You Never Saw This But Now You Will

A train burner from Seventies graffiti doc ‘Stations of the Elevated.’

“A film about late Seventies street art ended up falling between the cracks — and is now finally getting the release it deserves.”

I watched Stations of the Elevated numerous times upon release. Loved it. Still do. Now you do, yes?

Back in the 1970s, lifelong New Yorker and filmmaker Manfred Kirchheimer had never really noticed the graffiti that adorned subway trains for much of the Me Decade. “Like a lot of strap-hangers, I’d wait for the subway on a platform — my stop was the 103rd street station,” the 83-year-old says, calling from the uptown Manhattan apartment he’s lived in for decades. “Trains are whizzing past you, and you just want to get on. Even when you get in the car and would see tags done with Sharpies and Magic Markers, you’d hardly pay attention; you were too bust trying to find a seat.”

Not sure why this is only 26 minutes long while the film is approx. 45 minutes. (If you love it like I do you can buy the DVD or rent the film on Amazon.)

Cult ’80s NYC graffiti documentary Stations of the Elevated is re-released

A jazz tribute to street art’s early pioneers

If you’re a student or professor you can watch it for free here.

Style Wars (1983) is thematically related.