc. and saw that they have this huge Surfboard in there with a clean-as-hell painting of a snake and roses on it by Mike Giant. When I asked him...
expand review when he did that, they replied with, "yeah, he just came one day and busted that out." That's kinda Mike in a nutshell. His perfect lined sharpie and ink pieces has befuddled artists and connoisseurs for years. They may look like a painstakingly done illustrator file, but don't be fooled, they're all handrawn (no computah here, son!). "Muerte" marks a new page in the Mike Giant saga, featuring almost 50 of his works from his show in Paris. Some may look at it as his continuing love for tattoo art and LA / SF gang culture, but there's a genuine consistency to these images. Life, mortality, sacrifice, blood, tears, love, and humanity are deep in every page, and the result is quite powerful when compiled all together. Recommended. -C'mish
LAB EXCLUSIVO: These copies are all signed by the artists. New book from our 20 Jay St neighbors! Morning Breath is Doug Cunningham (aka Dugone) and Jason Noto's design firm. These guys started working together at Think Skateboards back in 1996 and...
expand review formed MB in 2002. Since then they've done a lot of commercial work for hip hop and punk/indy projects (a lot of you will also recognize Dug from his work for the Skratch Piklz and animated movie Wavetwisters), but like most people- that's just the stuff to pay the bills. This book collects the artwork they do on the side- lots of screenprinting, illustration, painting, plus shots of them at work in the studio. Their stuff draws inspiration from tats, muscle cars, pointed push up bras and russ meyer babes, the back of comic books, bail bonds, mexican wrestlers and little kids. It's real refreshing in this world of fake irony, overused influences and "look how cool I am" bullshit. Sure you'll find plenty to smirk at in here, but it's like laughing and sharing a cigarette with a drunken stranger rather than walzing in somewhere and checking to see if anybody's looking at your sneakers. Nahmean? Approx 100 pages. -the mgmnt
SABER is a living legend. Even if you're not really up on the graf scene, you've probably heard of him. The name is known around the globe for his unbelievable "Los Angeles River" piece which is still the largest piece ever made...
expand review to this day. I've never seen it in person, but even in photos the shit blew my mind. The thing is the size of a football field and is a masterwork of color and style, plus it can be read from a plane or probably even by satellite! But there's much more to SABER than just that piece. Since creating it back in '97, his legend has only grown and flourished with his work is still very present in the streets to this day (a ridiculously sick new SABER piece just came up a few weeks ago down the street from the Lab here in Brooklyn). "Mad Society" serves as a detailed monograph of his works. It contains several pictures of his many pieces (plus his crew) with engrossing stories that go along with the art. I found myself having a hard time putting the book down while reading the epic story of the creation of the LA River piece (love will make you do crazy things!) and the crazy misadventures that surround being a graf writer (like getting impaled on a razor wire fence? Yowch!), plus SABER's thoughts on graffiti vs. fine art among many other things. This is one of those graf books in which the words speak as loudly as the pictures. 168 pages deep, softcover. Definitely Recommended. -snackmaster
Banksy is the unstoppable juggernaut of the street art world right now, straight up. With his works gaining value exponentially by the minute (from actual pieces ripped out of walls to out of print books and even records with his art on...
expand review it) it kinda makes you wonder about the history of this heralded street artist that would prefer to be anonymous. Enter "Home Sweet Home" the first book on Banksy that really delves into his roots and art stemming from his hometown of Bristol. Definitely the most revealing account of Banksy's formative years, the book features over a hundred images of his Bristol art, as well as pictures of Banksy at work (many of which have never been published before). Author Steve Wright really did his homework on this one, tracing Banksy's roots way back to the rave/hiphop culture of the 90's and painting a full portrait of the mysterious artist. "Home Sweet Home" is essential reading for any Banksy fan or anyone that ever wondered about how Banksy came up. About 105 pages, hardcover. -snackmaster
It's common knowledge that NYC was the birthplace of graffiti, but this book sheds a new light on the beginnings of the movement that has influenced everything from art, music, and pop culture. You won't find crazy wild-styles or 3-D bubble fades,...
expand review but rather the primitive scrawls and hand styles that were crucial in the evolution of graffiti. Most recognizable are early tags from graffiti pioneers "TAKI 183" and "STAY HIGH 149," but it's really all about the historic quality that all these photos possess. The book features 155 mostly unpublished photographs from master photographer Jon Naar that act as a time capsule of New York City in the mid '70s. You'll see entire walls covered in hundreds of primitive tags, early subway bombs and fill-ins, scrawilng on statues, passer-bys and the graffiti artists themselves. From cover to cover, "The Birth Of Graffiti" offers a fresh and fascinating look on how it all began. 173 pages, softcover. -snackmaster
T-Kid is one of the most celebrated writers to come out of the late-70s / early-80s New York scene, blowing up (along with everybody else) through channels like Henry Chalfant's Subway Art, the gallery scene and breakdance contests and stuff. Crazy style,...
expand review super respected, and one bad-ass ex-gang mofo. This is his story from crib to present, as told by Terrible T-Kid himself. Like similar graf autobiographies, there is a massive amount of information in here- tons of stories, photos, and artwork that document the evolution of his work as well as everything else that has happened in his life. It's well put together and continually interesting, right from the opening jacket quote: "And if you fucked with me, I fucked with you. I kinged the ones, two, and three's, the A, the B and yes, the D's, with your own paint I burned you... and all you could do was bite my style." This guy is almost 40 years old now. He's seen some shit, get on for the ride. Large format, 200 pages, full color. -the mgmnt
What is it about Brazil? Although this sounds like an intro to an MTV docudrama, it's very apparent: Brazilians have put a substantial and unique stamp on music, sports, and art in the last decade. Ok, now that I have gotten that...
expand review out of the way, I can tell you how I used to drool at Os Gemeos pieces in old issues of 12oz. Prophet (shout out to Also Known As), sitting on Frogman's toilet down on Renwick street. They were always on some different shit, sharing pages with Twist and often outshining the master of art-graf. Using Os Gemeos as a launching pad, this book sheds light on Brazil's graf world and actually gets quite deep into it. The book explores the history, the technique, Pichicao (our equivalent to tagging), bombing, lettering, trains, characters, abstract graf, and more. The writing is much better than I expected, but a peek at the credits (three knowledgeable authors inside the graf world) explained the thoroughness. In addition, the book has a section of artist spotlights featuring your boys Os Gemeos amongst others. Softcover, full color, 128 pages. 9" x 8.5".
-the mgmnt
Ask almost any artist and they'll tell you the sketchbook is their most prized possession. It is the artist's secret world; a fertile hot-bed of unconstrained ideas, raw inspiration and unbounded energy. With Street Sketchbook, you get a rare glimpse into the...
expand review sketchbooks of over 60 contemporary artists from around the world working in a variety of disciplines, from graffiti, street art, illustration, painting, design and animation. Take a peak into the personal sketchbooks of such artists as Banksy, Blu, AJ Purdy, Sickboy, Turfone, Microbo, Miss Lotion, Neb, Other, Showchicken, Jason Hsu, Joshka and many more. The book also features some outside works (on walls and buildings) from several artists including Dem, Banksy, Kryot, Hello Monsters, PAL, Paris, Ponk, Rekal, San, Sat One, Xenz, and my favorite, Turbo. The variety of styles represented is amazing (so easy to get lost in), and it's great to see how many ideas and themes are shared all over the world. Over 270 brilliant, full color pages in a thick hardcover edition with rounded corners. -snackmaster
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