I don’t get to ride the trains in Melbourne very often these days. But on the odd occasion I find myself standing at a railway track with some time to spare, I normally smoke a cigarette and scour the trains passing in the opposite direction for a piece. Sometimes I get lucky, but most often not. They are a blank canvas.

That wasn’t always the case in Melbourne. I regularly caught the trains to school between 90-93 and was often amazed by some off the pieces. I was drawn to them, to a point where I would often be late to class as I would sometimes see a piece I liked and I would get off at the next stop to go back and take a photo.

‘Kings Way – The Beginnings of Australian Graffiti’ is more than just a graffiti book with pretty pictures. Kings Way is a collaborative effort and nine year project that includes 384 pages & 1200 images of Melbourne Graffiti history.

Spanning Melbournes golden age of graffiti, between 1983 & 1993. Kings Way the book is a retrospective of Melboure street art. If you have ever been impressed by books like Subway Art this book goes far and beyond.

With commentries from various Melbourne Artists including Bathy, Chose, Duel, Duet, Krisy, Merda, New2, Paris, Peril, Puzle, Ransom and Ron the Train Driver throughout this time capsule unleashed, is something for Australians to be proud of as this book is the biggest, brightest and best tribute to Graffiti ever published.

The title ‘Kings Way’ is a tribute to the well known passage between Camberwell and Auburn stations on the Belgrave/Lillydale line. Nicknamed ‘Kings Way’ by writers, with credit to a piece painted there by Prime and The Dskyzer in 86. (pictured above)

(Kings Way was also a Graff Magazine printed way back in 1990 by John Williams aka Duel – you can check his shit here http://www.duelsart.com/ )

This book is more than a Coffee table book for old nostalgic cunts like myself, it’s a fogotten history and to some a look at Melbourne as never seen before. From how it all emerged and how the lines connected three generations of writers.

Compiled and authored by old schoolers Duro Cubrilo, Martin Harvey and Karl Stamer ‘Kings Way’ cements Melbournes place in graffiti history.

Kings Way The Book is available now from most Independent Hip Hop shops and Major Bookstores Australia Wide or you can order direct at http://kingswaybook.blogspot.com/.

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