LA Graffiti Black Book

This book highlights a unique collaboration among 150 Los Angeles artists, showcasing their creativity through a series of stunning black book pages.

This remarkable collection showcases the unique works of 150 graffiti and tattoo artists from Los Angeles, representing a groundbreaking collaboration within the city's vibrant artistic community. Many of these artists maintain personal sketchbooks, known as black books, where they invite peers and admired figures to contribute their own lettering or drawings. The Getty Research Institute played a pivotal role in this project, inviting prominent artists such as Angst, Axis, Big Sleeps, and others to explore the concept of a citywide graffiti black book.

During their visits to the Getty Center, the artists were inspired by rare books on calligraphy and letterforms, including celebrated works by Albrecht Durer and Leonardo da Vinci. They discovered a fascinating connection to their own artistic practices, particularly through the concept of a liber amicorum, or book of friends, which was popular in the seventeenth century. This form of autograph book was passed around, filled with signatures, poetry, and coats of arms, echoing the essence of contemporary black books.

Motivated by this historical context, the artists transitioned into both creators and curators, designing their own pages and inviting contributions from fellow artists. Ultimately, 150 Los Angeles artists contributed to 143 individual pages, which were beautifully bound together to create the LA Graffiti Black Book. This publication not only reproduces each page of the original artists' book but also narrates the story of an extraordinary collaboration that highlights the rich diversity of Los Angeles's artistic landscape.