Lee Quiñones: 50 Years of New York Graffiti Art and Beyond

A Comprehensive Monograph on the Work of a Pioneering New York Subway Artist

This volume presents a sweeping overview of the monumental work of Puerto Rican–born artist Lee Quiñones over the past five decades. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1960, and raised in the Lower East Side, Lee Quiñones is considered the single most influential artist to emerge from the New York subway art movement. When Quiñones made his first spray paint mural in the New York City subway system, he was just 14 years old. He eventually spray-painted murals on over 120 subway cars, infusing kinetic elements of Futurism into his illustrations. These highly visible graffiti works served as a catalyst for what is now acknowledged as the Street Art movement.

Indeed, the artist introduced spray paint-based work to international audiences upon his first formal exhibition, and he also invented the concept of the freestanding urban mural through his handball court piece, Howard the Duck (1978). In 1980, Quiñones had his first New York show at White Columns, ushering in an important era as the medium of spray paint expanded from public spaces to stationary canvas works.

This book is chock-full of Quiñones' street art works, paintings and drawings, underscoring the poetic social commentary the artist has incorporated throughout his formal evolutions. Pairing high-resolution images of his works with thoughtful scholarship, the monograph traces his influence on peers such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and David Wojnarowicz. An abundance of archival photographs capture the gritty, vibrant New York City of Quiñones' early career.

The book highlights Quiñones' pioneering role in the New York subway art movement, which paved the way for the Street Art movement that has since gained international acclaim. His early graffiti works on the subway cars infused kinetic elements of Futurism, creating highly visible and impactful pieces that served as a catalyst for this artistic revolution.

The monograph delves into the poetic social commentary that Quiñones has woven throughout his diverse body of work, from his spray paint murals to his paintings and drawings. The scholarship presented in the book, paired with high-resolution images, underscores the artist's formal evolutions and his influence on other renowned figures in the art world, such as Basquiat, Haring, and Wojnarowicz.

Archival photographs transport the reader to the gritty, vibrant New York City that served as the backdrop for Quiñones' early career, capturing the energy and dynamism of the city that fueled his artistic vision. The book's comprehensive approach to Quiñones' work, from his pioneering subway art to his expansive oeuvre, solidifies his legacy as a trailblazing figure in the art world.

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