What started as simple street movement, a way to assert individuality and pride, has blossomed into much more: Graffiti is everywhere. From Sprite commercials to The Source magazine to Soho art galleries, the elements and vernacular of the graffiti aesthetic are apparent in today's society. This book examines graffiti's influence from its earliest days to its undeniable ubiquity now. Written by an insider, it includes a general history, in-depth interviews with both the progenitors of the form and current artists, and full-color illustrations of the most important works over the last 30 years. Unlike other subcultures that have been corrupted by the media and the mainstream, graffiti has maintained its sense of the underground and its clandestine feel. The purity and integrity that have defined the graffiti writer's mission have never faltered. The Art of Getting Over offers an unprecedented glimpse into this deeply affecting urban art form.

Stephen Powers, the 5th youngest in a family of 6, was born with a healthy appetite for attention. Acting up in class never quite satisfied, and learning to ride a unicycle was too hard, so he gorged himself on graffiti. Once filled, he attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and began to push his work in the medium towards a continuous dialogue with the masses, first with painting, then publishing On the Go magazine. He lives and paints in New York City. This is his first book, although not the first time he's been booked. What started as simple street movement, a way to assert individuality and pride, has blossomed into much more: Graffiti is everywhere. From Sprite commercials to The Source magazine to Soho art galleries, the elements and vernacular of the graffiti aesthetic are apparent in today's society. This book examines graffiti's influence from its earliest days to its undeniable ubiquity now. Written by an insider, it includes a general history, in-depth interviews with both the progenitors of the form and current artists, and full-color illustrations of the most important works over the last 30 years. Unlike other subcultures that have been corrupted by the media and the mainstream, graffiti has maintained its sense of the underground and its clandestine feel. The purity and integrity that have defined the graffiti writer's mission have never faltered. The Art of Getting Over offers an unprecedented glimpse into this deeply affecting urban art form.

What started as a simple street movement has blossomed into much more. Graffiti is everywhere, and this account examines both its origins and influence at the end of the 20th century. It includes a general history, in-depth interviews and vivid photographs depicting examples of the genre.

A graffiti artist and the publisher of "On The Go, " a New York-based graffiti and hip-hop magazine, presents an overview of one of the most profoundly moving--and dangerous--of America's indigenous art forms. Photos.