Our favourite graffiti movies and documentaries
- Text by Alex King
- Photography by Valerio Polici
Graffiti was the ultimate escape, reflects photographer Valerio Polici in Huck 51 – The Adventure Issue. Cutting his teeth bombing the mean streets of Rome, Europe’s underground scene became was his world.
Running from the authorities, living on your nerve, and forging lasting bonds with other writers, becomes an all consuming lifestyle, and the danger, the illegality of it all, pulls people in and keeps them coming back for more. Valerio has chronicled his former graffiti life through photographs and anecdotes in his awesome book Ergo Sum.
In this playlist, we collect the best street art movies and documentaries.
Bomb It
Stations of the Elevated
Style Wars
Wild Style
Gimme the Loot
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
Exit Through the Gift Shop
KCBR – Live Life Like
Piece By Piece: San Francisco Graffiti
Alter Ego
Kings and Toys
Bomber (King of Rotterdam)
New York Subway Graffiti Kings
Check out the full article in Huck 51 – The Adventure Issue. Grab a copy in the Huck Shop or subscribe today to make sure you don’t miss another issue.
Latest on Huck
Nearly a century ago, denim launched a US fashion revolution
The fabric that built America — From its roots as rugged workwear, the material became a society-wide phenomenon in the 20th century, even democratising womenswear. A new photobook revisits its impact.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A forlorn portrait of a Maine fishing village forced to modernise
Sealskin — Jeff Dworsky’s debut monograph ties his own life on Deer Isle and elegiac family story with ancient Celtic folklore.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Subversive shots of Catholic schoolgirls in ‘80s New York
Catholic Girl — When revisiting her alma mater, Andrea Modica noticed schoolgirls finding forms of self-expression beyond the dress code. Her new photobook documents their intricate styles.
Written by: Isaac Muk
We need to talk about super gonorrhoea
Test & vaccinate — With infection rates of ‘the clap’ seemingly on the up, as well as a concerning handful of antibiotic resistant cases, Nick Levine examines what can be done to stem the STI’s rise.
Written by: Nick Levine
5 decades ago, Larry Sultan & Mike Mandel redefined photography
Evidence — Between 1975 and 1977, the two photographers sifted through thousands of images held by official institutions, condensing them into a game-changing sequence.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Warm portraits of English football fans before the Premier League
Going to the Match — In the 1991/1992 season, photographer Richard Davis set out to understand how the sport’s supporters were changing, inadvertently capturing the end of an era.
Written by: Isaac Muk