London Handstyles successfully manages to lift the lid on a thriving underground subculture without destroying the magic. Reading through it is evident that the book has a strong feeling of integrity and authenticity, created with the writer in mind with photos and stories supplied by those on the frontline; like it or hate it this is an appreciation of the raw essence of the culture - the tag, the name and the stories. Whilst the book does well to represent the culture today, with an increase in buffing over the past few years, a large chunk of the city’s graffiti history has also been lost, in particular the 90s and 80s, so for some this book may be a trip down memory lane whilst for others it’ll also be a history lesson.
The exhibition itself was simple, no thrills - bombed wall to wall by writers with quotes and images from the book itself lining the walls of The Rarekind Gallery. Alcohol flowed to the beats of our own DJ Getz (featured in the recent Guru interview) and others whilst the gallery filled with writers old and new and appreciators of the culture.
What can people expect to see in it? What writers have you featured?
160 jam packed pages with over 800 images of tags, throw ups and action shots. Also quotes, words and legendary tales from 35 of London’s most infamous writers from the last 3 decades including people like Diet, Idea, Oker, Cosa, 10 Foot and many others…
Robbo PFB ’This book is a piece of history, the best thing since Subway Art!’
Fume DDS ’Looking at this book has brought straight back the buzz and mad memories and makes me want to go straight out and paint…A lot of unseen pics and great quotes showing what our life is like underground.’
Zomby FBS ’This book for me digs deep into London’s underground culture and history and at the same time gives lost or forgotten unsung heroes of our scene some light.’
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London Handstyles is available to buy online via the London Handstyles website
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