Lee Quiñones: Fifty Years of New York Graffiti Art and Beyond

Experience the intricacies of a revolutionary New York subway artist with this all-encompassing monograph.

This volume showcases the extensive and transformative art of iconic Puerto Rican-born artist Lee Quiñones throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career. Quiñones' debut as a 14-year-old graffiti artist in the New York City subway system sparked a movement, incorporating dynamic elements of Futurism into his murals on over 120 subway cars. These groundbreaking works of street art served as a catalyst for the international recognition of spray paint-based art, as seen in Quiñones' first formal exhibition. He also pioneered the freestanding urban mural, exemplified by his handball court masterpiece, Howard the Duck (1978).

Indulge in the stunning imagery of Quiñones' bold street art, paintings, and drawings. Through his dynamic artistic evolution, the monograph eloquently depicts the artist's thoughtful social commentary. Immerse yourself in the high-resolution visuals and scholarly insights that reveal his profound impact on influential peers like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and David Wojnarowicz. Archival photographs transport you to the gritty and vibrant New York City of Quiñones' formative years.

Lee Quiñones, born in 1960 in Ponce, Puerto Rico and raised in the Lower East Side, is renowned as the most influential artist from the New York subway art movement. His debut New York exhibit at White Columns in 1980 marked a pivotal moment, as spray paint art evolved from public spaces to stationary canvas pieces.