Taking the Train
Denied the usual outlets for making a name for themselves,  young men from urban communities turned in the 1960s and early  '70s to large-scale graffiti projects on subway cars technically  called "writing" to make their mark. "When you're poor, that's  all you've got," claims Iz the Wiz, one of the graffiti artists  presented by Austin, a Bowling Green University professor of  popular culture. This provocative examination of urban graffiti  culture's heyday suggests that "writing could have been promoted  as a homegrown public art movement," but instead it was  relegated, by authorities and much of the media, as vandalism.  Arguing that "writing" functions as a "prestige economy," making  the writer famous outside of his neighborhood, Austin examines  in depth both its artistic and social meanings. From the  function of networking between neighborhoods to the social  difference between the Great Tradition style and the later  invention of Throw Ups, Austin fills his broad canvas with such  diverse issues as the history of juvenile delinquency in  Manhattan; Robert Moses's legacy of urban development; how and  why the New York Times changed its editorial position on  graffiti; and the eventual relation of "writing" to zine and  video culture. Austin's precise, witty and genial style  perfectly meshes with his rigorous research and analysis. He  makes the differences between emerging "bombers" and "piecers,"  or the social hierarchy that relegates "toy taggers" to the  bottom rungs, seem vital and rife with cultural import. The  Metropolitan Transit Authority's "retaking" of the trains in the  mid-'80s is thus viewed as a mixed blessing at best. (Mar.) Forecast: This exemplary study makes important contributions to  understanding contemporary art, urban sociology and the culture  wars, yet reads like a trade book. Heightened New York interest  should broaden its appeal; look for success from New York or  art-based display tables.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.