King's Way : The Beginnings of Australian Graffiti - Melbourne 1983-1993

A quarter of a century ago, the New York City hip-hop phenomenon left its mark on Australian walls - a graffiti-writing culture was born.

In a barrage of blinding colour, cryptic words and bombed-out train carriages, Kings Way tells the story of Melbourne's emerging underground writing scene and the youth whose sole purpose was to get up.

Using the city's walls and trains as their ephemeral canvas, these writers pioneered the elaborate spray-paint artworks that continue to dominate Melbourne's cityscape.

With more than 1,200 full-colour images, this volume captures the rapid changes in styles in these early years, as Melbourne's graffiti evolved from basic tags through to explosive full-colour masterpieces.

Part visual encyclopaedia, part social history, Kings Way chronicles the events, spaces, materials and folklore that made up the lives of Melbourne's early writers.

Compiled by active participants in the subculture across this period, it pays tribute to the individuals and crews who laid the foundation for Melbourne's reputation as a graffiti style capital.