New York graffiti's golden age is immortalized in this 400-page compendium of photographs and artist interviews
Though the medium was born in the '60s, graffiti art reached a fever pitch in 1990s New York. After the widespread subway cleanup that ended the so-called "train era," artists adapted, using the streets and urban architecture to combat alienation. Blending aesthetics with lifestyle, they reconnected art with the pulse of human existence. Edited by Hugo Martinez, owner of New York's Martinez Gallery, You Weren't There is a snapshot of the art and artists of a pivotal city in a pivotal decade for graffiti art. Focusing on the 1990s—a decade of unpredictability and innovation—this book traces graffiti's evolution and its sensibilities within broader social currents. It includes contemporaneous photographs of the works in situ by Danielle Becker, James McDonald, Olalla Novoa, H. Martinez, Phil Mansfield and Stephen J. Bell, alongside interviews conducted by Martinez with 25 artists such as Case2, Ghost, Nato, Rebel, Setup and Web 113.
STATUS: Forthcoming | 6/30/2026
This title is not yet published in the U.S. To pre-order or receive notice when the book is available, please email orders @ artbook.com
You Weren't There: ’90s Graffiti in New York ’90s Graffiti in New York
Published by Hatje Cantz. Edited by Hugo Martinez.
New York graffiti's golden age is immortalized in this 400-page compendium of photographs and artist interviews
Though the medium was born in the '60s, graffiti art reached a fever pitch in 1990s New York. After the widespread subway cleanup that ended the so-called "train era," artists adapted, using the streets and urban architecture to combat alienation. Blending aesthetics with lifestyle, they reconnected art with the pulse of human existence. Edited by Hugo Martinez, owner of New York's Martinez Gallery, You Weren't There is a snapshot of the art and artists of a pivotal city in a pivotal decade for graffiti art. Focusing on the 1990s—a decade of unpredictability and innovation—this book traces graffiti's evolution and its sensibilities within broader social currents. It includes contemporaneous photographs of the works in situ by Danielle Becker, James McDonald, Olalla Novoa, H. Martinez, Phil Mansfield and Stephen J. Bell, alongside interviews conducted by Martinez with 25 artists such as Case2, Ghost, Nato, Rebel, Setup and Web 113.
