As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of Banksy’s iconic residency on the streets of New York, we also mark the beginning of our reviews for the Martha Cooper Library (MCL) collection at Urban Nation in Berlin. As stewards of the library and holders of the #2 and #3 library cards, we take pride in introducing you to the ever-expanding collection of materials dedicated to the global street art and graffiti movement. This repository is a valuable resource not only for academic researchers but also for ardent enthusiasts. Our aim is to transform it into a world-class hub for research on this remarkable grassroots art movement, and we believe it’s essential to acquaint you with its contents.

Books in the MCL: BANKSY IN NEW YORK. Ray Mock. 2019

MARTHA COOPER LIBRARY: BOOK RECOMMENDATION⁠

| Title: Banksy in New York
| Media group: Book
| Author: Mock, Ray (author); Banksy (artist)
| Year: 2019
| Language: English

Text: Steven P. Harrington & Jaime Rojo

For 31 days in October of 2013, UK street artist Banksy “gifted” New York City with daily new surprises on the streets in all five boroughs – effectively involving citizens in his self-designed residency. It is traditional for graffiti writers in New York to claim to go “all-city,” and author Ray Mock has covered the tags, fill-ins, and pieces by hundreds of writers as a one-man documentarian of graffiti at Carnage NYC Publishing. Here he tracks the daily movements of Banksy through the city to document the usual, unusual, and often witty acts of one of the most famous, yet anonymous, street artists and his presumed team of assistants, actors, and performers. Each installation has a social or political story, often with a deep sense of critique.

Banksy in New York is well-illustrated with shots of the odd and interesting installations of his “Better Out Than In” show as it was unveiled via social media. He also captures the scenes, sometimes containing mayhem, that popped up around them as word spread on social media that a new Banksy had appeared. For a New Yorker proud of his turf and a wizened observer of the rise in popularity of street art, Mock examines the various installations and looks for a personal firsthand voice to describe the art and the events so the reader may feel like they understand what it was like to be there.

To learn more about the Martha Cooper Library at Urban Nation Museum Berlin and to continue reading the review, click HERE to go to the Urban Nation website.

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