JAMES PRIGOFF - Photographer/Artist James Prigoff is an author, photographer and lecturer on the subject of worldwide urban murals. He is one of the most important photographers of aerosol art on the international scene. He started a worldwide documentation of murals in the late 1960's. His interest would eventually lead him to aerosol art. He has personally photographed one of the most extensive collections of spraycan art in the world. During the late 1970's and the early 1980's, Prigoff documented from their infancy many aerosol art movements across the United States and abroad. Important photographs from this documentation appear in the book Spraycan Art published by Thames and Hudson in 1987, which he co-authored with photographer Henry Chalfant. This book would join the ranks of the films Wild Style and Style Wars and the book Subway Art in triggering the birth of additional aerosol art movements throughout the world. Prigoff is widely respected within the international aerosol art community. He developed close relationships with many writers enabling him to gain a perspective usually unobtainable to people outside the aerosol art community. Included in Prigoff's vast collection are significant works by artists LEE (NYC), Seen (NYC), MODE 2 (France), BANDO (France), SHOE and DELTA (Amsterdam), DZINE (Chicago), TWIST (San Francisco), Rough, STYLO, and PART 2 (England), LOOMIT (Germany), DREAM (RIP-Oakland), HEX and SLICK (Los Angeles) and DIZNEY (San Francisco and Harlem, NYC) and so many others. In addition to numerous San Francisco Bay Area radio and television appearances, he has lectured in many museums and educational institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Vancouver Art Museum and Stanford University. He has done literally hundreds of free slide shows for the artists themselves. He co-authored Painting the Towns- Murals of California with Robin Dunitz. His most recently co-authored book with Dunitz is Walls of Heritage - Walls of Pride- History of African American Murals. He was pleased to include works by BLADE, NOC, KASE 2, QUIK, A-ONE, VULCAN, SPON, E-ZONE and DIZNEY in this now critically acclaimed book. Prigoff is still actively documenting public art today. Interview with James Prigoff Conducted by @149st November 15, 2000. Back to Photographers page | Home |  Artists |  Crews |  History |  Links |  E mail | Glossary |